Assam's Café

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.

Opened in March 2012, Assam’s brings to Edinburgh a combination of Indian café and deli that has become a feature in Glasgow. On street level, under a glittering chandelier and surrounded by gold-flecked tiles, a smattering of informal tables sit alongside an open kitchen and chilled deli counter with ready-to-go pakora, curries and desserts and a takeaway menu featuring Indian pizzas. Spicy nibbles and roti wraps populate the café menu, while the menu in the downstairs restaurant brings together chicken and vegetarian starters and mains with a decent sprinkling of fish dishes along with an appealing array of tapas-sized dishes. Paratha flat breads and mushroom rice accompany buttery chicken, chilli prawn poori and a well-rounded lamb and mint curry. Gobi gosht (lamb and cauliflower) and fish curry featuring ginger and lemon are fairly polite in terms of spice but attractively flavoured, though aubergine and potato fritters could really do with a bit more punch and batter crunch. The windowless stone clad basement cleverly draws warmth from colourful wall tapestries, voile fabric dividers and a busily illuminated ceiling. While aspects of the operation may still be settling in, comparisons with its well-established sister restaurant in Glasgow indicated that there is plenty of promise.

• High point: Comfortable basement dining with decent café/tapas offerings
• Low point: Inconsistencies as restaurant finds its feet