La Lanterna shines after revamp

ITALIAN eatery La Lanterna, which is said to be Glasgow’s oldest restaurant, has been given a root and branch refurbishment.

• Christopher Martinolli and Luca Conreno with Stephen Owens of BoS. Photo by Peter Devlin
• Christopher Martinolli and Luca Conreno with Stephen Owens of BoS.
Photo by Peter Devlin

The £250,000 revamp of the Hope Street  restaurant, which is co-managed by Luca Conreno and Christopher Martinolli, whose father founded the business in 1970, was carried out after a £125,000 funding package was secured from the Bank of Scotland.

As part of the refurbishment, the restaurant’s capacity was increased from 60 to 84 covers; a new reception and larger bar area were created.

Martinolli said: “We saw this as the right time to invest in the business, to give La Lanterna a new lease of life and solidify our proposition as a main player in the independent restaurant sector in Glasgow.

“We have an amazing following of loyal customers that have been with us for the last 45 years, so we wanted to give them something back and new to enjoy, while widening our appeal to a new market of diners for the next 45 years.”