On 25 January, Scotland raises a glass to Robert Burns, and for one night the country leans into haggis, whisky and poetry read aloud. It is one of the warmest fixtures in a cold month, and Glasgow does it with feeling. Not everyone, though, wants the same supper two or three nights running as the invitations stack up, and that is where an Italian table comes in.
This is a short guide to what a Burns Supper actually is and how the night traditionally runs, with a gentle word for anyone looking for somewhere to gather on or around Burns Night that is not another plate of haggis. La Lanterna has been feeding Glasgow since 1970, and a Burns Night get-together is as welcome here as any.
What is a Burns Supper?
A Burns Supper is an annual celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, held on or near his birthday, 25 January. The first ones were held by his friends not long after his death in 1796, and the format has barely changed in two hundred years.
At heart it is a dinner with a running order: good food, Scotch whisky, and Burns’s own words read aloud between the courses. It can be a grand, formal affair with a piper and a top table, or a relaxed dinner among friends who simply like the excuse. Either way, the centrepiece is the haggis and the words said over it.
How the night traditionally runs
A traditional Burns Supper follows a familiar shape, and it is worth knowing even if you keep things informal.
The host welcomes everyone, the Selkirk Grace is said, and a soup course is often served first, something like a Scotch broth or cock-a-leekie. Then comes the main event: the haggis is carried in, usually to the sound of bagpipes, and someone recites Burns’s Address to a Haggis before it is cut. The main course of haggis, neeps and tatties follows. Later there are speeches, the Immortal Memory toast to Burns, a Toast to the Lassies and a reply, and more of his poems and songs. The night traditionally closes with everyone on their feet for Auld Lang Syne.
You do not have to do all of it. Plenty of modern Burns Nights keep a couple of the rituals, a reading, a toast, a dram, and let the rest be a good dinner with friends.
An Italian alternative on Burns Night
Here is the honest bit. La Lanterna is an Italian restaurant, not a haggis house, and Burns Night in Glasgow means more than one way of marking the occasion.
By the time the 25th comes round, a lot of people have already been to a Burns Supper or two through work or clubs or family, and the thought of a third plate of haggis has lost its shine. A warm Italian dinner is a fine alternative: somewhere to raise a glass to the Bard without the formal running order, with a plate of slow-cooked winter warmers instead. And there is no reason the two traditions cannot meet. A dram of one of the malt whiskies on the list, a Highland Park or a Talisker, reading a few lines of Burns across the table, then dinner the Italian way, makes for a happy, low-pressure Burns Night.
It also suits the group that wants to gather on the nearest weekend rather than the night itself. Burns Night is really a season in late January, not a single evening.
A word on Robert Burns
It helps to remember why the whole country sits down to dinner on a January night for a poet who died in 1796.
Robert Burns was born in Alloway in Ayrshire in 1759 and became Scotland’s national poet, writing in Scots at a time when that was far from fashionable. His work runs from the tender to the riotous, and a surprising amount of it has stayed in daily life: Auld Lang Syne, sung across the world at the turn of every year, is his, and his poems and songs are still read and sung internationally today, while other lines are quoted without people always knowing the source. Burns lived much of his short life in the west of Scotland, which is part of why Glasgow and the surrounding towns mark the night with such warmth. Raising a glass to him is really a way of raising a glass to the language and the humour of this part of the country.
You do not need to be a scholar to join in. A couple of well-known lines read out at the table, a dram, and good company are enough.
Making a night of it in Glasgow
Whichever way you mark it, a few practical notes help.
Both La Lanterna restaurants are open and warm in late January, which is more than can be said for the weather. The West End restaurant on Great Western Road is the relaxed, neighbourhood choice and opens seven days; the City Centre restaurant on Hope Street suits a night in town, and is closed on Sundays, so check the day if the 25th falls at a weekend. For a larger group marking the occasion together, the West End private dining room is worth asking about, and our guide to celebrating special occasions covers how group bookings work.
To end the meal in the spirit of the night, a malt whisky or one of the Italian digestivi bridges the two cultures nicely; our guide to amari and digestivi has ideas.
Timing your Burns Night table
A little planning helps, because late January is busier than it looks.
Burns Night pulls a lot of people out to eat in a normally quiet stretch of the year, so the evenings around the 25th fill up, especially if the date lands near a weekend. If you are gathering a group, book ahead and settle on a date early, even if it is the Saturday before or after rather than the night itself. For a smaller table it is more relaxed, but a warm restaurant on a cold January evening is still a popular idea, so it is worth reserving rather than chancing a walk-in. Let the team know if you are marking the occasion, and they will help the evening feel like a celebration rather than just dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Burns Night?
25 January, the birthday of Robert Burns. In Scots it is also called Burns Nicht, and it is marked around the world. Many Burns Suppers are held on the nearest convenient evening or weekend rather than the exact date.
What happens at a Burns Supper?
A dinner with a running order: a soup course, the haggis piped in and addressed with Burns’s poem, the main of haggis, neeps and tatties, then speeches, toasts, poems and Auld Lang Syne to finish.
Does La Lanterna do a Burns Night haggis menu?
La Lanterna is an Italian restaurant and does not run a traditional haggis supper. It is an alternative for anyone who wants to mark the occasion with a warm Italian dinner instead, and it pours a good range of malt whiskies for a dram.
Is Burns Night only on the 25th?
No. It is better thought of as a late-January season. Suppers and get-togethers happen across the surrounding weekends, so you have options for a booking.
Can we bring a big group for Burns Night?
Yes. For larger groups, call the restaurant directly, and the West End has a private dining room for a gathering that wants a space of its own.
Raise a glass to the Bard
However you feel about haggis, late January is a good time to gather somewhere warm and raise a glass to Rabbie Burns. Come and mark Burns Night the La Lanterna way, with a dram, a few lines of Burns and a proper Italian dinner. Book a table at La Lanterna.