It’s no secret: Glasgow is teeming with new restaurant openings. I can rarely get through any conversation about the city without some mention of its growing – and glowing – food scene.
Yet sometimes it’s nice to retreat into the warmth and familiarity of an institution. For Glasgow’s West End, that institution is Eusebi Deli.
On the corner of Park Road, where the buzzing neighbourhood slows just enough to savour a coffee and a pastry, Eusebi’s is an enduring part of local life, a constant presence with a spark that never seems too dull.
Set up in Shettleston, before moving to the West End in 2016, it has been trading for more than 40 years. It is genuinely a family enterprise.
With its sprightly and instantly recognisable red-and-white livery, a dining room busy from morning until night and counters laden with breads, bakes and the famous ‘Yesterday’s lasagne’, Eusebi Deli continues to justify its legendary reputation.
It’s been quite the year for the deli. It was recently named on the Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2026, one of only two Glasgow venues to feature on this year’s list. They also expanded to Edinburgh, opening a bakery at Bonnie & Wild.
But this summer, owner Giovanna Eusebi decided she wanted to bring ‘La Dolce Estate’ (which translates to ‘the sweet summer’) to Glasgow, inspired by summers spent with family in Lazio and the treasured food memories that have shaped generations of the Eusebi family.
Watermelon salad
So, what’s changed on the menu? Thankfully, nothing that matters. What has changed, though, is how the food is served. Rather than individual dishes, the menu now centres on smaller plates made for sharing, creating something more akin to a lively Italian feast with friends.
Dishes include Isle of Wight tomato salad with buffalo mozzarella, basil and aged balsamic and wild halibut with shellfish bisque, alongside a dedicated aperitivo menu featuring fried gnocchi and signature Eusebi olives and giardiniera.
‘La Dolce Estate is incredibly personal to me,’ Giovanna has said. ‘Every dish on this menu has been inspired by memories of summers spent in Italy with my family, moments gathered around tables filled with beautiful food, laughter and conversation that lasted for hours.’
Crab arancini with brown crab mayonnaise
We started with the crab arancini with brown crab mayonnaise – the perfect bite to get your taste buds firing. Then it was on to the antipasti section of the menu. The grilled chicken Caesar was impressive: crispy-skinned, succulent chicken served with crunchy lettuce and the classic salty hits of anchovies and Parmesan.
The watermelon salad – compressed, perfectly cut slices of watermelon balanced with equally pretty slices of pecorino, green strawberries and topped with mint – was fresh and light, as was the tuna crudo with pickled nectarine.
Tuna crudo
It was impossible to overlook the pinsettas – these cloud-like mini pizzas with soft centres and crispy edges are not to be missed. Ours was topped with lovely thin slices of courgette.
But it was the crab ravioli that was the standout dish for me. A staple on the Deli’s menu, the delicate pasta parcels were generously filled with sweet crab, with blistered roasted tomatoes and samphire bringing a welcome salty freshness that tied everything together beautifully.
The pork cheek ragù was everything you want from a slow-cooked pasta dish. The pork had been braised until it was meltingly tender, breaking apart effortlessly into a glossy sauce that wrapped around buttery strands of tagliatelle.
Of course, no Italian meal is complete without two things: tiramisu and gelato. But a word of warning – even for a self-confessed tiramisu aficionado and coffee lover like me, the tiramisu comes with a very strong kick of coffee.
Rather than reinventing familiar classics, the kitchen is focused on executing them exceptionally well. It’s polished but unfussy Italian cooking.
Crab ravioli
It may not be the city’s newest opening but Eusebi Deli continues to stand apart because it offers something increasingly rare – authenticity. It honours the Scottish-Italian alliance, remaining true to its roots while continuing to welcome Glasgow as its home.
The dishes are well executed but still recognisable as the comforting food they are. It would be hard for any Italophile not to leave happy.
This is somewhere that has become far more than a neighbourhood restaurant. This is a Glasgow constant, built on family, heritage and deep respect for Italian cooking and it’s easy to see why it continues to be held in high esteem.
I am both amazed and delighted that, through it all, it has lost none of its charm.
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