Pizza Express is a chain restaurant I have been aware of for a long time, and I’ve heard great things about it, yet I hadn’t ever tried it myself. This changed this weekend when I was invited to try out the new restaurant in the extension of The Glasgow Fort shopping park.
The restaurant is very white, bright and modern. The smell of Parmesan hits you (in a good way, it doesn’t smell like feet) as you walk in the door. It was a blustery, cold night but the restaurant was cool and comfortable. It’ll be lovely in there in summer.
Always a sucker for a bowl of olives, Father Herb nibbled on these as we looked through the menu and had the specials described to us. There are a fair few pizzas on this menu that I really want to try, so it was hard to pick!
Doughballs with pesto dip
Father Herb decided to try the doughballs, but instead of their regular ones he tried the specials; these were coated and baked in Gran Moravia cheese. They were actually quite light – you’d think they’d be really filling but the portion was just the right size. They were so garlicky and cheesy – I loved them. They’d be perfect alongside pasta.
Bruschetta
I was in the mood for bruschetta the minute I saw it on the menu; I love it. The staff apologised for how long the starters took to arrive, but I’ll be honest, I noticed no delay! What I did notice was that the presentation was a little messy, and there was little red onion in the mixture. Despite that, it was really nice and their pesto was absolutely gorgeous.
Then arrived the main event: the pizzas! I love that you’re given your own pizza cutter so you can divide your pizza as you like.
Padana Pizza
I was in the mood for goat’s cheese. It’s something I take random cravings for, and this pizza hit the spot. A thin, crispy pizza with a tomato base, mozzarella, red onions, caramelised onions, lashings of goat cheese, topped with spinach (cause y’know, spinach is good for you) and then drizzled with garlic oil. Goats cheese is very rich, so I couldn’t manage the entire pizza. It was really tasty and I would definitely order it again.
Vesuvio Pizza
This is one spicy pizza. I really loved everything about it. The base is made with sweet potato so it has an orange colour, but it’s still nice and crisp. The base is topped with pepperoni, hot and soft n’duja sausage, mozzarella and loaded with peppery rocket, shaved Gran Moravia cheese and chilli oil. The sausage picked off this pizza and put on mine was pretty tasty. It’s a fairly fiery pizza, but not uncomfortably so. Delicious.
We were pretty full by the end and were pretty sure that dessert was a terrible idea. That was until we discovered the ‘Dolcetti’ section of the menu. Miniature desserts served with coffee. GENIUS.
Semi Freddo Reale
I had major food envy: my dad ordered this one. This is a gelato dessert with nougat, praline, marsala wine in a cute little lump, spinkled with chocolate powder. It’s like the gelato equivalent of a tiramisu. It was just to die for! My dad opted for a cappucino, and I have to say, as someone who likes really milky coffee with a lot of sugar to make it bearable, this was beautiful without sugar.
Lemon Meringue Torta
I can’t say no to lemon meringue pie – I love it so much. It was really nice with soft, crumbly pastry, tangy lemon and foamy meringue. But it just wasn’t a match for the gelato. I ordered a latte with my dessert and it was beautiful. It’d have been even more beautiful with the gelato *sulks*.
The food and the service were both excellent, and the restaurant is beautiful with a relaxed atmosphere. I’d definitely recommend trying it – especially if you’re like me and generally tend to avoid chain restaurants aside of those I’m really familiar with. It’s not dead cheap like Pizza Hut, but for quality food it’s not expensive. A great wee midweek treat!
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Pizza Express
20 Provan Way
Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre
Glasgow
G34 9DL
(0141) 771 5979
@PizzaExpress
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