Pizza Express, Glasgow Fort

I have always kind of liked Pizza Express. It has that amazing optical illusion of allowing parents to take the kids out for a fun lunch whilst still pretending you are cool enough to eat pizza that actually tastes authentic and drink wine that actually tastes nice. 

So on Tuesday night my big sister, Ava & I headed down to the newly opened Pizza Express at Glasgow Fort to try out the menu and terrorise the staff (Ava, not me). Big virtual high five to our lovely waitress Colette. She didn't blink an eyelid when Ava had her shoes and socks off within ten minutes of our arrival, handled Ava's instruction that she 'only does spaghetti' with total competence and even went to the effort of blowing up a purple balloon because apparently the other colours available weren't to my two year old's liking. You were fab Colette. We salute you.

Anyway, the food. Ava devoured her dough balls like they were smarties so I would say they got a big thumbs up. My sister and I both went for the bruschetta (her regular, myself mushroom) despite the fact that we knew we were going full on pizza mode for the mains. Judge us at will. Starters were massive - another virtual high five - and really tasty. My mushrooms were cooked with just the right bite and the cream sauce worked really well with the balsamic dressing (I will be doing this at home). The tomato bruschetta was apparently 'yummy' and the pesto drizzle gave it a 'really nice finish' so another thumbs up there. But forget that, let's talk about pizza. God, I love talking about pizza.

We shared two pizzas the size of satellite dishes. And you know I'm not exaggerating when there is food left on the table that I can't finish. The Da Morire (blue cheese, pancetta, leek, artichoke, mozzarella, rosemary and chilli oil) because we are so Mediterranean you know and the Pollo Forza (chilli, garlic, more chilli, peppers, chicken, Gran Moravia, parsley and more chilli) because just always give me all the chilli. Now I have a real issue with pizza. I like it thin and crispy, I'm not a huge tomato lover so I just need the lightest scraping of sauce and the cheese quantity has to be perfect (not too much, not too little). These guys got it just right. Straight up some of my favourite pizza to date.  Apart from those life changing pizzas I once ate in the cafe courtyard on St Mark's Square in Venice at 3am. Drunk on wine and beautiful Italian men, they will always have a pretty special place in my heart if I'm honest.

OBVIOUSLY we got dessert, and while I opted for a gargantuan sized fudge sundae my sister chose to embarrass me by going for a very ladylike and dainty looking Panna Cotta. Which I'm told was delicious. My sundae was also delicious with real, proper, vanilla pod flecked ice-cream, lashes of sauce and chunks of authentic fudge. My only gripe would be that the sauce should be heated as I'm a hot fudge girl at heart. But really I'm just picking at hairs. 

If you have the babies in tow then Pizza Express is always a great bet. They get the full treatment: their own little menu, which they can later desecrate, crayons, stickers, a hat and a balloon. Although that might just have been cause Ava bullied the waitress into giving her one. But they get all the stuff that those little people go crazy over. Plus they get a doughballs starter, a choice of pasta or pizza and a dessert of their choice served with the cutest little babycino you have ever seen.

 This was a genuinely good meal and the menu is pretty great value for money. I would definitely recommend it as somewhere to go for a family celebration or if you just need to get out of the house on a weeknight because the kids are driving you mental, there's nothing in the fridge and you have run out of wine.

Our meal was received complimentary in exchange for a review.. You can see more about my disclosure policy here.