Assaggetti, London – The Review

Assaggetti offers the highly intriguing concept of Italian, rather than Spanish, tapas – because of this, we snapped at the chance to give it a go! And we weren`t disappointed! The flexibility of the menu, combined with the quality of the menu and the food, made for a sublime dining experience.

You can find Assaggetti opposite the Haymarket theatre, where they are currently showing the fantastic One Man Two Guv`nors, and just a couple of minutes from Piccadilly circus and Charing cross. This prime spot makes for a great place to eat on any night out in the capital, and is pretty much accessible from most top London locations within minutes.

The décor has a welcoming and rustic feel; a smart colour scheme of greens and oranges are accompanied by a collection of traditional Italian props. For example, our bread arrived, which was an amazing rosemary offering, in Italian tomato tins and when we were given our balsamic vinegar and olive oil, they arrived in what seemed to be miniature mechanical oil cans. These rustic elements were a nice touch and set the tone for a fun, enjoyable and exciting meal.

We sampled some of the pasta dishes and we were particularly impressed by the handmade spaghettoni with duck ragu (just £4.50!) – the sauce was gorgeous and the simplicity of the dish was also very endearing. If that doesn`t suit you, you can also try dishes such as the Goats cheese ravioli, vegetarian lasagne and beef Stufatino, a traditional tomato based Italian beef stew, which really was a treat for the palette. There are also some traditional regional offerings, such as Tuscan ham and Tuscan pate

The fish elements of the menu are also wonderful. Firstly, mussels, with one of the tastiest garlic sauces I have ever had, made for a triumphant little dish. Also, the Grilled King Prawns, in a delicious butter and garlic sauce, were the absolutely excellent and were packed full of flavour – I was in a fish lover`s heaven!

The individual tapas dishes average at about £4.50 and you get great value for money. Can also pick 3 dishes from the `Chef`s Selection`, for a fantastic £11.25. Also, you can have any of the tapas dishes as a main meal too.

The drinks menu is well-rounded and has offerings to suit everyone. You can pick from a range of wines, beers and there is a good selection of proseccos to pick from. But, the highlight was the Assaggetti espresso martini; this was a velvety blend of vodka, Frangelico and vanilla. It was creamy, indulgent and extremely yummy! For me, this was the perfect way to end the meal, any meal in fact!

I loved my visit to Assaggetti and I cannot wait to return! To book your table, click here: http://assaggetti.co.uk/