La Lombarda, the Uk's oldest Italian restaurant was opened in 1922 by Joe & Nan Birnie who originally came from Italy's northern region of Lombardy (hence the name). The business was later passed to their daughter & son-in-law Monica & Fabrizio Necchi who expanded the original restaurant by adding a basement Wine Bar & Function suite and an adjoining Take Away.

The restaurant has survived world war 2 and It has seen the offshore oil boom and the demise of the city's famous fishing and granite industries. It is still trading successfully at the east end of Union Street in the Granite City's historic Castlegate, with the Mercat Cross, The Citadel, and The Town House just some of the many historic granite buildings surrounding it.