Ristorante La Vigna, Lanark

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Classic Italian restaurant in Lanarkshire

It has been far too long since my last visit to La Vigna, an Italian restaurant that has been serving customers since 1983. I had been nagging Mark for so long to visit and with an impromptu New Year trip to Biggar arranged a table was booked for lunch on Monday 2nd. With it being old firm game day, the streets of Lanark and the restaurant were quiet so we had the place to ourselves.

Inside the decor says classic and fine dining with luxurious touches such as the silver platter for our bread and Reidel glasses for the wine.

What we ate & drank

Mark decided to pick from the festive menu, whilst the tortellini brodo on the main menu had my eye. It was chilly, so a perfect pasta in broth day.

Poached eggs are so common in Glasgow’s brunch restaurants but there is a definite lack of bread-poached eggs, which Mark had here, served with asparagus on top of a cheese veloute. Fresh green asparagus, ‘crispy’ eggs, creamy cheese soup and punchy pink peppercorns completed this tasty starter.

They have a big selection of Italian wines by the bottle ranging from £22 to £POA?! We were eating meaty mains so went for Ste Rosso Piceno 2020 from Azienda Santa Barbara near Ancona.

Which was a medium-bodied dry and acidic red with aromas of violet, slate and leather with a plum and cherry taste.

My main was duck ravioli with whipped butter, sage, pancetta & parmesan. More tasty food, and not your typical pasta dish. Warming and comforting, just what I needed.

While Mark had venison casserole with a red wine and port reduction served in a pastry basket with perfect boiled potatoes and mixed winter vegetables. Very filling and robust for a cold day in January.

I passed on dessert but Mark had tiramisu. He enjoyed it but it wasn’t as boozy and creamy as it can be, so a subtle tiramisu. I had a spoonful, just to make sure it was OK. 😉

Verdict

Happy to report that the service and food were just as good as I remembered from years ago. We left suitably merry and full. £75 for both of us including a bottle of wine. A leisurely lunch with superb service.