Valvona & Crolla Caffè Bar

Scotland's oldest deli also has a caffè which is now also open for evening meals - a good spot for a relaxed or pre-theatre meal, with quality ingredients, big Italian flavours and hand-picked wines.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

If you don’t have much of an appetite when you arrive at Valvona & Crolla, you definitely will do by the time you arrive at their caffè. To reach it, you must first walk through the shop – which is stacked to the rafters with delicious Italian artisan produce including pasta, chocolate, cheeses and cured meats. There’s an impressive Italian wine section too and you can select a bottle from the shop to accompany your meal for £4 corkage. Valvona & Crolla only started opening for evening meals recently, and the café’s laid-back, informal atmosphere continues through to dinner service. Dishes are light and fresh, with ingredients sourced almost exclusively from the handsome larder next door. The signature antipasto board has delicately delicious arrangements of cheese, meats and marinated or roasted vegetables. There’s also a selection of main meals available; mostly traditional Italian pasta and meat dishes following simple, but exquisitely executed recipes. Taglierini siciliana runs pistachio pesto, Parmigiano Reggiano and lemon zest through fresh egg pasta, while the bistecca di manzo is served with an Italian rocket and tomato salad. It’s all fad-free and full of flavour and the emphasis throughout is on the quality of the food - a simple recipe for success.