La Scarpetta

It's not uncommon to see plenty of tourists at La Scarpetta, probably because of its location in Balloch, the gateway to The Highlands, on the banks of Loch Lomond. And it's only natural to see the kitchen, relying on the abundance of Scotland's natural larder, applying focus to Italian regions like Ciociaria, Abruzzese and Campania, endorsing a more Southern style of cooking.

One look at the menu and you're sure to catch the involvement of local ingredients, a made to order warm seafood salad of tiger and king prawns, whitebait and squid, dressed with freshly squeezed lemon on a bed of mixed salad bears testament to that. The signature pollo saltimbocca stuffed with Parma ham and mozzarella, pan-fried in butter and served with Marsala sauce makes an impression, and so does a fillet villa Roma, pan-fried steak with onions, mushroom, cream, whisky, mustard and red wine.

The house wine at La Scarpetta is reasonably priced and available by the small and not-so-small glass and bottle.