IT was a Saturday evening and I knew the Moll would be expecting an evening out.

I called a few places seeking a booking but everywhere was full. And here was me thinking everyone was skint in January, after Christmas.

Then a place I had passed and earmarked as a future must-visit popped back into my head.

So off we went to Pianola in Crow Road right on Broomhill Cross in the west.

Parking the Buick in that area was going to be a problem, so we decided to save the planet and left it at Tec Towers.

From the outside twinkling golden fairy lights glow, illuminating the restaurant.

Inside, the transformation of this place is unbelievable. It looks like it has been a restaurant for years with dark wood panelling and period features.

In fact, not so long ago it was a shop selling car parts. While on the road I would stop there to pick up wiper blades or headlamp bulbs for the Buick.

Nowadays, the only bulbs are garlic and blades are used by the chef for slicing through meat and veg.

The place looks and feels like a French brasserie but it is an Italian restaurant.

Form a varied menu the Moll chose the pan-fried King Prawns which came in a white wine chilli sauce.

She was super impressed by this, noting the chilli didn’t overpower the prawns.

I had the classic bruschetta which, while a simple dish, is easy to get wrong.

This, however, was right with the flavor of the olive oil seeping through to the bread which was neither soggy not hard.

A fine start to the evening.

The staff were very friendly and warm making diners feel at ease in the restaurant.

The Moll decided as it was an Italian, she would choose one of the pizzas. The Ortolana was topped with grilled aubergines and courgettes with sun blushed tomatoes.

A large Pizza arrived and the verdict was it was a success but the only downside was the lack of aubergine. We counted three small pieces on a large pizza.

I had the Sea bass in a white wine sauce, with seasonal vegetables.

It was a fine meaty piece of fish and I seemed to get the other three pieces of grilled aubergine in the veg. Perhaps there is a problem with the aubergine harvest this year.

All in all the food in Pianola was excellent quality, even allowing for the aubergine shortage.

The dessert menu had the staples of tiramisu, sticky toffee pudding and cheesecake, but we decided we were full and had enough to declare Pianola a winner.

It was easy to see why it was so busy and why people would return for more.

MENU

Starters

Pan fired prawns - £7

Classic bruschetta - £5.95

Mains

Sea bass - £14

Pizza ortolana - £8

Drinks

Sauvignon Blanc - £20.75

Total £55.70

REVIEW

FOOD - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ATMOSPHERE - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

SERVICE - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pianola, 240 Crow Road G11 7LA/Tel: 0141 334 6171