Please Enter

Initially wanted to bring my two friends to another Italian restaurant which served great pizza but somehow in my head, I got the places and names mixed up. So we ended up at Assaggi's which we took ages to find as it was tucked in a secluded residential spot near Bayswater! No matter, we were treated to some rudeness from the butch head-server when we arrived as we were late but that was where the un-pleasantries stopped. Our service was impeccable, smiling and understanding servers who came readily to attend to our needs. Pity they could not take our orders as only the head-server, who we had come to blows with earlier, could do it. So at least I had to grit my teeth and wait to come face with her again. Looking at the menu, I was particularly perturbed by the simplicity of the selection, nothing elaborate that one would expect from a michelin-starred establishment. It was only on explanation from the head server that we understood that that was what Assaggi was famous for. Simple, no nonsense but very good, traditional Italian food. That meant that even something like Fritto Misto was done to a more exceptional standard than one should expect from the deep-fryer. I eventually settled for the fresh crab starter special and the Osso Bucco for my main. We had a bottle of Gattinara '97 which I felt was quite good value considering its age. While waiting for our food we treated ourselves to the 'paper-prata' they gave us, instead crispier and browner, drizzled with salt and olive oil. It was indeed a more interesting variation to the usual bread and butter, and proved so popular we asked for another one. The food arrived promptly, and once again I was taken aback by the simplicity of the food presentation. Sinking my knife into the Osso Bucco, and seeing how easily the meat fell off the bone, it was obvious that this was very well-prepared. The girls had lamb and beef, which were also very juicy and tender when they gave me some to try. By the time I was done, the rest of the sauce of my Osso Bucco was not put to waste as the girls lapped up the rest, coating the remainder of their meats with it. We were by this juncture too full for dessert and settled for just a coffee to digest. As the head-server gave us our coats as we prepared to leave, wishing us well for the rest of the night, I couldn't help but wonder what a lucky mistake I had made, muddling the reservation and restaurant names. Even with our difficulty in locating the place, I felt Assaggi's was definitely worth all that trouble after all.