Restaurant Review: Zizzi, Silverburn Shopping Centre, Glasgow

Shop Silverburn asked us to go along and try out the Shop Silverburn App. We sent along Mr C and Mama C to find out how to use the app, see the offers and enjoy themselves. As mentioned in the post here, there was money off at Zizzi, so off they went!

The restaurant was busy with it being friday. Mama C and I arrived just after 7pm, and we were greeted by friendly and courteous staff. A table for two was reserved in the seating area outside the restaurant, allowing us to people watch once we had ordered our food.

It was quite refreshing that the waiting staff gave us adequate time to peruse the menu and make our choices, one thing that does irritate me at some places is the hard sell and checking up on you every 10 seconds.

For the starter, Mama C went for the Mushroom Brindisi, one of a number of new dishes on the menu. The dish consisted of creamy mushrooms & smoked mozzarella, on oven baked dough, finished with chopped parsley, grated riserva cheese, crispy sage , smoked garlic oil and basil.

I decided to go for another new dish on the menu in the Pulled Beef Arancini. Described on the menu as freshly made risotto balls with a slow cooked pulled beef & melted mozzarella middle, and a breadcrumb coating, served with a smoked capia pepper dip.

We both decided to go for the SanPellegrino Limonata, as our choice of soft drink, accompanied by a jug of tap water to help wash down the treat that was to follow. The waiting staff offered the water without the need for us to request it.

We didn’t have long to wait for the first course being served. Both dishes certainly looked the part, and they definitely didn’t disappoint. Mama C’s starter was quite a substantial portion. She commented that the dough was lovely and fresh, with the base just crispy enough. The dough was topped with copious amounts of cheese and mushrooms, particularly pleasing due to Mama C’s fondness of the funghi. She stated that the food was delish, and, due to the hefty portion size, could’ve made a good main course.

My starter looked very pretty and tasted even better. I was very interested in finding out how the combination of ingredients worked. They complimented each other very well indeed. The textures inside were lovely and soft, not too much cheese, and the risotto cooked to perfection. The breadcrumb coating was lovely and crisp, which set the dish perfectly. The pepper dip which accompanied the dish did have a good little kick to it, however, it certainly wasn’t overpowering.

The mains arrived shortly after. Mia Madre went for the tried and tested Spaghetti Carbonara, and I opted for the pasta dish of Strozzapreti Pesto Rosso. What can you really say about the carbonara?Any Italian establishment should never get this wrong – Zizzi’s passed the test.

Mama thoroughly enjoyed her her main, and commented , in glowing terms, of the thinly sliced, crispy pancetta which topped the spaghetti. Unfortunately, she was unable to finish the main, as the portion, again, was quite substantial – a good complaint to have.

My strozzapreti pesto rosso consisted of pasta, a generous helping of moist, spicy chicken, mascarpone & spring onions. All i can say about this dish is that my plate was empty and clean – every morsel completely scoffed. Lovely dish indeed.

Overall, we were certainly happy and impressed with the stand of the food; the waiting staff were courteous and chatty, without being overbearing. A really good meal, and somewhere I’d definitely recommend.