“Mi piace Cafe Amisha” – Why toot such terms of endearment for an Italian restaurant with an Indian sounding name? Because I LOVE Café Amisha, from its eclectic décor with a twist of quirkiness to its authentic Italian food.

Centered in the heart of Southeast London, you will find this noteworthy Italian restaurant. Frequented by trendy locals a majority of them Italian émigrés’, Café Amisha is the hot spot for the trendy and modern, known for its varied and fresh ingredients of homemade pasta, bountiful pizza, delicious antipasti, hearty entrees and decadent desserts. The room was filled with the lilt of home grown Italian voices, as our engaging and genuine Italian manager, Francesco ushered us to our seats in this cool and hip blend of Florentine and urban décor. With hues of deep reds, lit with an diverse mix of hanging  upside-down lampshades  and classy, yet cozy sofa set ups, you can’t help but be drawn into a relaxing and intimate ambiance.

The staff was attentive and bent on providing personalized service, offering a large selection of wine. However Francesco surprised us with a signature martini cocktail, that was as unique as it was great tasting.

The rest of the evening promised to be interesting. We started off with several choices.

• Marinated Mixed Olives- aromatic, piquant and sharp. You could barely stop at three.
• Caprino con Verdure alla Griglia- This quickly became a favorite of mine. A delicious blend of warm goat cheese served on a bed of fresh spinach leaves generously sprinkled with roasted marinated peppers, crunchy walnuts and cherry tomatoes drizzled with a tangy balsamic dressing. An excellent start to any meal.
• Cestino di Pane-home-made bread selection served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Guazzetto di Cozze- mussels in tomato sauce, fresh chilies and garlic. An appetizing and zesty dish of plump and tender mussels steeped in a broth of garlic and fresh tomato sauce, turned up just a notch with kick of spice from the chilies.
• Gamberoni All’ aglio-king prawns in a garlic oil, white wine and lemon served with toasted bread.  Served in the classic European style with heads on, this dish was aromatic, perfectly seasoned with a hint of lemon. Mouthwatering.
• Pollo Alla Valdostana- Pan fried chicken breast juicy and tender, smothered in delicious cheese and fresh mushrooms. Flavorful and succulent
• Penne alla Bosaiola- penne shaped pasta served with Italian cured bacon, mushroom, tomato and cream sauce. A scrumptious and hearty plate of Italian goodness. Velvety and delicious.

To finish our delightful evening, Francesco recommended several deserts:

• Torta Caprese al Limone -Classic lemon cake from Capri Island.  A light and moist sweet cake infused with tart lemons. Utterly heavenly.
• Tiramisù Della Casa- Homemade tiramisu. Made up of indulgent, sinful layers of rich Marsala wine, mascarpone, and Italian espresso soaked sponge cake with an astonishing sweet crème filled topping.  Absolutely captivating.
• Tortino Fondente al Cioccolato- Baked homemade chocolate fondant served with homemade pistachio ice cream. A luscious chic presentation of dark chocolate cake with an equally decadent chocolate glaze.

It was so elegant you barely want to corrupt it by actually eating it, but then again it wouldn’t be doing Amisha its “just deserts” if not trying at least one bite. And you will, every morsel of it.

It was a remarkable and enjoyable evening which will leave you wishing to return again and again. “di chi di vi amo.”

Café Amisha Bar Pizzeria, 161 Grange Rd, London SE1 3GH

Image Courtesy : Café Amisha

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