In 1889, Italy’s Queen Margherita tried her subject’s recipe and loved it so much that a restaurant owner made a special pizza in her honour.
Location
Set on the Helensburgh waterfront it commands an uninterrupted view of the Firth of Clyde. Stunning on a sunny evening.
First Impressions
Smart, friendly Italian-style restaurant with a wood-fired pizza oven blazing at its heart.
Service
Young, friendly and attentive staff who are on first-name terms with their regulars.
Menu
Pizza is, of course, Padrone’s speciality. The menu has 11 varieties to choose from, plus an extensive antipasti menu including the usual garlic bread and bruschetta to mussels and tiger prawns. Other mains include four risottos and 12 pasta dishes. Also a children’s menu of pasta, pizzas and side orders plus ice cream
Taste
The owner tells us the clay oven was handmade in Italy and it was money well spent – it was the best pizzas we had ever tasted. The dough was the right side of salty and even the crust was packed with flavour. We ordered the spicy Italian pepperoni, which packed a punch, and the picante penne pollo (with extra chillis) was delicious. The little one wolfed down his margarita pizza and creamy ice cream while we enjoyed an amazing affogato (a dollop of ice cream with a shot of hot espresso poured over the top, creating a sweet, melted delight) and tiramisu.
Ambience
Chilled out vibe, good playlist on the sound system and a family-friendly atmosphere. It’s not hard to see just why it’s a local favourite.
Price
The children’s pizza and ice cream was £5.50. Pizza’s range from £8 – £11.50, pasta dishes starts at £8.45. A meal for a family of three with drinks was £65.
Toilets
Spotless and, like the rest of this restaurant, very stylish.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe