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Paperino’s West End brings classic Italian cuisine to neighbourhood setting
Paperino’s, the Sauchiehall Street restaurant which revolutionised Glasgow’s approach to Italian food, is proud to announce the opening of its new branch, Paperino’s West End, on Byres Road.
The new restaurant, which emphasises traditional Italian cuisine in a relaxed, neighbourhood setting, combines the extensive range of pasta, pizza and meat and fish dishes found in the original restaurant, with a new takeaway service along with early morning coffee and pastries. In addition, a new specially created children’s menu will be available throughout opening hours.
Paperino’s West End marks a return home for owners Stefano and Sandro Giovanazzi. The brothers were born and raised in the West End, and Stefano said the new restaurant was intended to be a focal point for the vibrant community which lives in the area.
When the brothers opened the original Paperino’s in 1991, the combination of classic food in a relaxed environment was new to Glasgow, and the now-classic look of whitewashed walls and terracotta floor redefined the way the city’s restaurants were designed. The new restaurant returns to that timeless design with subtle changes to suit the larger space.
Entry to the main restaurant is through large brasserie-style doors from Byres Road. The restaurant, although spacious, falls naturally into several distinct areas, ensuring diners always feel they are in an intimate and relaxed environment. Entering the restaurant, there is an area of round tables near the street, perfectly suited for relaxed lunchtime eating while taking in the street scene. A staircase leads to a mezzanine floor dining area, surrounded by an elegant glass balustrade, which will also be available for private functions for up to 40 diners.
In the main restaurant, a long bar down one side provides a focal point for the restaurant’s signature cellar of elegant but reasonably priced Italian wines. This part of the restaurant consists primarily of booth seating, with a side area occupied by a long bench and loose tables and chairs.
A third dining area also features flexible table seating, with large windows overlooking the picturesque cottages in the neighbourhood.
A feature of the interior are two specially commissioned murals. Painted by Glasgow artist Nichol Wheatley in the style of the early 20th century painters Albers and Delaunay, they reflect Stefano’s keen interest in abstract art.
The brothers were determined to make their new restaurant as attractive and welcoming to families as it was to other diners. As well as the new children’s menu, which offers a choice of main and dessert, along with a drink, for £4.80, the restaurant includes a separate room for baby changing, with custom built benches, a wash-basin and a comfortable chair. The room opens on to a large, lockable vestibule, meaning a parent with more than one child will be able to secure the entire area, leaving them free to attend to the baby without worrying about the other child.
The restaurant features a separate takeaway area opening on to Byres Road, which will be open from 8am until 10pm. In the mornings it will provide coffee and croissants and pastries, while from 11am it will offer light lunches such as pannini and baguettes. From midday it will offer the restaurant’s full a la carte menu as takeaway, at a 25 per cent discount on sit-in prices.
A free home delivery service will be offered.
Stefano says that despite the innovations the new restaurant introduces, it will maintain the traditions which have made the original Paperino’s a Glasgow favourite. “I have a great love of all food and wine, but I believe we should stick to doing what we know best, and that is preparing traditional Italian food,” he says.
For further information, contact Stefano Giovanazzi, 07798 531181, or Sandro Giovanazzi 07976 320913
31st May 2005
