By Jonathan Blackburn

Copyright glasgowlive

Glasgow has an exciting new spot for fine Italian dining after a former city fave was transformed into a sleek new venue.

Malocchio, named for Italian protection amulets, has taken over the former Mediterraneo site in the Merchant City.

The new dining destination is from Romano Perella, the owner of another of the city’s top Italian spots, Amore, who bought Mediterraneo last year with the intention of changing it up.

Excited to see what it looked like, we headed along to a special preview night to find out what diners can expect.

What was it like?

Malocchio is elegant and modern, with the slick feel of a metropolitan cocktail bar, surrounded by the Georgian splendour of Merchant City viewed through floor-to-ceiling windows.

There’s a casual feel, too, with booth seats arranged to make the best of the windows and the hustle and bustle of the open kitchen generating an electric atmosphere.

The restaurant was bustling when we visited for the preview night, with beautifully presented dishes flying out of the kitchen.

What did you have?

Malocchio has a great selection of cocktails, both vintage and novel. The hibiscus and strawberry negroni and the citrus martini came recommended. They’re stiff, refined drinks, served ice-cold with just a single strawberry or citrus peel. They feel like very classic, archetypal cocktails.

This is a contrast to the food at Malocchio, which is full of modern twists and experimentation. The plates are small and ideal for sharing, and there’s plenty of choice for vegetarians.

The small plates have a particularly modern, fine-dining feel. To start, fried breaded gnudi with spinach and ricotta cores. The dumplings are rich and bold, served with lashings of parmesan cheese (as many of the dishes are).

The fresh pasta is more classic, with welcome additions like walnut butter breathing new life into a classic dish like carbonara. We plumped for the crab and shetland muscle spaghetti and a porcini mushroom pappardelle. The mushrooms are meaty, and this is a rich, hearty dish that will please many vegetarians, with the truffle butter giving it a strong, earthy flavour.

The crab and muscle pasta is served in a confit tomato and white wine sauce with crispy breadcrumbs seasoned with lemon. It’s a dish that sings with citrus sharpness and fresh seafood flavours, strung together masterfully in a delicate sauce. There’s a lot going on with this dish, but somehow it still feels simple and perfectly balanced.

But the real knock-out is the flat iron steak. It comes medium rare, tender, almost melting, and sliced thick. It’s topped with the viral sensation ‘cowboy butter’, perhaps the very best thing to spring from TikTok, and a perfect complement to the best steak I’ve had.

Owner Romano Perella, the man behind the popular Amore restaurant on nearby Shuttle Street, picked out the camembert pizzette among his highlights. The restaurant serves five of the little pizzas, each bursting with flavour.

The camembert pizzette is served with a whole camembert melted in its middle, with high-rising crusts surrounding it, perfect for tearing in and dipping. Hot honey and walnuts make this a hearty treat that’s sure to be a hit.

Malocchio is also big on dessert, with tiramisu flying out of the kitchen from when we arrived to when we left. These are served in their own individual trays and are thick, velvety, and frankly massive. Definitely one to share (or not).

And Malocchio has another surefire crowdpleaser, with a design-your-own ‘bespoke sundae’ among the options. Diners fill out a tick-box form, picking from refined toppings like amarena cherries and toasted almonds, to childhood favourites like a flake and chocolate sprinkles.

No prizes for guessing what we chose. It was an informal end to a fabulous night.

What else can you get?

There’s a great selection of small plates, priced between £4 and £8, including seasonal burrata, intricately constructed crispy potatoes, and focaccia. Pasta includes vodka sauce baked lumache, kale pesto ziti, and a venison ragu with barolo wine.

The pizzette include nduja and mascarpone and a classic pepperoni and mozzarella. Other dishes include chicken Milanese on the bone, fried breaded aubergine parmigiana, and a sgroppino with lemon sorbet and prosecco to finish.

Our verdict

Malocchio takes the elegance, tradition and heartiness of Amore and brings it right into this century with slick style, experimental flavours and a relaxed vibe.

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