Assembly

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

A popular student venue despite – or indeed perhaps because of – its closeness to the ubiquitous student unions. No doubt another plus is its good value food and two-for-one drinks deals. The battered leather sofas and twinkling fairy lights are certainly more inviting than the nearby library and the food must be a cut above that found on campus. There is an inviting array of starters or ‘small dishes’: Assembly dares to be different with Cajun chicken strips and duck spring rolls. The goat's cheese crostini comes with a lush pesto-dressed salad, a good accompaniment to the warm, salty cheese. Larger dishes – all classic pub grub, such as nachos with chilli beef, fish and chips and burgers – all hit the mark. Not at all greasy, not even a little measly, in fact all extremely tasty; and as Goldilocks would have it, just right. There is no rush at Assembly, which on the plus side means the staff don’t rush the customers, but on the down side means the customers don’t rush the staff. Still, the food is worth the wait and as waiting rooms go, it is a very pleasant one.

• High point: Cheerful and chilled place to be
• Low point: Service a little slow