Tusco.

Eighty eight

Two Fat Ladies opened at 88 Dumbarton Road in 1989 and took its name from the house number, and the room is now on its third identity: since 4 March 2026 it trades as Tusco.

Why go

Hinba Group had run the coffee shop next door at number 86 for years, coexisting with the Eighty-Eight restaurant, before buying the restaurant too, keeping the staff and rebranding it (The List). Owner Fergus McCoss closed the unit on 21 February 2026 and reopened it on 4 March with new decor and a narrowed concept, keeping the old bistro's Italian leanings and dropping the rest: fresh pasta, sharing plates and cocktails (SLTN). The name is not Italian and not really Spanish either. McCoss says it is butchering a Spanish phrase which means 'just do as you please', and that his best friend in Spain had a dog called Tusco1. The kitchen is front-of-house and very small, which is why plates arrive when they arrive.

Order this / avoid

• Order: the salmon crudo, cut with rhubarb and chilli rather than the usual citrus alone; the sea bream, which The List found crisp skin-on, tenderly flakes with a bisque sauce and hearty potato terrine layered with nduja; the charred hispi cabbage with nduja and mascarpone; and the bavette, tender and blushing in a rich, savoury, buttery sauce with smoky almonds and chicory2.
• Avoid: the puddings, which are thin on the ground and where the tiramisu lands more homely than fancy pasticceria2. Also skip the default plate arithmetic. Two or three each is more food and more money than most tables want.

What locals & experts say

• The List, Tusco review (unbylined, post-March 2026): Everything is enjoyable, with nicely balanced combinations. Seafood is a strength.2
• The List, on the format, less kindly: It's the usual small-plates affair, two or three per person, which'll be a blowout for most folk. Gaps between arrivals can be noticeable which is ok: the kitchen is super-tiny after all.2
• SLTN (Gordon Davidson, Feb 2026), McCoss on why the concept changed: People want flexibility when they eat out now. They want to try more things, share plates and build their own experience.1
• The room: a low-lit moody bistro with dark terracotta walls, brown panelling and earthy green banquettes, while the linked café becomes a cocktail bar on weekend nights.2

Good to know

• The name: the sign says Tusco, and has since 4 March 2026. Anything you find printed under Eighty eight is this same room, same owner and same team.
• Timing: Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm until late. Closed Sunday through Tuesday.
• Booking: book. Four service nights and a small room leave little slack.
• Price: around £30 for two courses.
• Drinks: cocktails run through the food menu, Negroni or spritz to start and Frangelico among the digestifs. The Hinba cafe at 86 becomes a cocktail bar on weekend evenings.
• Hygiene: the premises holds a FHIS Pass inspected 27 August 2025, recorded under the name Eighty Eight. There is no register entry for Tusco yet.

Jeff's take (his words)

• His review (Jeff, first-hand, 5 stars, 31 August 2020): "One of th best modern restaurants in Glasgow. Small plates with big flavors. Fantastic fresh pasta, seasonal ingredients, and interesting pickles for accents. The tagliatelle with crispy breadcrumbs and truffle pecorino was fantastic. Paired with tasty wine and cocktails."
• Google review, August 2020 (five stars): this room under its previous name, Eighty Eight: "One of th best modern restaurants in Glasgow. Small plates with big flavors. Fantastic fresh pasta, seasonal ingredients, and interesting pickles for accents. The tagliatelle with crispy breadcrumbs and truffle pecorino was fantastic." The pasta he rated is the part of the old menu the rebrand kept.

Verdict

could-visit — A tiny open kitchen, four nights a week, doing fresh pasta and seafood plates at around GBP 30 for two courses, in a room that has been feeding this corner of Dumbarton Road since 1989. The cooking gets specific praise where it matters: crisp-skinned bream with a bisque and an nduja-layered potato terrine, and bavette blushing in a butter sauce with smoky almonds. What holds it back from a detour verdict is the format's economics and pacing, which the only reviewer on record flagged plainly, plus a rebrand that is five months old with no critic byline attached to it yet. Worth a stop if you are in the West End on a Wednesday to Saturday evening and want pasta made in the room.