Old Sauchiehall Street gem was a firm favourite

AS staff prepared to serve the final pizza to the last remaining table in a quaint little Italian restaurant on Sauchiehall Street, an overwhelming feeling of sadness penetrated the air.

“There’s a lot of history in here, and so many people thought it would last forever,” said the assistant manager. “Nobody expected it to end.”

But end it did. We are of course talking about Dino’s, one of Glasgow’s long- lost and forever- loved restaurants which ceased trading on March 17, 2014, after more than 50 years.

For over a decade now, a once great institution of Glasgow’s food and drink scene which we hoped would outlast us all, has been confined to the history books.

Dino’s originally began life in Glasgow at number 10 Sauchiehall Street when Swiss- Italian Francis Ferrari opened the first restaurant there in the 1960s. The site itself is steeped in history as it was the former home of the Empire Theatre which burned to the ground in the late 60s.

Celebrity circles knew and loved the name Ferrari’s and many were said to have headed there straight from the airport whenever they were in town.

Restauranteur Dino Baldi opened his own restaurant on Buchanan Street in 1966, and he acquired Ferrari’s business before moving to 3541 Sauchiehall Street. Dino Ferrari was born, and many know the name for its large red letters emblazoned across the front of the restaurant. It would remain there for more than 30 years.

The difficult decision to say goodbye to the business for good came when Dino’s co- owner Alfredo Crolla was approached by banking giant Halifax.

They wanted to turn the space into a new high street branch and so the deed was done, and the unit was sold with no plans to move elsewhere.

News travels fast, and Glasgow was saddened and shocked to hear that after half a century, a restaurant cemented in the city would be no more.

When that final day of trading came ten St Patrick’s Days ago, over 1000 diners poured into the modestsized restaurant for one last pizza, a plate of spaghetti Bolognese or ice cream sundae.

After the doors closed, tributes and memories from Evening Times readers soon poured in, including

Jean Quinn who saw Dino’s as playing a starring role in her life in Glasgow, from the early days of dating her sweetheart to taking their children there.

“We dined there in the 70s when we were courting, and all through our marriage up until it closed in 2014,” she said.

“The lasagne was just the best. I loved all the little things, from the red chequered tablecloths to the candles stuck in wicker- laced Chianti bottles.

“It was our favourite eating place and we recall, with fondness, taking our three children there too. It was a sad day when it closed – thanks for all the lovely memories, Dino’s.”

Earlier this year, the Halifax branch which replaced Dino’s permanently closed down, leaving the space empty ever since. Wishful thinking, or could we see a triumphant return?

What long- lost restaurant do you miss most in Glasgow?