Assaggini has officially opened bringing sharing plates of pizza and pasta to the West End

A brand new Italian restaurant has opened in the West End specialising in small plate dishes of freshly made pizza and pasta. Assaggini can be found at the centre of Byres Road conveniently located across from Hillhead subway station, and is the second of its kind to open in Scotland, the first situated in Edinburgh City Centre.

The restaurant abides by the concept of sharing in the way this allows customers to try various different dishes in one sitting. They’re also collaborating with the city’s own West Brewery, in which the team behind the endeavour sampled various beers and narrowed it down to eight. These will be served on tap to pair with menu items, with both food and drink to be reviewed and altered seasonally. 

The Viva Italia Group who launched the project are veterans in the trade, already operating brands including Mozza Pizza, Doppio Malto UK, Banca Di Roma, Tony Macaroni and Nardini Cafe Largs. They have completely revamped the sleek interior of the venue which sits 180 guests behind a wall of windows capturing bright natural light and creating a warm environment. 

We attended the restaurant ahead of their official opening to sample a range of dishes - four pastas and two pizzas. Highlights included the penne arrabbiata e burrata - a more classic option of simply pasta with tomato sauce featuring bold and zingy flavours which come off delightfully - girasoli pistacchio e tartufo - a ravioli-like dish with pasta pieces stuffed with ricotta and and Umbrian black truffle, a nice combination of ingredients - and the Emilia romana - a pizza with cheese, aged Parma ham and balsamic vinegar. For drinks we went for a bramble spritz and a mojito, classic options which were executed well.

There is an abundance of great Italian-style pizza spots in the city but where Assaggini stands out is in their smaller size, they are not overwhelming for one person and encourages customers to try more than one menu item, allowing a more varied tasting experience. For me though, the pasta is where they’ve really broken through - it tastes fresh and the chefs have been inventive and bold in their products.