RESTAURANT FREQUENTED BY CELEBS IS COOKING UP FOOD STORM
West End staple sticks to its Italian roots
WHEN it comes to celeb spotting in Glasgow, there’s one restaurant in particular where the odds are stacked very much in your favour.
From footballers to esteemed actors, anyone who is anyone has made their way to La Lanterna to sample some authentic Italian cooking from head chef and co-owner Luca Conreno.
He said: “We’ve had La Lanterna for a long time. I joined in a partnership with my colleague Christopher back in 1995 but before that, his father had owned it for 50 years.
“We were always very busy at our Hope Street restaurant and then four years ago we found a space to move into in the West End.
“I remember in our very first week Chris Pine came to the restaurant. I didn’t even know it was him until one of the girls from the front came to me and said ‘don’t you recognise him?’
“Since then it’s been very popular with famous people, to be honest, I don’t think we’ve even posted half of the people who come into the restaurant.”
Anyone who has been lucky enough to visit La Lanterna over the years will be familiar with its cosy Hope Street restaurant which has won multiple awards over the years with a traditional Italian menu. While both restaurants deliver the same fantastic service, there seems to be something about its Great Western Road location in particular that keeps the city’s stars coming back for more.
Luca explained: “We used to get a lot of famous people in Hope Street too, but we never posted photos.
“That restaurant feels much more intimate because it’s in a basement setting so there’s more privacy.
“The West End is a lot brighter and more open. I wouldn’t say that it feels more glamorous but there’s a different approach to that restaurant.
“When people come back time and time again it shows that they’re comfortable with their surroundings and appreciate our food and service.
“For people who are in the public eye so often I think it must be nice for them to come to a place where they know they’ll be treated in the same way as everyone else.”
Treating all their customers with an equal level of care is something that extends to the menu at La Lanterna.
As an experienced chef, Luca is more than happy to accommodate special requests but says he has yet to encounter any diva-ish behaviour from his celebrity clientele.
He said: “Because we’re a traditional kind of restaurant, we take the time to communicate with our customers and people feel at ease.
“I don’t think there’s one dish that’s particularly popular, but we’ll always accommodate any special requests or dietary requirements.
“For example, someone like Alfredo Morelos, we know that he likes fish so we’ll try and get that ready for him before he comes.
“We would do the same for anybody though. I’m the chef, so whether it’s Steven Gerrard or Joe Hart or a regular customer I
When Sir Alex visited I thought it was amazing, Marti Pellow visiting was also very good
wouldn’t make things any differently. I must say in Scotland even the special requests are easier to accommodate. Working in Italy, people are much more particular so I really can’t complain.”
For a man who seems so at ease with cooking for such high profile guests, we can’t help but wonder if he has ever found himself starstruck. Surely there’s one A-list diner that has left him speechless throughout the years?
Luca answered: “It’s hard to say when it comes to favourites because it’s difficult to measure people against each other.
“For me, when Sir Alex Ferguson came into the restaurant, I thought it was unbelievable. He’s a football genius and everyone in Italy knows him.
“Marti Pellow visiting for the first time was also a very good day.
“His songs were played at my wedding so I had a special emotional attachment because of that memory.
“The chance to cook for him personally was very special and felt fantastic.”