Amongst the many after-work haunts around Tower Hill, The Assembly offers City workers a lively yet easy-going place for a well-earned drink and some tasty grub.

The Venue
Slightly set back from the main road, with a chalk board to send you in the right direction, The Assembly is a buzzing spot with plenty of outdoor seating for balmy evenings. Step inside and you’ll see a mix and match of solid wood chairs and tables all around which, with their red accents, gives this place a relaxed feel. With a textured white wall behind the bar, plenty of light from above and windows facing the road, The Assembly feels like a fresh and clean space.

The Atmosphere
You can expect to find many City workers here, who come for after-work drinks and the reasonably priced food. Chart-topping songs play in the background at a level to get a buzz going but it still allows people to have a conversation without shouting. All the staff are very friendly and extremely happy to recommend and explain drinks and dishes.

The Food
The lunch menu is very respectable as it has a great variety of fresh seafood, vegetarian and meat dishes, with daily specials offered. The crispy skin-on salmon with risotto (£12.50) is an ideal dish for the summer. The salmon is soft and flaky, and it is accompanied by a refreshing, and (somehow) un-stodgy, colourful vegetable risotto which has a zingy lemon flavour. The grilled swordfish (£13.50) is another good choice and it is cooked to perfection. It’s served with a vibrant salsa verde, soft new potatoes and plenty of rocket.

To go with the laidback vibe, sharing plates and platters take centre stage in the evenings, with a choice of singles (£5.10-£11) or a platter with a little bit of everything. The sharing selection (£18 for 2-4 people) has enough of each item for for people to line their stomachs. Expect a decent selection of baked Camembert, Thai fishcakes, lamb koftas, mini-chorizo and calamari.

A dessert to try is the smooth and creamy pannacotta (£5.20), topped with plenty of vanilla seeds and dressed with tart summer berries. The chocolate fondant (£5.20) is wonderfully soft but a little dry and has no chocolate sauce to speak of, which is an oversight.

The Drink
With a very impressive wine list and a happy hour on most drinks, it’s no wonder this place is very popular in an area where people love to let loose after a day in the office. If you’re eating, the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc (£24 bottle) works extremely well with any fish dish. In addition, cocktails like the crème de cassis champagne-based one or the bramble are satisfying and dangerously easy to drink

The Last Word
With good food, great drinks and happy staff, The Assembly is perfectly suited to its local audience of work-hard-play-hard City workers.

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