Assado, London

A unique Goan and Portugese fusion restaurant in the heart of Waterloo...

​Assado is a new(ish) Indian restaurant situated in the Hampton Hilton Hotel on Waterloo Road. The spacious restaurant spreads across both sides of the hotel's ample entrance, with plenty of room between tables, making it a nice option for those looking for a comfortable restaurant within the hustle and bustle of Waterloo.
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The Goan and Portuguese fusion menu boasts a generous selection of starters, mains and (unusual but welcome) desserts. 

​Starters
Based on the waitress’ recommendation, we started with the mixed platter (£16.50). Highlights were the chicken tikka with top-quality juicy chunks of meat seasoned and baked to perfection, and the lamb samosas, which had a lovely crispy pastry and flavoursome meat with just the right amount of spice.

​Amongst other dishes on the platter, the prawn rissoles were a bit on the bland side, and the chick pea xiaccuti, had good clean flavours, but was too dry. We also tried the “dynamite squid” (£6.50), which sounded intriguing, but was disappointing as it was a bit rubbery and lacking in spiciness. 

Mains
For mains, we chose the classic Goan prawn curry (£15.75), the lamb xiacutti (£15.75), and a Goan pork dish (£15.50). The prawns in the curry were succulent and of a good size, but the accompanying sauce lacked a sharpness of flavour. We loved the rice, however, which was wonderfully fluffy.
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The lamb xiacutti was very tasty. The spices were expertly balanced and the texture of the masala was almost perfect. The only fault was that the some of the lamb was a bit on the chewy side. The same could be said of the Goan pork, which was (very slightly) undercooked. This Goan pork dish was similar to a sweet and sour dish and was served with a delicious risotto that was much enjoyed by our group.

Dessert
From the enticing dessert menu, we selected a freshly baked Portuguese custard tart (£6.50). The pastry crust was deliciously light, and the mango and coconut cheesecake, was almost perfectly textured with a nutty base. We also tried the bebinca (£6.75), which we were informed by the waitress was ‘a cake like no other’. The texture was certainly unusual – think solid mousse - and was accompanied by an utterly gorgeous cardamom-infused cheesecake.

Drinks
To drink, we chose the house red wine, which turned out to be an excellent choice. Do stay away from the coffee, however as it isn’t one of their strong points.
 
Service
Service was attentive throughout and we were pleased to meet the head chef, Sanjay Kaul, whose passion for this cuisine shone through.

If you want a twist on a traditional Indian restaurant, then Assado could be the place for you. 
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​Assado
157 Waterloo Road
Lambeth
SE1 8XA

http://www.assado.co.uk/

Martin Seath

Our experience overall
Assado offers a thoroughly enjoyable Goan / Portuguese fusion menu, and its close proximity to the New Vic (and Young) makes it an ideal pre- theatre venue, while providing a quiet haven away from the hustle and bustle of London’s South Bank.

Food and drink ***
Ambience ***
Staff attentiveness/friendliness ***