Cassatt's Cafe

Lamb pie

4536 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207

I have been to the Kiwi Cafe - Cassatt's Cafe once before. Before my first visit, I was expecting the flavor profile to be similar to that of most British cuisine, i.e. bland. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that many dishes featured South East/South Asian influences.

For appetizers, we ordered the New Zealand mussel and eggplant samosas. These were served with a sweet and spicy tomato chutney and a salad on the side. For the main course, we tried their lamb pie, chicken pie, salmon rolled with sea scallops, and breaded rainbow trout fillet. These came with a vegetable or house fries or tomato chutney on the side.

Pavlova

All of the savory dishes were well-executed. They were simple yet flavorful. My favorite was the pie. The menu featured a few vegetarian pies along with chicken curry and sausage, though the former were not available the night we visited.

Floorspace is limited, leading to potentially long waits. Because of the small size of our party, the manager suggested we eat at the counter, which was surprisingly comfortable.For dessert,we shared a slice of Pavlova, a meringue based Kiwi dessert dipped in a passion-fruit sauce. It was light and tasty.

On the whole, the food and ambience is worth the money and the wait. On Saturdays, they also have live music playing. I have also had the chance to try order from the brunch menu, and it is of similar quality to the entrees. Recommended.