Santa Lucia Merchant City Glasgow — Restaurant in Scotland

A Thoroughly Disappointing Dining Experience at Santa Lucia

I recently dined at Santa Lucia in Merchant City, Glasgow, and felt compelled to share my experience. The restaurant is highly praised, yet I believe this acclaim may be a result of Glasgow's relatively low culinary standards. As a seasoned cook with a discerning palate, I was profoundly disappointed.

Starters: A Lacklustre Beginning

We began with the COCKTAIL DI GAMBERI E MANGO. What was presented was reminiscent of a traditional 90s prawn cocktail. The so-called "King prawns" were anything but, being small and chopped beyond recognition. The Marie Rose sauce was an antiquated, gloopy concoction of thick mayonnaise and ketchup, devoid of any modern culinary finesse. A touch of lemon juice or some fresh herbs could have transformed this dish. The mango chutney, a mere teaspoonful, was ill-conceived, and the carasau bread was nothing more than packet poppadoms. An inexcusable offering at £11.

Mains: Mediocrity on a Plate

The mains comprised RAVIOLI DELLO CHEF and FILETTO DI BRANZINO AL LIMONE. The ravioli, filled with four cheeses, was acceptable but drowned in a sauce of pure melted butter. While butter can elevate a dish, this was excessive and poorly executed. A lighter touch, perhaps with pasta water to balance the richness, was desperately needed.

The seabass was well-cooked but marred by the same uninspired butter sauce, accompanied by overcooked asparagus. The absence of any carbohydrate or starch was bewildering. This dish screamed for the addition of baby potatoes or a similar accompaniment to provide balance and substance.

Conclusion: Overrated and Overpriced

Despite the culinary disappointments, the service was commendable. The waitstaff were attentive and pleasant, though the ambiance was far from intimate. The upstairs seating area was cramped and noisy, more suited to group celebrations than romantic dinners.

Regrettably, the meal concluded with subpar coffees—over-roasted beans and poorly executed espresso pulls.

To top it all, I was short-changed by a tenner when paying in cash. Given the company I was with, I chose not to contest it, but it certainly added to the overall dissatisfaction.

In summary, Santa Lucia is an establishment where service outshines the food. For those who truly appreciate good food, I would advise seeking an alternative venue. The positive reviews are, in my opinion, unfounded and indicative of a clientele less familiar with...

It was OK. Not amazing. Not terrible. Went on a Saturday afternoon and it was busy - good buzz about the place. Decor is ok - lots of plastic lemons around! 3/5 Food was 50/50. Surprised at the limited menu choice. Had 'foccacia' to start. Menu described it as pizza base with cherry tomatoes and parmesan shavings, which is exactly what we got, but not what I'd call foccacia. It was OK but quite burnt on the edges. I guess that's what they meant by 'stonebaked'. 2/5 Main course was good. Very nice pasta, good flavours, decent sized portions. Can't fault it. However it took quite a while to arrive. 4/5 Gelato for dessert. Tasted good, but presentation was terrible. The bowl must have been hot cos it arrived as a half melted lake, but more importantly without any kind of decoration. No fruit, no mint leaf, no wafer, no sauce, not even a dusting of icing sugar. Literally 3 scoops of (runny but tasty) ice cream in a bowl. 2/5 Service-wise also 2/5. Staff were polite enough, although a bit off-hand. Definitely wasn't "service with a smile" or going the extra mile. We had quite a lot of crumbs on the table after our "stonebaked" (I.e. Burnt) starter and it would have been great if the waiter had taken 10 seconds to wipe it inbetween courses, but no such thoughtfulness. As mentioned, we had quite a long wait for our main course. There was a large group next to us which I guess would have held up the kitchen but when it eventually arrived not even a "sorry for the delay". So overall: quite underwhelmed. The pasta was decent but I've definitely had better Italian meals in Glasgow and I'd say this place...

Although stating so outside, there were very few vegan options (not even sure if there were any as mains). The waiter was acting like he didn’t want to work at all, when asked about vegan options he just said ‘no egg’. That was all the information I could get from him. He then just stood next to me without saying a word. I asked if the pasta was fresh, made with egg he said ’yes. Pizza?’ So I went for just plain pizza without cheese. When he came with the bill there was a nibble on it, but after a second he just took it and said ‘you can’t have it’. Pretty poor service for what could be a nice, Italian restaurant if it was given a little bit of training in service.

Second response: I was actually working, so I couldn't respond to your answer. It doesn't make me happy to just leave a bad review, so your attack is pointless. I did not offend the waiter, I just expect that when I go to a restaurant it is the waiter who answers my questions about the dietaries, not the owner, half an hour later as an answer to my review on google. Trust me, I am a waitress myself. I'll happily come back if you just make sure your floor staff is well trained. It was not my point to post a bad review as soon as I left. I was just disappointed, because I was very happy to see you have vegan dishes on offer and I've actually always wanted to try...