Andiamo

Pea and ham soup to start and a Italian sausage and mushroom risotto for a main.
The pea and ham soup was fine, a bit more ham would have been ideal, but cold, hard butter is such a basic thing, if you can’t spread it then it’s too hard, get it out of the fridge, and also supply hardier bread that’ll take a spreading!
The risotto was fine too, nicely cooked, although it could have been creamier. It was better when I had separated out my salsiccia and distributed it a bit, but it certainly needed the extra parmesan and pepper.
A decent lunch, no more, no less.

Ate here with the family for Father’s Day lunch. This was a set menu for £14.95.
Menu had a pretty good selection of starters, mains and puddings with a £5 supplement for the steak. Portion size was good, staff were helpful and food was okay.
Restaurant was very busy and very noisy which put me off it a bit.
It’s not the best Italian type restaurant in Glasgow but was generally ok.

With time to kill before catching the train back to town, we popped into Andiamo for tea. Andiamo’s interior is flashy and the restaurant is a little less relaxed than the cafés I’d usually seek out, but owing to how close it was to the train station, I was happy to pop in for a ten minute tea stop. It meant warmth and caffeine over a wait in the cold.
We weren’t immediately welcomed when we entered the restaurant. The staff all seemed pre-​occupied, and even when a waiter caught sight of us, we did have a few awkward moments of waiting, feeling like we’d disturbed him from something more important.
The atmosphere in Andiamo’s was a loud and chaotic one, with the constant chatter of staff in the background. It seemed like there were a lot of waiting staff on shift and they all stood at the counter, which we were directly in front of. The constant noise was definitely a little off-​putting.
You can’t really go wrong with tea. Unless you charge the same as coffee. — Oh, Andiamo, you devil! That was £2 for a tea bag with warm water. How I wish I’d saved my pennies for a lovely little tea place in town; somewhere with an abundance of loose teas, herbal teas, perhaps a devilishly creamy latte. And a hearty cake cabinet too! — Andiamo’s baked goods were just a little uninspired, especially when I consider the offerings just a stone’s throw away in the city centre. I would have happily stretched a little farther than my two gold coins, and likely left with a bigger grin.

I’ve become incredibly knowledgable with the chain Andiamo as my partner Colin works for the Hamilton branch, and I’ve been in quite a lot of times in the last couple of years. Colin and I decided yesterday that we were going to visit all 3 restaurants in one day; have a coffee in the Giffnock branch, a starter in the Milngavie branch and then a main course in the Hamilton branch. And we managed it!
We were in Wholefoods Market across the road when we decided we’d pop into Andiamo for a coffee. We already had booked a table for Andiamo Hamilton for dinner for the Sunday Steak nights, and decided through that we’d do all 3.
The Giffnock branch of the three restaurants is nice, but definitely my weakest of the three. It feels a lot more like a café than an Italian restaurant, with it’s décor and it’s atmosphere. The staff seemed a bit more lazy in here, with a few of them standing about doing absolutely nothing whilst we were in. Given there was only 2 or 3 tables in, but at least polish cutlery in the back or something so you’re not just hovering about the restaurant. The atmosphere was nice, don’t get me wrong, but we didn’t stay for long cause we felt a bit uncomfortable with a waitress hovering next to us. The coffee was lovely though!

Always be wary of a loooong menu. What you get is food that’s trying too hard to please everyone. I would say Andiamo is Italian-​ish. There are pastas and pizzas, garlic and marscapone, but it’s all a bit generic with too much of a sop to the Scottish palate. It’s kind of, «Eh, this is Italian, right?» instead of Italian done right.
However, I’m still giving it four stars. It’s a lively, sparkling place with wonderful staff and pretty good food. It’s the kind of place where you’ll definitely have a great night, where you’ll feel welcome, and you’ll leave full and contented. There’s a lot to be said for that. Don’t go expecting the rich and earthy goodness that is real Italian, just go and expect to have a good time.

We have been as a family twice now. Thinking the first time was maybe just an off night for them we gave them another go. Sadly the second experience was just as bad. Food was cold and service and hospitality was poor Wont be back.

My husband and I regularly spend a Saturday night in Andiamo’s, the service is friendly and the food is amazing! We think that it is excellent value for money. A few weeks ago we tried another Italian and it just didn’t feel right. Felt like we were cheating on Andiamo’s! Never again.

Nice wee Italian restaurant tucked away in Giffnock. Décor is a bit fancy shmancy for my taste and the chairs aren’t the comfiest. It can be a bit pricey but the staff are lovely and the food is good. Seafood pasta’s a beauty!