Assaggetti is perfectly placed for a pre-theatre nibble - and a nibble is exactly what’s on offer at this Italian tapas restaurant. Expect some serious attention to detail from a menu filled with creative little cicchetti plates.

The Venue 
Located directly opposite the Theatre Royal Haymarket, and just around the corner from Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, Assaggetti is right in the heart of Theatreland. There’s thriving pre-theatre custom on its doorstep, and this relaxed Italian restaurant has plenty of room to accommodate the lot, with two floors of intimate banquette seating, high-rise bars and stools, and grand tables for larger parties. It's certainly channeled the golden era of Italo-American style, evidenced in romantic dark corners, a large spiral staircase, art-deco décor and one gob-smacking chandelier. However, a bright green and brown colour code (as well as walls covered in vintage mirrors) gives the restaurant a modern update. And vintage Italian deli tins and olive oil bottles on the shelves, as well as the not-so-dainty tomato tin cutlery holders on each table, are not dissimilar to Jamie Oliver’s modern take on rustic Italian decor. 

The Atmosphere 
This venue is laid-back but elegant too – a fairly mean feat in itself. Despite its tasteful and stylish décor Assaggetti is not so trendy as to isolate out-of-towners or older diners, but nor is it too upmarket to put off those with a smaller budget. Due to its large size, it doesn’t get too busy though, which seems a shame as you really need hustle and bustle in a grand bar and restaurant like this. Staff are dressed in smart black and white, but don’t let this fool you – they’re approachable and up for a laugh, too. 

The Food
The Italian tapas here (otherwise known as cicchetti or spuntini) are creative snack plates or miniaturisations of larger dishes, but if you want something more substantial then full-size dishes are available on the main course menu, too. To start, the usual Italian antipasti options of big, green, juicy olives (£1.95) share menu space with things such as miniature pizzas and loads of deep fried morsels. The spicy Tuscan sausage pizzettine (£5.25) has a crisp but doughy base and is covered with chunks of herby sausage and hot red chillies. The goat's cheese (£3.95) comes as a big portion of fried, gooey cheese with rosemary focaccia, and although another slice of the bread wouldn’t go amiss, it's a pretty good selection. 

Pasta dishes are little more difficult to share, but handmade spaghettoni and duck ragu (£4.75) is just like Mamma makes it, with a meaty ragu atop thick, al dente strings of pasta. Potato gnocchetti and gorgonzola (£4.50) is a pretty little dish of four small, green dumplings swimming in a rich, cheese sauce. These gnocchi taste delicious but the texture of the filling is a tad powdery. For a hearty dish, try the beef stufatino (£5.50), which would probably be a good choice as a larger portion too. This stew plays host to melt-in-the-mouth beef with potatoes and black olives, with an oily, authentic tomato sauce base. The star on the fish menu, and a real winner overall, is a black risotto with cuttlefish (£5.50). The risotto is sticky, coated in tasty squid ink and holding tender rings of cuttlefish. Its fresh, fishy flavour is offset by garlic and a subtle chilli heat that builds on the taste buds and elevates the dish. 

And there’s nothing like miniature desserts to get the table talking. But take note, you’ll need more than one of these to satisfy that sugar itch. Tiramisu (£3.50) is ridiculously cute – served in a Kilner jar it’s beautiful to look at and just as good to eat. Cheesecake (£3.50) is a tiny square of pudding, baked American-style and surrounded by cinnamon-coated berries. It's adorably small, but nowhere near satisfying enough in retrospect. A good final dessert choice is a shot glass full of gelato ubriaco (£3.50), a double chocolate ice cream swimming in frangelico – a great example of how playful, mini dishes can triumph when thought out this carefully. 

The Drink
For such a big bar and restaurant, Assaggetti’s wine list is really rather limited. Luckily the all-Italian wines are affordable (topping out at £47 for a bottle) and available by the glass, carafe or bottle. Although wines are solely selected from Italy, it seems Assaggetti aims to provide wines from all regions and a whole host of famous grapes, including sangiovese and vermentino. The prosecco list is much more of a focal point, with seven bottles available starting at £28 for the NV Valdese Prosecco. And the Italian spritz (£4.50) takes pride of place on the menu – offering a refreshing blend of Aperol and prosecco for the perfect tipple with which to wash down some tapas. Other Aperol cocktails include the negroni (£6.95), the dolce amaro (£6.95) with aperol, pink grapefruit liqueur and grapefruit juice, and the Assagetti bloody Mary (£6.95) with gin, martini, Aperol and tomato.

The Last Word
Assaggetti finds its niche in Theatreland by creating an accessible atmosphere without compromising on style. And the novelty of miniature Italian favourites will surely go down a treat in the pre-theatre rush.