Celino's West!

Celino's Ovest!

The Mary had cabin/wean fever and hadn’t been out for two weeks and when I went to pick her up she asked to be taken ‘as far away as possible but, not any further that the West End’!
As this was an unplanned OUT I hadn’t booked anywhere but remembered Celino’s had finally opened at 235 Dumbarton Road. 

It's Monday and on our last night out we were the only two people in The Place That Will Never Be named! When we got there we were greeted by the very charming, handsome and jovial Claudio. They are not taking bookings at the moment and soon will be but for the time being it might be better to give them a call or make sure you have a plan B.

The place was buzzing and the smell reminded me of a past life; Lewis’s and Fraser’s food halls, Harrods Fresh Food Market and nearly every street in Italy where there is a salumeria, deli or café. Italy always has been and always will be my second home and I felt right at home in Celino's.

Per me Celino’s Ovest  è come un  contemporaneo remake di Il Milanese Caffè Bar Motta aperto nel 1928 e tornato dopo molti anni d’assenza nel luogo Mercato Del Duomo da cui è partita la sua storia. Mx

Likewise Celino’s Italian Delicatessen Café was established in 1982, the same year my daughter was born and a time when I frequented both Celino’s on Alexandra Parade and Bar Motta in Milan; spending my time between the two countries. They both fa parte della mia storia and here they are, both of them, going back to their roots in creating a truly, authentic, Italian experience.

Natalia Celino was the founder of the business and his charm, vivacity and enthusiasm shines out of the walls…literally, as you can see from the picture. His belief that Celino’s products will never be cheapened by substandard ingredients holds as firm today as it did 35 years ago. For me it was like walking into a Cathedral of taste and panache. The Mary actually dipped her finger into an ice cream and blessed herself on the way in. She said it was ‘almost biblical in its magnificence’.

You see, she’s on these pain killers for her knee and, besides being pure spaced oot, her life has been psychedelic for a week. She’s in a lovely place just now, at least as long as the Tramadol last! She even kept pointing out how hot Giuseppe was and it’s usually me doing all that shit. Her usual erotic, noisy, slurping also went up a gear when she was eating the focaccia. It was like a scene from When The Mary Met Doughball!

Some of the staff wouldn’t be out of place during Milan Fashion Week and they were so enthusiastic and efficient that there will be nothing to get in the way of success for this new Italian Metropolis. I wouldn’t need to be Septic Peg to predict more awards for them in the future. As early as 2013 they won the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Since then they have gone from Forza alla forza and won additional awards. Too many to list here.

In my opinion these industry accolades can be gratifying but the real reward comes from customers walking through the doors, time and time again. Me and The Mary will be back very soon and if I’m not so full I will try the wonderful array of pastries, meringues and cakes which had my slavering on my way out.

It was the first time for years I've been out and not finished with a coffee, that's how satisfied I felt. On enquiry I found out that the coffee they use has been created by Claudio and Italian Aroma Coffee who have collaborated and have given birth to, what I'm hoping is, an aromatic delight to go with the cake I'll be having on my next visit. 

We had a fabulous evening, meeting some friends, Tony, Jennifer and George who had come all the way from their own fabulous restaurant at The Redstones Hotel in Uddingston to experience the hospitality and gastronomic delights invented in a kitchen of kings on the Lower West Side of the city I love.

Ci Vediamo Presto!

Me and The Mary

Mx

To book a table click the link below!

http://celinos.com/menus.html

My favourite coffee and boxed set are only a click away!