Conversations with Local Businesses
Did you know there are an estimated 35,000 Glaswegians of Italian descent? Anne Marie Hillan chats with one of our most inspiring and passionate Italian Glaswegians whose business sits in the heart of the West End, serving some of the best Italian food in Glasgow. Giovanna Eusebi is the inspiring force behind Eusebi Deli on Park Road. They talk family, food and Giovanna’s longtime friendship with fellow Italian Glaswegian, Interior Designer and TV personality, John Amabile.
GIOVANNA EUSEBI
I meet Giovanna at Eusebi Deli which is full of the sound of clinking coffee cups and conversation. From the moment I sit down with Giovanna, I am genuinely captivated. She is, without question, one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. Passionate yet grounded, confident yet humble, she speaks about food with an energy and love that is infectious. There’s nothing pretentious about her – just a deep, genuine love for her family, her Italian heritage, her cooking and for sharing it with others.
From Italy to Shettleston
The story of Eusebi Deli goes back more than a century. Giovanna’s great-grandmother, Antonia Russo, left her small Italian village of Castelforte, between Rome and Naples, at just sixteen. She arrived in Glasgow fleeing poverty and built a life among the city’s growing Italian community. She later married Giovanna’s grandfather, a barber in Shettleston, and together the rest is history.
Giovanna’s family first opened a shop in Shettleston. That shop was one of the first places in Glasgow where you could buy fresh pasta and olive oil – which at that time was only sold in chemists! The family were also innovators of the first carry out meals. Glaswegians would bring in their own bowls to be filled with Italian home cooked food. And all this in an area of Glasgow with the highest poverty and mortality rates in Europe at the time.
This ethos of making real food for real people is something Giovanna holds close to her heart today.
Family at its Heart
Giovanna describes how, in that shop, her parents, an elderly aunt, and even a woman who was over 100 years old would all be in the kitchen, rolling out pasta, stirring sauces, often with Dean Martin playing in the background, preparing dishes that had been passed down through generations.
Giovanna’s parents met in Italy, back in Castleforte. Her mother returning from Lyon where she then lived and her father travelling home from Glasgow. His family by then were in the ice cream business and ran the Rendezvous Café in Partick. Her mother found Glasgow to be a culture shock when she arrived as a young married woman – lacking the colour of both Italy and France, but she brought with her from Italy an absolute love of cooking and feeding people and that became her family passion.
‘The best place in my maternal grandmother’s house was always her kitchen table,’ Giovanna says. Family and friends came together and ate seasonal food made from the best of local ingredients.
Around 2000, Giovanna started hosting food events and catering collaborations with venues like House For An Art Lover and One Devonshire Gardens. Then ten years ago, after the sudden death of her father, her brother Eddie found the perfect location on Park Road, and Eusebi Deli was born. ‘We are, at our core, a family business,’ Giovanna says. ’That’s why we put “Food, Family, Life, Passion” above the door. Those words aren’t just a slogan – they’re everything we stand for.’
Authentic Italian Cooking
And you feel that the moment you step inside. There’s an unmistakable warmth here – an atmosphere that makes you want to stay awhile. The menu, inspired by her parents and grandparents, celebrates the incredible diversity of Italian cuisine with dishes from the north to the south, all made from scratch. It’s some of the best Italian food in Glasgow.
‘We’re completely authentic,’ she tells me. ‘Our pasta is always fresh, and our menu changes with the seasons. We take the best of the Scottish larder and weave it into our Italian story.’ She speaks with particular passion about her seafood dishes, a perfect blend of Scottish ingredients and Italian traditions. ‘The fish here is phenomenal.’
she says. ‘Pair the Scottish fish and seafood with the right Italian flavours and it’s magical.’ Many of the dishes on the menu have deeply personal stories behind them. There is a “Healing Salad,” which Giovanna first created for her mother while she was recovering from cancer treatment. It is full of chicory, artichokes, dandelion and radicchio. Food she tells me that has the power, not just to nourish, but to heal.
Like so many in the hospitality industry, Giovanna and her team faced enormous challenges during the pandemic. ‘We had to pivot overnight,’ she recalls. ‘We became an online business, selling coffee from the door. Small things became big things. People found comfort in queuing for a homemade cake. It reminded us all how much food brings people together.’ And Eusebi did more than survive – today the restaurant has a team of 55 and a bakery in Shettleston, re-establishing a connection to the place where her family’s journey began.
To the Future
So, what of Giovanna’s future plans? She tells me that she is contemplating opening a small-plates restaurant not far from the deli, an idea inspired by the way Italians eat – gathering around a table, sharing dishes, enjoying the moment. When I ask about her favourite dish, she struggles to choose. ‘I do love our seafood pastas,’ she finally says. ‘But if I had to pick a dessert, it would be cassata. It’s got a little bit of everything – just like Italy itself. Every culture that’s passed through Italy has left its mark on that cake.’
That sums up what makes Eusebi Deli so special. It’s a celebration of heritage, of culture, of community. Before I leave, Giovanna treats me to some fresh pasta, some focaccia, another Americano. This is fabulous food, and I thoroughly enjoy my lunch in this restaurant full of history and tradition. I have been here before, but I can’t wait to bring my family now that I truly understand the passion and the heritage. But for Giovanna, it’s more than a business – it’s about people.
‘We like to say that customers come in as guests and leave as friends,’ she says. One of these friends is John Amabile – who Giovanna initially met in the deli in Shettleston. A friend that Giovanna describes as her ‘brother from another mother!’ I’m told I have to meet him. He’s a hoot and I will love him! So I arrange to meet up.
JOHN AMABILE
I meet John Amabile at his home in Milngavie on a sunny afternoon in early March. We sit in his stunning open-plan living space – a beautifully styled room full of textures and cushions that immediately give serious interior design vibes. We talk about his background, his work, and, of course, his long friendship with Giovanna Eusebi.
John’s connections to the Eusebi family go way back – his mum was a customer at their original Shettleston delicatessen.
After studying at the College of Building and Printing, John found himself working in set design for STV, creating sets for Taggart, Dr. Finlay, and Sportscene. Many of the Taggart episodes were filmed in the East End, giving him an excuse to drop into Eusebi for lunch. That’s where he first met Giovanna, and 20 plus years later their friendship is still as strong as ever.
John’s Italian roots run deep. His great-grandfather arrived in Glasgow from Italy, married an Irishwoman, and together they had 12 children. His surname, Amabile, comes from the Italian word for ‘amiable’, and family stories suggest it was chosen to disguise a past linked to either the Mafia or illegitimacy. John clearly quite enjoys this snippet of family history!
‘Give Your Home a Hug’
For Giovanna and John, their Italian heritage was an instant bond, but over time, their relationship became more like family. They’ve celebrated life’s big moments together – Giovanna catered for John’s parents’ golden wedding anniversary and his 50th birthday, creating menus with a personal touch that only she could bring.
John’s career in TV took him from TV set design into the world of interiors, landing him roles many will remember on 60 Minute Makeover, Better Homes, and The Home Show. From these TV shows John grew his own Interior Design Consultancy. John believes in working with what people already love rather than starting from scratch. His motto? ‘Give your home a hug.’ For John, great design isn’t about trends – it’s about helping you work out what you love and then working with you to make your home feel personal, comfortable, and full of character. He doesn’t believe you have to spend a fortune and prides himself on helping his clients – who he often meets for consultations in Eusebi – spend their money wisely.
John spent over 20 years living in the West End. His favourite West End spot? The terraces of Great Western Road and in particular One Devonshire Gardens, where he married his husband Stephen in a ceremony conducted by their close friend Carol Smillie, from TVs Changing Rooms.
John was there when Giovanna and her brother, Eddie, transformed Eusebi into the West End institution it is today. He clearly loves and admires the warmth and authenticity Giovanna has created in the restaurant.
Giovanna was right. John was a pleasure to chat to and I can see why they are such firm friends – both are so passionate about what they do. Giovanna’s passion for food, seasonality, and tradition is matched by John’s love for helping people create homes that feel truly special. Both take immense pride in what they do and are exceptionally proud of each other’s achievements. Both feel a deep-rooted connection to their Italian heritage while loving Glasgow and the West End in particular. But above all, they are lovely folk who are truly the best of friends.
For more information on Eusebi, some of the best Italian food in Glasgow and on John Amabile designs, visit –
Return to Interiors
