Gio’s - one year on.

When the glitz and razzle of a Friday and Saturday night are over and you want a quiet meal out, no drama; to wear something low key …chill but ever on trend, and you want a space with some cachet, comfort and good fare too, the issue is where, for “Man does not live by bread alone” and all that!!

Neighbourhood restaurants vary and Sunday nights in Edinburgh can be dismal, especially if you are the only diners… never the case in London of course with its plethora of cool, budget Asian restaurants, empanada corners and discreet eateries; think Shoreditch or Hoxton …food flame cooked and pasta home made, cut or rolled; or Peckham with its white-walled candlelit wine bars; intimate and warm cave-like dwellings offering sumptuous small plates and its bottle shops, high stool and smooth wooden bench chic.

However, one year on, Giò's in the up and coming Shandon area seems to fit that bill.

Giorgio Pia, the moving spirit behind the venture, is somewhat of a celebrity. Having built his reputation through his lockdown cook-at-home pasta kits, live cookery demos at the Lamborghini Dealership and having twice won the award of the UK’s Best Pasta Chef from the Pasta and Italian Food Association (2016 and 2021), he is a well experienced chef, building his skills both culinary and commercial in restaurants across Scotland’s Central belt.

His choice of location in Edinburgh is an interesting one, since the restaurant/food space has been owned and has failed time after time. But on entering, having threaded your way past a counter where there is serious pasta making before your very eyes and by not one but several sfoglini (artisan pasta makers)…you find yourself in what feels like downtown Manhattan. This is Don-like sophistication and glitz and I felt Frank Sinatra, maybe even the entire Rat Pack, might appear at any moment.

The Sunday night feeling well behind us, given the hustle and bustle of comings and goings, we survey a tempting, creative and well considered list of food offerings. Although neither cream with pasta or pineapple on pizza are traditional in Italy, and may cause some shock even to a fiorentino, maybe a milanese too, both cream and pineapple on pizza are nonetheless sought after in these parts as Gio wisely recognises. However alongside that, mozza fritta, burrata with a focaccia crisp, Pici (hand-rolled thick spaghetti) in a pesto of kale and walnut with sun-dried tomatoes and a pea risotto with guanciale and parmigiano, not forgetting the nduja pesto and garlic dip allay any fears about authenticity.

Pizzas re alla Romana and alla Napoleetana

In fact the entire menu of starters, dips, mains as well as pasta and pizza and sides, is an exciting read for any foodie…modern and innovative. The list of pizzas available alla romana ( thin, crisp and flat…like Grandma made it!) or alla napoletana, a thick and charred corniccione surround, thin in the middle, is extensive. Olive all’ascolana (deep fried stuffed olives) are hard to find outside Italy, indeed outside Le Marche in central Italy and even then, not always well done ... the days of women expert in the art of stuffing and twice frying these tiny fruits are well gone. Gio’s are absolutely delicious…fat, full and crisp. The zucchini fritti although a little small, also crisp, crunchy and plentiful. My pasta aglio e olio, rarely seen on a menu, is a memorable experience no less: it is moistened by a scant, light sauce, made I think from the pasta water; in addition to the garlic, olive oil and anchovy sauce, the chilli adds a touch of heat to lift the dish and the occasional surprise pop of tiny whole tomatoes give a delightful sweetness in contrast.

My partner chooses a romana style pizza, adapted from the Pizza Napoli list with the addition of artichokes… a little sparse…but the dough and fruity sugo among the best in the city. Espresso is always on point in a serious Italian restaurant, and the Sangiovese Rosé merits, at the very least, a second glass. The cocktails list has many of the usual favourites including an on-trend Hugo spritz; zero alcohol beer is available and also grappa. Tempting but that will be for another visit on a Saturday night!!

Gio’s- 41 Slateford Rd, Edinburgh. EH11 1PR - 0131 3221800

Related: read about more Italian restaurants here