Fine dining in Stamford Hill? Yes please!

Stepping into Asado on a blustery evening, you’re instantly enveloped in the warm ambience of this kosher fine dining establishment.

The décor is modern rustic. Gentle background music sets the tone: think candlelit date night rather than chaotic big meal with the mishpacha.

All the food – bar the warm pita brought to the table as you peruse the extensive menu – is made in-house, demonstrating the exceptional range of the four chefs.

Over the past seven years, restaurant manager Lipa Steinmetz and his fellow partners have mastered the art of Glatt kosher fine dining.

“The restaurant business is not an easy one. Many struggle with turnover and that’s why we’ve pursued a unique model,” Lipa explains. Their strategy is to appeal to the widest section of the community, and they are open from 1pm to 11pm, with delivery offered throughout this time.

Asado also runs a unique service called ‘Fine Dining’ where they send hot food to your door anywhere in the UK, with crockery.

“We are a bit pricier than others as we are paying premium for our meat, being licensed under Keddasiah,” says Lipa. “However, we do want to be accessible and offer an Express menu from 1pm-5pm. I call it the Starbucks-policy: come here for chips and dessert, sit on your laptop and relax.”

On this menu the pricing is far more competitive. A beef burger costs £13, a schnitzel laffa wrap is priced the same and desserts are just £7. Definitely value for money for good kosher food in 2026.

As we’re chatting, the starters arrive.

Beef tacos with creamy guacamole go down a treat – slow-cooked, perfectly tender pulled beef is an instant success. The beef carpaccio is also excellent – marinated in truffle oil, topped with pistachios, balsamic and cured egg – and served with homemade flatbread.

New on the menu is Asado’s roasted duck breast topped with an onion marmalade sauce – tender and generously marinated, it set the tone for the restaurant’s signature main: the beef Asado. A hefty 450g of short rib braised for seven hours and served in a BBQ sauce with roast potatoes and grilled vegetables, it is generous in size and succulent to the point of dripping off the bone. Undoubtedly the star of the show.

Wherever possible, precise thought has gone into presentation. A meal here is has a touch of theatre, as demonstrated by the pastrami steak, innovatively presented by the chef encased in a smoke-filled glass dome.

Coated in a pepper crust, the meat is infused with 17 spices, giving it a delicious smoked taste, and served with a side of perfectly crisp chips. In this £45 dish, the meat is more like a chunky pastrami than a prime steak, but the flavouring is refined.

Equally well presented is the duck confit which are served in their an earthenware tagine. Slow-cooked and juicy, these are a real highlight with subtle spices and Moroccan flavourings blending perfectly on top of a bed of sweet potatoes, carrots and aubergine, topped with dried apricots and dates.

Asado’s side dishes go beyond the usual fare, such as pulled beef salad and blooming onions. The lovely surprise for me was discovering they include jollof rice with a very generous helping of chicken, lightly spiced with delicious jerk flavourings. The side of salt beer croquettes also went down well – after all, you can’t have a good heimische meal without salt beef!

Around a third of guests are from Stamford Hill, but diners are also flocking to Asado from across London. Ever the innovator, Lipa plans to launch a gazebo for the summer months which will offer Shabbat food and possibly a Shisha bar.

The dairy-free dessert selection is particularly impressive – those with a sweet tooth can choose from home-made strawberry, mango and coconut sorbet slices, babka topped with vanilla ice cream with halva shreds or the classic chocolate soufflé.

Washed down with a fresh passion fruit cocktail, the soufflé was the standout option: a perfectly gooey way to conclude an exceptional meal.