Assaggi

Decent room above a pub. Good attentive knowledgeable service. Stylish and comfortable, busy. Food wise all is well prep and cooked but not a jaw dropping experience. At these prices you would expect a bit more, the wine openers on the list were not that good, just passable. Transport this to Italy and it would struggle to survive in any provincial town large or small.

I personally don’t understand the fussif this place — I think it is a setting that provide this illusion of how great this place is. It sits on the 1^st floor of this building and it feels like you have walked into a small, special restaurant,
I think this restaurant misses the mark because it is simply too hyped for what it serves. Food is not bad but not that fantastic as some people write them and simply too expensive for the quality and skills. I personally think it grabs so much attention for the lovely big windows, classy yet rustic settings of the restaurant.
Go if you are curious or just like to be in a buzzing restaurant — if you are quite a foodie, be ready to be going «hm»

Hidden away in a mews near Nottinghill, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Assaggi.
The service is very Italian, friendly, and warm. The menu (except for dessert) is all in Italian, so don’t be afraid/​embarassed to ask the server to walk you through it.
Ordered the Buratta salad, which was creamy and good, although some of the edges were slightly more rubbery than I’m used to. It was perfectly dressed, and hit the spot.
My friend ordered the cuttlefish and artichoke starter, which was delicious, had some garlic fragrances, and was very generous in terms of serving.
Mains were mainly driven by pasta dishes… as neither of us were super hungry. I had the gnocchi with chestnuts and truffle, and my friend ordered the tagliatelle with herbs and walnuts. The portions are very generous, and we struggled to finish our mains, even though they both tasted delicious. The tagliattele is essentially served with a pesto sauce and walnuts, with very thin pasta. It is light, simple, but good.
The gnocchi were delicious. Super rich, with the truffle, chestnuts and cheese, but perfectly prepared.
All in all, simple dishes, but with a twist of complexity, perfectly executed, and really showcasing the ingredients, just like good Italian food should be.
Washed down with a 35£ bottle of wine (mid-​range in this restaurant), we had a great time.
Desserts — we had the ricotta cheese cake, which was good, but isn’t too much my thing… and I ordered what sounded like an affogato, but is served with fluffly vanilla cream instead of ice cream. Delicious, and interesting at the same time.
Atmosphere: this is not a quiet, reserved atmosphere. The ambiance is loud, the sound of Italian everywhere, the tables are close together, and you do have to speak up to be heard, that’s for sure. But it does add to the authenticity of the place, I must say. It really does feel like your eating in someone’s home, and just crashed a dinner party, lol.
Would definitely come back. I love Sardinian food, and this one is up there for me.

I loved this restaurant and can’t wait to go back. The food was amazing, and we were welcomed warmly and treated so well by everyone there. I highly recommend it!

Assaggi serves exceptional quality itlian food in a beautiful setting. Pietro makes you feel you just landed in Italy

Great place! We had dinner yesterday with our 3 kids. All started in a perfect way as we were welcomed so nicely and friendly. The food was overall of very good quality, the service was excellent and the place is charming. One of our sons was so enchanted that he made a «thank you drawing» for the hosts …
I would recommend to anybody. Not cheap though, but then if all is perfect, one knows he has to pay a price for it. Next time I am in London, I definitely will go back. Eric

This is place is wonderful. What I like about it is that it’s small and warm like an Italian home. It actually feels like you have just entered someone’s home. The staff all are super friend and easy going. Not the so attentive that it makes you feel like it’s stuffy.
We had the crab for an appetizer and for the mains it was veal for myself and my friend had sole.
I think for me besides the food was that the whole experience was great. If you want to feel like you’ve stepped out of busy London into Italy then you definitely have to come here.

If you’re out west and looking for a date worthy Italian restaurant for a special occasion, this is your spot. With only 11 tables and a Michelin star, you need to book in advance.

Great ambiance though expect some noise with such a small dining room. Starters and entrees were amazing from scallops to zucchini blossoms. Dessert selection also very very good. Fantastic all around!

A rather unprepossessing entrance above a pub in Chepstow Place leads upstairs to a quirky dining room with just 11 tables. The décor is a rather basic, but fun and adds some charm. The clientele are rather well-​heeled in this Italian (Michelin starred) restaurant.
The food was simple but used top– notch ingredients. Very classic in it’s cookery and none the worse for it. A good but shortish wine list completes the scene.
Service was with Italian staff who were attentive and warm. They happily explained the menu which is only in Italian. On this occasion, I thought that added to — rather than eclipsing — the overall experience.
Overall, a little pricey, but excellent food and a certain intimacy made up for it.

Assaggi is an authentic Sicilian restaurant, that uses the best ingredients and prepares them in the best of ways. It’s very straightforward-​great friendly service, but the food is what really makes it shine. The first time I went there we had this amazing lightly battered fried zucchini blossom that had been stuffed with bread crumbs, parmesan, herbs, and an egg yoke that had not been fully cooked, so that when you cut into it it oozed out. unbelievable. Their fresh pasta with pesto is out of this world. And I love their misto frito-​only the freshest fish and seafood, light and delicious.
You have to call a month in advance for weekends, but it’s well worth it for a special occasion.
The décor is really refreshing and relaxing. It’s on the first floor of a victorian rowhouse, with lots of candlelight and warm colored walls.

Assaggi is a wonderful and completely non pretentious authentic little Italian restaurant in the heart of Notting Hill. It is rather small but that definitely adds to the appeal and is perfect for a low key, romantic meal out.
The place serves the absolute best tagliatelle in West London and the scallops are just beautiful — I’m not usually a fan but this place has converted me! When I went, the waiter was extremely attentive and knew everything there is to know about Italian food meaning he could recommend a brilliant dish which you were confident you would enjoy. I also liked the fact that he didn’t try and persuade us to go for the most expensive choice on the menu.
With only around 11 or 12 tables however, booking is essential as this gem of a place hasn’t remained undiscovered for long and hence is very popular!

Don’t let the Michelin star put you off — there is no pretension here. And some may even be disappointed by the lack of pomp and circumstance in both the 11 table dining room and the general service. But this is what, in my opinion, makes Assaggi such a gem (that and the food).
Wonderfully, the menu is all-​Italian so your server (or more often the owner) explains each item to you. There’s crispy seasoned flatbread to keep your hands busy while you wait. And the food is sublime — I’ve only been once (I need to go again before I can 5-​star it), but I thoroughly enjoyed my tender veal and an almost velvety pasta with scallops.
While Assaggi is not cheap (Michelin star), it’s more reasonable than you may expect given the quality of the cooking.