Assaggini in Edinburgh, City of

Assaggini is the best hidden gem. We stumbled in after a long day of traveling the Scottish Highlands and LochNess. It’s a great vibe, amazing smaller tapa sized dishes and the cutest drinks.

I recommend it for a quick stop

The pizza I ordered and tasted was delectable. I can still savour taste long after. Quality, not quantity resides here. The staff provide a warm and friendly service. I highly recommend x

Very nice service and very tasty food

Pizza & Pasta Tapas Style, tasty & good concept.

The food was delicious. Well presented. Staff was shorthanded but were top notch.

Cool and chill atmosphere. We highly recommend for a lunch break. Very good pasta! And delicious pizzas. Small portions with the possibility of having several dishes. Attractive prices. :)

they are Italian tasters and we are in Scotland. However you can make the staff and environment deserve it.

Food was delicious! Portions are great as to not fill up for desert.

Very nice place, offering delicious food with an extra twist to reasonable prices

Great! Excellent value for money Excellent pizza (one slice)

Amazing food and service! Very good price for Edinburgh centre.

Absolutely wonderful meal. Pasta was the best I've had.

Good fast service, tapas style portions, which is definitely reflected in the price. I usually like to start with a lasagne and pizza when trying out new Italian eateries, and that's exactly what I did. The lasagne was under seasoned, especially in the body of the sauce - very little flavour. It tasted as though it had likely been microwaved as well. With that said, it's not the worst I've ever had. However, I am very happy to report that the pizzas are very fresh, with quality toppings, well seasoned and extremely tasty. I would return for a quick bite and it would likely be pizza.

Very pleasant meal. Efficient, knowledgeable staff. Good food.

The food was okay but there were 2 people to service, seat customers, make drinks and clear tables and the restaurant was busy there was no time for them to talk to you about the menu and this menu needs a lot of work it doesn't give you much detail. For example 1 of the dishes says pasta with lamb and a spicy sauce - so you may think that you're getting slices of lamb in a spicy sauce I could not find the lamb even if it was mince it was so fine that it was invisible. Then we come to one of the Pizza's and as I said before description is needed and lacking on the menu as you have no staff to help. Tuna sauce what is that well I can tell you what this restaurant calls Tuna sauce - it's like overcooked fish with the bones ground down into a watery paste and then poured all over pizza - it looks similar to cat diarrhoea. There's been more flavour in fish paste than this tuna sauce and before anyone says well you could ask the waiting staff - how they were so rushed off their feet they didn't have time to take you to your seat let alone talk you through the menu. Management unless you were there at the time you can't comment I could see with my own 2 eyes also it wasn't during the day it was in the evening at 7pm to be exact. Also if you want to tell me how I experienced the food at the restaurant why even have customers, just sit and eat the food yourself and review. Also I only review what I see and experience and in general, I don't review harshly. I left 1 star because that was my experience that evening maybe you should start looking at how to resolve the issues rather than finding excuses and trying to blame your customers. Also, you do realise that potential customers will also look at these reviews and then decide to go elsewhere, especially when they see the response that you give!

Stumbled across this place by accident and booked to have dinner there while visiting the city. It was very quiet when we went in (midweek) but the staff were very welcoming and friendly. The choice of food is great - lots of pastas, pizzas and other tapas style dishes to choose from. We ordered a few things between the two of us and we were very impressed with the size of the portions and variety. The food itself was incredible - authentic Italian and delicious. We ordered the cheesecake to finish and the server brought it out with a candle in it as it was my birthday! I was shocked with the service we received - it was absolutely brilliant and really topped my birthday off! Will definitely be adding to my MUST VISIT when I return to Edinburgh soon☺️

Dinner here was excellent! Walked in without a reservation. We split three plates between the two of us and it was the perfect amount of food. Great cocktail menu.

We will never return again. We ordered something very simple, a pizza and some bucattino amatricianos...noodles with tuco something quick. After 20 minutes they brought my wife's pizza and I waited 60 minutes for my noodles. The worst thing is that instead of apologizing they justified themselves by saying that the cook had a lot of work. Zero service touch that one expects. Of course I still left the suggested 10% prop, even so they don't even give you a thank you. A disaster if you want to go with the idea of ​​sharing a meal with someone haha

I visited Assaggini and tried the pasta — it was absolutely delightful 😍. The portion was generous, the pasta cooked perfectly al dente 🍝, and the sauce was rich, creamy, with a strong cheesy flavor 🧀 and just the right amount of seasoning. There were juicy pieces of sausage inside that added a deep, savory touch 🌭. It’s a simple dish, but made with real care ❤️. The atmosphere was cozy, and everything was neatly and stylishly presented ✨. I’ll definitely be coming back to try more dishes!

I have been to this Assaggini restaurant twice already - this is somewhat unusual as I very rarely re-visit a place. In my opinion this one is really worth it though. I love the idea of small plates, one can really indulge in a full-flavoured pasta dish (my favourite is paccheri with prawns) and a handsome pizza in one go. The staff is friendly and professional and they have good selection of boozes - Orla behind the bar always surprised us with some gorgeous cocktails. All in all, I can recommend this place to anyone who is hungry for some tasty italian food.

We decided to go in by chance but we left satisfied with the excellent ravioli with butter and sage, friendly staff, the only downside was small portions, but I would go back.

Well, Italians do it better proves to be true. Amazing food, super friendly staff and quite a nice venue.

So we found the food delicious. I don't know why so many people think it's bad and tasteless. Very nice staff and attentive! Yes, the portions are quite small, but they said that straight away and sold it as tapas. The portions were too big for that. By tapas I mean something different. So two portions are enough. The pasta plus half a portion of pizza was easily enough for me. Maybe you can just share it. Personally, I think it would be cooler if you could order four different flavors, i.e. 1/4 of the price per flavor, so that you end up with the price of a normal portion. That would somehow make more sense. Otherwise I don't understand the concept ^^

Amazing!! Great atmosphere and amazing food!! Great Price!! Loved it!!

If you're looking for a unique dining experience that combines authentic Italian flavors with the modern concept of small tapas plates, this restaurant is a perfect choice. The menu is filled with classic Italian ingredients, presented in an innovative way, allowing you to sample a variety of dishes in one visit. From fresh burrata and crispy arancini, and handmade ravioli, each plate is a small masterpiece, perfectly balanced in taste and texture. The extensive wine selection and warm, inviting atmosphere make it a place you'll want to return to. An ideal spot for a gathering with friends or a romantic dinner, where you can enjoy Italian cuisine without being limited to just one dish. Definitely worth a visit!

Food is nothing special pizza isn't great as well as the rest of the food wouldn't recommend cocktails awful to

Visited assagini spontaneously on Tuesday night for a date night with my partner. The concept is small plates and they recommend about 2 per person so we decided to do 2 pizzas and 2 pastas. This wss definitely enough and we probaly could have skipped out one pizza and got chips instead or something. Definitely a fab concept, the pastas were definitely better than the pizzas id say. Our 2nd pizza was a bit oily and hard to eat. Pastas were fab we had the Italian sausage one and the carbanora. Also had a wine and a beer each, bill was £50. Came with a service charge on which we asked to be took off

Very nice food, great experience. Lovely atmosphere with very kind staff. Super helpful with the menu. Amazing food the paccheri is amazing definitely recommend! Great value for the portions!

One of the best meals I’ve had in a while amazing service and atmosphere! 10/10

Stumbled upon this gem a few months ago. I’m not a big eater so the concept of small plates really got my attention. A single Pizza or a delicious pasta dish and I’m set for a busy afternoon. Delicious, cheap dishes and if you’re craving more, you’ll still average around £20 person. Amazing service, tasty cocktails. Highly recommended

Popped in with a friend one day on the passing for some lunch just to try something was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the visit, food and the establishment was. Considering I visit many eateries and some are very inconsistent at times this actually exceeded my Lunch expectations. Many thanks to the establishment for giving out a joyful experience.

Picture does't do it justice. The colours and flavours out if this world.

Quirky restaurant serving small plates packed with flavour. Very attentive service explaining all aspects of the dishes. Large varied menu. Great beer.. Can't wait to go back to Edinburgh.

Lovely food good price and the waiter’s were helpful and brilliant at their job

Been here a couple times now. Food was brilliant, staff were brilliant, the gnocchi with pesto is unreal along with carbonara and nduja focaccia all was outstanding. Served by gentleman with grey hair and glasses. Very nice man to talk to. Food came quick and hot even though it was really busy. Highly recommend, great value for money.

The food was delicious! The cocktails are good. But don't have coffee afterwards, it really has nothing to do with coffee! Very friendly staff and a nice atmosphere with occasionally loud music.

Ade served my wife & I, very good service & welcoming...we will be back

I came for my birthday and it was amazing! Our waitress was so sweet and friendly! Food was absolutely delicious! Already recommended it to a friend who’s booked in for Friday! Will 1000% be coming back!

Pesto gnocchi was very good. After that the positives end, rude server who instructed that there was no pizzas and focaccia then proceeded to serve a pizza to the table sitting next to us! Disappointing cocktails on offer. Overall mid venue and drinks, terrible service and subpar food wouldn’t recommend.

Very small portions, you have to take 2 to get full! The music was also way too loud, so we couldn't understand each other! Service wasn't good and they tried to charge us £11 more! So be sure to show the amount!!! Not recommended :(

4 off us sat down to eat, we were informed that the portions are small, so we ordered extra fries and garlic bread and to be fare they were small dishes but would have been sufficient. The problem was neither of us finished our meals, all stated they were totally tasteless. The service was OK but not good considering I go my meal a good 5min before the rest of my company. Sorry won't be back.

A simple question: does this seem like cacio e pepe to you? Come on, my Roman friend almost had a heart attack... This is a simple pasta with lots of butter and pepper, oh and a sprinkling of parmesan. I am writing to you in Italian because the indecency of this "meal" is indescribable.... Lower the price and change the name of the dish... Pasta with butter and black pepper.

Good pasta and pizza for a meal in a trendy setting. Provide two dishes per person as indicated on the menu to satisfy your appetite.

most inauthentic italian food i’ve ever had the displeasure of eating - if you’re looking for food with any semblance of Italy, don’t go here. the prices are extortionate for the quality of food. the “focaccia” was not in fact anything close to Italian focaccia bread, but rather undercooked flatbread. the pasta with prawns tasted more similar to an Indian dish than Italian, with the menu don’t giving an accurate description of the dish. the place was and is consistently pretty empty, a telling sign of low quality food and an uncomfortable atmosphere. overall very underwhelming, disappointing and completely not worth it, thus will not be returning.

We came for a meal on Valentine's Day. We had a reservation at 8, and waited 15 minutes at the counter to be seated. They didn’t even ask us if we had a reservation before seating us. After being sat for 20 minutes we had to ask for menus and cutlery. The service was very slow, it felt like the girl with dark hair and glasses was the only one who moved with some pace! But even then there was always such a queue at the front counter she kept bumping into people! We got chatting to the couple beside us who left after waiting over 2 hours for their food!! And the food was nothing worth shouting about. It was quite tasteless and honestly I felt I could’ve done better myself at home. I was so disappointed, it has potential to be a great place but it was a real let down. Won’t be back and discouraged friends/family from attending.

Popped in for an early evening meal and the food was beautiful! Service was amazing, wine gorgeous, tiramisu to die for and the music 10/10. Special shout out to Sam for being so lovely and chatty, explaing the menu and allergies 🌼

Had lunch on Saturday. The service was fast, and the food was delicious. Great spot in Edinburgh! The kids received coloring paper, so they were busy until the food arrived. Great value for families!

A friend and I visited here on a monday night (around 6ish) and I HIGHLY recommend going here. It was reasonably priced, amazing service and food quality, as well as a really nice vibe of restaurant. The two of us ordered 2 pasta dishes each, a pizza to share, and the ‘cheesecake of the day’ afterwards. I would recommend the black truffle pasta, or the prawn pasta - and definitely get a dessert! It was around £50 altogether as we got their 2 dishes for £13.13 deal, so was £25 each - which was very reasonable considering how delicious it all was! Our server (we didn’t catch his name!) was very friendly and made us feel very welcome and we felt like well-treated, valued customers for our whole experience. He definitely improved our experience even more! Please go to this restaurant as it might’ve been the best italian food i’ve ever had! The portions are well-sized and the menu is correct - i would also recommend 2 per person. Thanks for such an amazing night - we will definitely be back soon!

A fabulous place in the centre of Edinburgh..small plates, very good value for money and excellent service.

Had a wonderful experience at this Italian café! The atmosphere was cozy and authentic, the food was absolutely delicious, and the service was top-notch. Definitely coming back again!

First time i was enjoy this little restaurant ,the host,sadly dont ask his name was so professional,friendy and accomodating with my request, the Pizza Lombardia was very good,with mixture of flavour,honey,goats cheese ,and nuts,taste fresh,very clean spot, very nice and great experience

I had the opportunity to enjoy the dishes at Assaggini, and what impressed me the most, beyond the authentic taste of the food, was the professionalism and craftsmanship of the kitchen staff. It feels like the team of chefs works with passion and attention to detail. Each dish is well balanced in terms of flavors, and the ingredients seem fresh and of high quality. The pasta is cooked perfectly al dente, and the Pinsa-style pizza has a light and crispy dough, which shows that the chefs have mastered the traditional Italian technique. Also, the service is fast, which indicates efficient coordination between the kitchen and the dining room staff. Even during busy times, the food reaches the table without significant delays, which demonstrates organization and professionalism. If I had to give the kitchen team a grade, it would be 10/10. It is clear that at Assaggini, the quality of the food is a priority, and the chefs deserve all the appreciation for their effort!

If you want to eat something really good, you have to try Assaggini! The food is sensational – perfect pasta, Pinsa pizza with a light and crispy dough, and the appetizers are amazing. You can feel that they use fresh and quality ingredients. The service? Impeccable! The waiters are friendly, fast and always ready to help you with recommendations. Even when it's busy, the atmosphere remains pleasant and welcoming. In short, if you like Italian food, Assaggini is the place to go. I recommend it with all my heart – I will definitely come back!

The concept of the restaurant is contained in the name: “assaggini”. In fact the portions are small, to fill your stomach you need at least two dishes each (but really minimum), otherwise you'll leave hungry. The prices are quite in line with those of the other restaurants in the city, the problem is that if you don't have the stomach of a hamster you have to take several dishes before filling up, so logically the price goes up. The quality of the food is ok, good ingredients, but nothing like Italian food. But it's ok, after all we are in Scotland. The owner (at least I think he was) is really very nice, he stopped to chat with all the customers and is a really great host.

I'm used to italian food, and this restaurant is not the best of the city. The staff was nice tho.

Really good food for good price

Food was very good, service was great. Thank you Chayia ( I apologize I'm sure I spelt it wrong ) would definitely return here. I should have taken photos.

Shared a pizza..it was tasty and suited us for a snack.

We liked the concept of small portions and were informed right from the start that 2 dishes for one person is optimal. The food and drinks were very good and the waiters were very friendly.

Uncle was funny Up to 2 items for £13.13 until January

Fire the blonde waiter, we are teenagers who have eaten very badly and we did not understand him well, he made a mess with the bill and in the end he started insulting us telling us that we were a pain in the ass "ya all are annoying" and that we should go away and pay for normal food as well. I'm celiac and I'm not really sure if the pasta was gluten free. Fatal service fire the blonde barguy

At first I was surprised why there was only one person inside, the place was nice and the service was nice. After the first bites of food, I already found out why it was so empty here. The garlic tagliolini was not good. The maracon was undercooked, there was no sauce at all and only a delicate aroma of garlic and pepper. I do not recommend this item. Carbonara, however, was absolutely fine. Good amount of sauce and the taste was ok. The only plus I see here is the wine, which was delicious.

Fantástica comida y servicio. El restaurante sirve "platos pequeños" donde se pueden probar un par de platos diferentes. ¡Los platos no eran pequeños! Gran porción, hermosa masa de pizza italiana con mucho sabor y coberturas simples pero deliciosas. Las salsas de pasta eran encantadoras también. No podía fallar el servicio en absoluto, y el camarero estaba muy atento a nuestra mesa. Muchas gracias por una buena experiencia gastronómica, y recomendaría encarecidamente a cualquiera después de un almuerzo / cena en Edimburgo.

An enjoyable family meal. Food was delicious and the kids menu was excellent. A great menu concept for sharing a great mix of dishes. Well done to the team.

Pasamos a través de este restaurante por casualidad mientras buscabamos un lugar adecuado para una familia con un niño hambriento de 5 años. Nos alojamos rápidamente y nos gustó ver a otras familias. El menú para niños era perfecto para nosotros, ya que contenía una serie de opciones que nuestro hijo realmente comería y una buena relación calidad-precio para una bebida principal y helado. Para el menú adulto, es un buen concepto para mezclar diferentes platos para compartir. Cada plato que comimos era delicioso y lleno de sabor. Sentimos que tuvimos una buena experiencia general. Gracias al equipo.

Great authentic and high quality Italian eatery. This month they do great offer , any 2 plates for £13.13. Give them a try! It's worth it.

Really great service lovely staff and interior but such a let down about the food undercooked pasta really bland sauce tasted like it had been frozen tiny portions for high price ikea cutlery

Orla looked after us really well tonight and we really enjoyed trying a taste of Italy!

Orla was amazing and the food was really nice

Our first time visiting here and it was very welcoming, lovely food and great service. Andy and Orla were very personable and good with speedy service, definitely recommend x

Good food! Ordered Ravioli and Pici pasta both are great choices! Love the ambiance as well.

Great place, has nice variety of pasta and pizza platters if you want to try new flavours. Despite being very overcrowded for the Holidays, I have received quick and good service. The place has good atmosphere, it is nice to see they support local artists by including their pictures among the decoration.

We randomly came accross this restaurant on a recent trip to Edinburgh, and we are SO GLAD we did. Atila was an amazing host, and we had such a positive experience. The food and service was outstanding. I would highly recommend anyone to come to this restaurant. 10/10.

Honestly, I'm surprised that this place doesn't have 5 stars. From looking at the menu outside to the service and the meal, it was just gorgeous. Attila was a truly amazing host and made us feel welcome from the get go. One of the nicest pizzas I've had in a long time. The next time I'm in Edinburgh I will make sure to add Assaggini to my dinner reservations! 5/5 food. 5/5 atmosphere 5/5 drinks and 10/5 Attila

Pasta was hard and undercooked - crunched when ate. Pizza, service and price was okay.

Delicious food, good concept with smaller dishes. And friendly staff. Recommended!

An unexpected find this restaurant on Rose Street. A very warm and friendly service. A good choice of affordable meals with a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

Boxing day, nearly 8pm in Scotland it's sometimes difficult to find a kitchen open. Not only was Assaggini open the service was fast and impeccable. I was told the servings were like a tapas restaurant but Italian and that I should order two which I did since the prices were quite reasonable. As you can see, the servings were quite generous and well prepared. Everything was delicious.

The foods are really delicious. The portions are small but they have tapas concept. So you can have different tastes and eat at the same time. The service is also very good. I highly recommend this place!

This is a lot better than it looks from outside. It looks like it’s going to be average, it is not. The staff were very helpful. They serve small plates, my wife and I had a plate of pasta each and shared a pizza. It was all delicious.

Everything was superb . We were greeted by a lovely man who sat us and served us for the evening . Service was top notch … nothing was a problem for him . 10/10 from the group of us that went !!

Food OK but my dish was 20 mins behind the rest of our party 4.Staff didn't seem bothered other than to say its coming.Bill showed a 10 percent reduction as an apology but they had the cheek to add on as a service charge,we refused to pay.Terrible service by youngsters who haven't been trained correctly

5 starts at lunchtime, 3 stars during a busy dinner. Got sat at a table with a view of a bin and a disabled toilet, but paid the same price as everyone else.

Unfortunately not a restaurant and menu that suited us. Poor portion sizes and overpriced

Never got to eat here was waited 20 min to be seen at the desk when we arrived. Was told it's a tapas style so the food come out when it's ready. 40 minutes later and having asked twice could we order just to be told the server will be there in a moment even tho they where all just chatting a way in a half empty restaurant, I comment that noone was eating in the 40 minute we had been seated so we left and won't be back a hour after we arrived we not even a drink.

Just had the most fantastic meal at Assaggini in Edinburgh. The host was amazing and the food was brilliant. We will definitely be going to the Byres Road venue. 10/10. Thank you for making our 10 year anniversary weekend off to a special start! 💕

I can’t warn people enough not to go here. The food is absolutely disgusting. The pizza dough was raw, the pasta was raw, the plates are tiny. Every time a table got brought their food you could see the horrified look on their faces when they took a bite of their food. It was entertaining but also so uncomfortable to know everyone in the restaraunt was nearly vomitting over the food. So so bad

Great experience! Food came very quickly, was delicious and the service was extraordinary. The waiter gave me a new pair of socks he bought that day as he saw that I had wet feet from the snow outside. This restaurant treated me with good food, warm feet and I nice story I can tell my friends at home ☺️

delicious food and nice service 😁😁😁

Excellent and tasty tapas style Italian dishes. Unfortunately there was no red or white wine available, even though it was on the drinks menu. The beer, although good, came in pints. Slightly underwhelmed by the service, though it was made up for by excellent dishes and reasonable prices. We would go back, but next time would be nice to have a glass of wine too!

The food is very delicious, pasta and pizza, and the service and reception are excellent

Perfect cocktails, Nicky and Marco amazing Please go and try, you'll be delighted

Quality of the food is good, but the portions are very small. So if you want a normal diner, order two main dishes per person. If you come before 6pm pasta and pizza is 6 pounds per portion. That’s a reasonable price but I won’t pay more for those small portions. Service depends on the day. We were here on Tuesday 22th Octobre and the personal was very friendly, but the personal on Thursday 24th Octobre was not that friendly.

Absolutely lovely food would highly recommend for anyone who lives or visiting Edinburgh

Good selection of Italian dishes. Small plates, rather than full courses, so it's best to order 2-3 dishes, this gives you an opportunity to try a lot of things. Prices are reasonable. Service is quick and friendly. Food is tasty, although not exceptional. Nice selection of beer.

The place is nice and the atmosphere + location is pretty good. Service was very efficient and nice as well. However, the food is not the best. Particularly the portion sizes are very very small. Even the pizza is marginally bigger than a slide of bread. Expensive for that matter.

As I was having the food (carbonara), I decided to have a look at the reviews (you can guess why!) and I wasn't surprised to see many found food to be bland. I think in my case the pasta was already ready, and some creamy sauce was added on top and handed over. I probably wouldn't go back for pasta. Also, it's a baby portion so maybe order more than one item.

On 13th October 2024, my wife and I visited there first for our lunch. All staffs were very kind. All cuisines were very good. There were very comfortable restaurant. Looking forward to visiting again soon. Thank you!

Food not good. Pasta not cooked enough. Took over 20 min to get water. Host/manager is rude. Better off waiting an hour for a table somewhere else than going there.