http://hungryinlondon.com/2011/02/cafe-amisha-bermondsey/
I would have never gone to Cafe Amisha if it wasn't for my Italian friend at work. She is a very good cook herself and very critical about Italian restaurants, but this one, she said, served very decent food. Who would have thought this about a place called Cafe Amisha? You expect a grotty Indian take away, so I was still not convinced. But considering that it is 10 minutes by foot from where I live/ about 10 minutes also from Bermondsey Street and that it is 50% off on Taste London, I was willing to take a risk.
I was glad that I did because there is absolutely nothing wrong with Cafe Amisha, besides the name maybe. Walking down Grange Road you really expect the worst and then suddenly you arrive at this rather stylish restaurant. High ceiling, interesting decoration and very generous layout with tables far apart and a few corners with comfortable looking sofas. Very good first impression!
The menu is small and reads well with a nice selection of starters and pasta dishes as well as a couple of mains and a few specials. We were starving and started with the Selezione di Brushette (5.25). We were very happy with the thin, crisp bread, the 3 different toppings and the fact that they had 2 of each, perfect to share. Lovely was the tomato and fresh basil one the tomatoes actually had taste! But also the other two, aubergine and mixed roasted peppers, were very nice indeed.
Also the second starter, Antipasto di Verdure (6.75), was very tasty. Grilled, not at all soggy pieces of vegetables drizzled with olive oil and two pieces of buffalo mozzarella. I have to say I've had better mozzarella, but I have also had substantially worse. We never got the promised Italian bread which was supposed to go with it, but probably this was just as well as we had plenty of room for the pasta.
The Taglioni ai Gamberoni e Asparagi (10) sounded interesting enough. Especially as they promised pasta with squid ink which I really like. I thought this was a not entirely successful plate of food but it came rather close to it. The home made pasta was immersed in a light olive oil based sauce with garlic and some cherry tomatoes (again tomatoes with taste) and a couple of nicely cooked prawns. I would have preferred thicker and crunchier pieces of asparagus instead of the paper thin slices and some more chili could have been added but overall, nice!
We also tried one of the specials: Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu (9-10). Again this was a delectable plate of pasta. The pasta sauce dominated by the gamy taste of the boar was delicious and so was the fresh pasta.
Overall this is the neighbourhood Italian we all should have. Particularly with the Taste London 50% off, the four dishes including a bottle of Merlot and including the tip were 33 pounds! This is what I call a bargain and I love bargains :) .
The waiters (owners?) were really lovely, they asked us several times if we were happy with the food and also afterward asked us for feedback. I think these guys would take on board constructive criticism. I would tell them, continue on this level and I will happily be back again, again and again.
The big question is, would I recommend to travel to get there? Probably not, but should you be in the area and again can't get a table at Zucca, this might be your best bet in and around Bermondsey Street (if you don't mind walking 10 minutes).
I should mention that Cafe Amisha also does pizza, however my Italian friend did not recommend them. And she is from Napoli and certainly knows everything there is to know about pizza. read more