Caffe Royale is an underrated gem of a restaurant located just outside of Glasgow in Paisley, Scotland. I recently visited with a small group and enjoyed an incredible Italian meal that highlights why Caffe Royale has been shortlisted for the Scottish Italian Awards for Best Trattoria and Best Chef (Colin Guthrie).
The atmosphere at Caffe Royale is warm, inviting and intimate - perfect for a special night out. We were greeted by friendly staff who were attentive without being overbearing throughout our meal. Claire was an absolute delight and she and the rest of the staff seen to all that was asked, and more.
We began with Caffe Royale's freshly baked rosemary focaccia. It was delightfully chewy and flavorful, the perfect accompaniment for the meals to come.
We had seafood pasta, overflowing with prawns, mussels and calamari in a light tomato sauce. The seafood was incredibly fresh and cooked to perfection.
I had the carbonara, which was rich and flavourful but with a thoughtful twist - no heavy cream, which allowed the pancetta and egg to shine. Amazing.
The rabbit stew featured fork-tender meat in an herbaceous broth with root vegetables.
The Scallops and Ayrshire pork belly was the stand out for me. Melt-in-your-mouth delicious and balanced by the mildly spicy butternut squash curry velouté.
The beer and wine selection was great, I even opted for an amazing espresso martini. At the end of the night we finished with some whisky (Balvenie), which is always a treat.
Everything we tried at Caffe Royale was thoughtfully prepared and expertly executed. Chef Colin has a strong command of Italian flavors and ingredients that shine through in each dish. The cozy atmosphere paired with delicious food makes Caffe Royale a must-visit for outstanding Italian cuisine in Scotland. I can't wait to return and try more on the menu and highly recommend you do too.
We called in with the Portree Gaelic choir (my husband is a member) for lunch, whilst taking part in the Royal National MOD. What an amazing cafe, wish I lived nearer.
The staff were so helpful, the food was delicious, we had a selection of sandwiches and soup. A lot of us sampled the delicious cakes too. I would love to revisit sometime to try the rest of the menu. The choir even did a practice whilst there.
I was in a couple of weeks ago , with my friend and guide dog Wee Skye
There was only outside seating available which was fine as seemed quite warm inside but got a table with shade for Wee Skye.
Very happy to have been asked if Skye would like a bowl of water which we accepted for her.
I had the mac n cheese which was really nice. Was lovely and creamy and quite rich. Garlic bread was nice too. A little side salad would have been nice too to help break up the rich creaminess of the mac cheese. It was a lovely smooth cheese and not too strong which I liked too
My friend had the French toast with Nutella , she said it was nice but would have liked extra Nutella with it.
Overall was very good, I need to try the carbonara ( without cream ) next 😊
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