ASSAGGI FOOD AND WINE - ST. JULIANS.
| Entrance. |
Assaggi Food and Wine Restaurant in the heart of St.Julians, is a small, boutique, fine dining restaurant, catering for around 75 covers in a chic and cosy ambience.
The restaurant is run by Chef/Patron Ivan Miller and his partner Amanda Savona a renowned Chef in her own right. Both Ivan and Amanda have worked and obtained invaluable experience in fine dining cuisine at the Gordon Ramsey run restaurant the "Maze" in London.
| Review team. |
Both the atmosphere and ambience of the venue makes this restaurant the ideal place for that special date or occasion, business lunches and dinners or a casual meal between friends. A private lounge which seats about 8 persons is available for that private business lunch or for someone desiring to enjoy a peaceful, exquisite dinner with a select group, with soft background music and personal service.
The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and for Sunday lunch. It is closed on Sunday evenings and all day on Mondays.
| Starters Menu. |
ASSAGGI specializes in the new trend of sous vide cooking, home made pasta dishes, dry-aged beef of 14 to 35 days all the time building exquisite flavourness and tenderness; fresh live lobster when available, and also limited fresh fish which is purchased and selected fresh daily by the Chefs, white truffles; pork, lamb and veal dishes
Then there are Amanda's home-made dessert specializations of cassatella siciliana, served in a jar, layered with, chocolate jelly, home made sponge and sweet ricotta topped with a marzipan lid; Dark chocolate fondante with ice-cream; creme brulee; and other home-made choices.
| Main Courses Menu. |
We dined in this restaurant on Friday, (21st October). Fridays are usually busy evenings, and this is where restaurants prove there mettle in both service and cuisine quality. As anticipated, Assaggi was fully booked, hence our booking was made days prior to our visit.
On arrival we were seated at our table, drink orders taken, and nibbles were brought over. Nibbles consisted of a small bowl of olives, and an exquisite, home-made arancini platter. The arancini were made with squid ink and truffle oil and proved to be exquisite.
| Nibbles - olives with Campari Orange. |
| The Arancini. |
Food selections:
As usual the review team for dinners consisted of two couples and our dinner choices were as follows:
Starters: Individual selections of two Fegato di Pollo - chicken liver parfait, cardamom and cinnamon foam; one Capasente e Ricci - fresh scallops with sea urchin butter; and one Ravioli di Casa - homemade ravioli with fresh ricotta, nutmeg, pea puree and parmesan foam.
| The Ravioli. |
| The Scallops. |
Main courses individual choices: of one 35 day home-aged USDA beef rib-eye, cooked medium rare; one Veal Osso Buco - milk fed veal osso buco (veal shank) on the bone;
one Sea bream al sale;
and one Costollete di Agnello - roast saddle of lamb with olive oil whipped mashed potatoes.
| Veal Shank Osso Buco. |
| The Rib-Eye. |
| Costolette di Agnello. |
Desserts: one chocolate fondate with ice cream and three creme' brulee.
| Chocolate Fondant and ice-cream |
| Creme Brulee' |
| The wine selection. |
Cuisine presented was excellent and the up-market service highly commended, which all in all resulted in an exceptional and enjoyable dinner, unhurried, well prepared and presented, in a chic ambience.
Another superlative plus for this restaurant, is the private availability of parking spaces reserved for diners. One can make a parking reservation next to the restaurant, in private spaces, when a table reservation is made. In the heart of busy and crowded St. Julians this is a God sent goldmine.
Price for the dinner, food only excluding wine and water, came up to Eur42 per person.
The 35 day home aged rib-eye was the most expensive item on the menu at Eur33, therefore if another main course, including another cut of rib-eye is chosen, the price per person would come to about Eur35 per person.
Wine price depends on choice, as the wine list contains wine starting at Eur13 and goes up to over Eur55 per bottle. Water, and pre-dinner drinks if taken have also to be added.
For an up-market, fine dining venue, this is considered normal value and what one would expect to pay.
| The entrance and open air section. |
Ambience: Very good;
Service: Excellent -parking availabilty superlative.
Cuisine: Excellent;
Wine list choice and mark-up: Very Good.
Value for money: Very Good.
RATING: 9/10 Category Fine Dining Restaurant.
Highly Recommended.
Contact details: Assaggi Food and Wine,
Qaliet Street,
St. Julians.
Tel: 21 336635; 7732 3134; 7733 8855.
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