Excellent Mediterranean restaurant. You will love anything and everything they have in their menu. Would love to visit again for a dinner out soon.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Located close by to Spitalfields Market, I stopped by here before heading over the market. One of Yotam Ottolenghi’s branches scattered in London. It is a bright airy space and although I didn’t have a reservation they could squeeze me in at the bench right in front of the window. Lucky I got there early as it filled up very quickly and a few were being turned away without a reservation. The staff are friendly but slightly run off their feet when it started to get busy.
The lunch menu isn’t very long but it’s a simple concept and really tasty looking one. My eye caught Duck And Plum Croquettes, Tarragon Aioli, Kohlrabi. It is cooked to order in the kitchen as there were also counter meals (cold items) or just salads which are piled high on a table for you to choose from. My meal came with a choice of two salad and I had chosen Green Beans and Cauliflower Tabbouleh. Croquettes were crunchy on the outside and wonderfully tasty filling. The salads were fresh and bursting with flavour. Loved the concept and you should try this at least once.
Mariette El-Soury Massabni (Les Délices De Mariette)
+4
The place is nice and the food also good, the Sunday buffet there was rich gull of colors and flavors. The stuffed eggplants were delicious and the beetroot salad very well. Recommmended
Had been wanting to try the famous Ottolenghi outlet and first time trying Mediterranean cuisine. I think I quite liked it. The lamb was cooked so tender, and the most interesting thing was the spices used to elevate the flavor of the dish. Also had the eggplant which was smoky and delicious. Loved it.
I went to this place to grab lunch.
Very nice location and place, the sweets look very good and the salads are awesome! Super tasty and filling, you are not gonna be hungry after it.
You can chose from different types of salad and they will compose your dish.
Highly recommended!
Yotam Ottolenghi needs no introductions, having become one of the most popular restaurateurs in London over the past decade. He’s released several cookbooks that have become staples in our household, had his own TV show, and owned several restaurants, one of the largest being his Ottolenghi deli in Spitalfields.
Loved the food here! Went for lunch where you can sit down and have a pick of some of the tasty salads in combination with another dish of the menu.
The quality of the food is good. But having people pick their own combination of salads makes for interesting combinations as can be seen in my pic.
Service was friendly and prompt. Only turndown was the wine recommendation. Wine was excellent, price tag steep.
Lovely Mediterranean place on a relatively quiet street in Spitalfields. I loved the roasted aubergine and the pumpkin with labneh. Unfortunately I'd give the dessert a miss as the clafouti and the tart were just average.
I am a huge fan of Yotam Ottolenghi. He says that we should ‘celebrate vegetables’ and not insist on veggie meals tasting like meat substitutes. This is my true belief, being a vegetarian all my life I am not a fan of meat substitute dishes. Yotam’s books are full of amazing dishes for veg and non veg eaters- you can buy a signed copy here!
Had a nice breakfast here. Eggs Shashuka was delicious & the coffee was good. The service was welcoming, attentive & professional. The ambience was very comfortable.
I love the desserts here, never tried their famous salads. This place is the biggest Ottolenghi branch so there's plenty of seating. Get any pastry or cake and your tastebuds will thank you. I will never leave London without visiting Ottolenghi!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Ottolenghi in Spitalfields is a happy, light-filled space selling colourful plates of homemade good-for-you food. As you enter the deli-cum-restaurant, you’re met with a plethora of salads and some of the best desserts in London. Take a moment to see what’s on offer here as the salads on these wonderful terracotta platters are what you’ll find on the paper menu.
Pastries, nuts, brittle and chocolates are all available to buy as you leave, although if you don’t fancy sitting in, there is a busy takeaway service on the go.
A birthday lunch in August via a trip to Colombia Road Flower Market, meant a tube ride to Liverpool Street and a short walk to Artillery Lane. Ottolenghi takes up the corner of Artillery Lane and Gun Street, which isn’t too far from Spitalfields and just over the road from Liverpool Street.
Families and couples sit on large tables or at the bar and the atmosphere is very jolly and relaxed.
I start with a Saffron Chase (£12) cocktail. Chase Gin is mixed with the brand’s Elderflower Liqueur, a little lemon, saffron syrup & Champagne. I can wholly recommend it.
Cut to order, the bread slate (£4.50) is filled with focaccia, cornbread and sourdough and the olive oil is a beautiful green and tastes of just-picked fruit.
My seared English beef fillet with horseradish, mustard, rocket and sour cream, was rare and although the portion looked rather mean, as I tucked in, there was plenty. I chose three salads to help it along (£16.70) and opted for roasted aubergine with sorrel yoghurt, turmeric pickled radish, spring onion and almonds; Roasted peppers, red quinoa and maftoul with olives, green chilli and pistachios and slaw with orange, kale, white cabbage, grapes, carrot and fennel seeds.
Meanwhile, Mr went for the smoked bacon quiche with sautéed leeks, parmesan and thyme, a real beast of a wedge of densely packed egg mix with plenty of filling in a lovely thin pastry case. He had two salads (£14.20) the char-grilled broccoli with chilli and garlic and a mixed pepper salad.
Diners can also choose from a small selection of three salads (£11.50) and the regular four salads (£14.00) without the main course accompaniment.
Ottolenghi is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and services the City crowd with a grab-and-go menu.
Whilst Liverpool Street is a bit of a trek for us, it’s worth it for a taste of great ingredients treated simply but to great effect. It’s not cheap but quality rarely is. I will be back.
Ottolenghi, 50 Artillery Lane, London, 020 7247 1999
Oh sweet divine. This place is ultimate cake porn. Rows upon rows of beautiful cakes and pastries and salads and everything that hangover dreams are made of. I had the cheesecake with caramel and macadamia nuts and a lovely flour less chocolate cake. This place is just amazing. I'd fly to London for their cakes and I will most definitely be back.
A minimalist modern space with accommodating staff (we were shown to a table of 4 with minimal fuss without reservation) and lovely, reasonably priced food.
Another fantastic Ottolenghi offering - isn't it fantastic when a restaurant of this quality is a 'chain'?! Fantastic. As always great mix of salads, mains - I had the most amazing avocado butter bean hummus, cold salmon,, and a stack of gorgeous aubergine. Honestly, it really doesn't really matter WHAT you eat, it's usually always good - that is if you like fresh/vegetablicious/inspired/so.delicious.you'll.always.overreat wunder food. Oh and cakes. And cocktails. And lovely, friendly service. Half a point off for not catering properly to an egg allergy on the table, but they really did try hard. Please open more.
It’s taken me a while to get to Ottolenghi (there’s also one in Notting Hill and Islington) even though I’ve always heard good things. It’s one of those restaurants that sits quietly in the background without making a song or dance of things, yet is always packed. Walking into their Spitalfields outpost, we were first greeted with a melange (I can use big words too) of lovely looking cakes and savoury deli-style dishes. We were seated at the counter which was fun; it all felt very relaxed and serene filled with happy, middle class people.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
The narrow lanes of Spitalfields are today incredibly cute. However in Victorian times it was an area that Dickens used for the worst of his descriptions of poverty in London and, only a few doors down from Ottolenghi, Jack the Ripper committed his final atrocity.
Today, the white, glass fronted Ottolenghi, with the simple red name above the door is a lovely restaurant - the decor is minimalist, white, spare, restful, near perfect. Simple, pale wooden tables and seats - white painted walls apart from one in beige and a few modernist extras. A feeling of health and cleanliness, but not clinical.
As you enter the restaurant, to the left is a display of cakes and salads, and a take-away counter: to the right is the restaurant reception, then the bar and beyond that the dining space.
The visual impact of the cakes and salads on entering is arresting - they look like enormous baskets of jewels - beautifully coloured mounds of salad, and trays of patisserie glistening with sticky sweetness.
It was brunch/lunchtime - just after 11am on a weekday, and although Ottolenghi has a hot kitchen, this comes into action only for breakfast and dinner. Basically at lunch you choose a main cold dish and accompany that with two or three salads. These are all visible in the entrance to the restaurant. The mains included beef, salmon, roast chicken, Aubergine, onion and a bacon quiche. Alternatively you could just order salads.
I chose two salads - one a sweet potato salad and the other cauliflower, with a roasted free range chicken. Normally I wouldn't order chicken but I was interested in whether the restaurant could make something interesting from it - especially cold.
The two salads were delicious, I especially liked the cauliflower. I thought the chicken a little dry, certainly in need of the moisture from the salad's dressing. As it happened I ran out of salad before finishing the chicken and found that I had to leave some. Perhaps if the chicken had been brined / sous vide / or had a dressing on the side it would have been better - I don't know.
A trim/skinny cappuccino had good texturing (in contrast to many European caps), a gentle but undistinguished flavour.
A glass of Dabouki cremisan, Bethlehem - a white wine prepared by Silesian monks, during the meal was lovely - crisp, vinous and fruity.
For dessert we ordered two cakes for eating then and there and bought another two to eat later at our hotel.
Persian love cake : not commonly found but quite delicious. The ottolenghi love cake was well flavoured with Middle Eastern spices and reasonably moist. For those in Sydney, the Brickfields love cake has a slight edge I think, but it is a marginal difference.
A small chocolate tartlet case enclosed a soft gooey caramel in the base then a chocolate ganache filling, a dusting of cocoa, a blob of mascarpone and then a tilted, thick slab of hokey pokey. Needless to say this combination was as good as it sounds.
The service was great - attentive, intelligent, helpful and friendly. Because it was still early, only a few tables were occupied (one with Yotam himself discussing the menu) and therefore the ratio of staff/patrons was pretty high - I think I counted six who served us - all were nice.
Would I go back - yes definitely - I could eat here every day - I wouldn't go for cold chicken however but the salads are certainly very good, a good wine list, excellent service and a lovely ambience. Next time it will be for dinner where the hot kitchen will change the landscape entirely.
Walking along Artillery Lane, Spitalfields the other lunchtime, C and I spotted a newly opened branch of Ottolenghi (serving Mediterranean food and with an appealing cake display). We decided spontaneously to eat there. The verdict: Great salads and wines, shame about the cake.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Once upon a time, dining in and around the Liverpool St station/Spitafield area wasn't pretty. Among the dirty pubs and average chains laid some gems but they numbered few and far in between. However, over the past couple of years, the area has undergone somewhat of a culinary resurgence cumulating in the opening of Ottolenghi Spitafield in early April 2015.
If you haven't heard of Ottolenghi before, you are firmly in the minority. The genius of Yotam Ottolenghi has taken London by storm since his arrival onto the scene in 2002 and his legacy continues to grow as Spitafield represents opening number 5.
Locations may change however, the brand remains strong, built on a foundation of consistently quality dishes that please both the eyes and tastebuds.
Tonight I visit for dinner; a first for me at any Ottolenghi location however, expectations remained high.
Nibbles of fennel salami with cornichons and mixed seed lavosh with avocado tied us over as we leisurely glossed through the menu in what was a very relaxed meal.
Prior to ordering, we were ionic urged that an order of 2-3 dishes per person is suggested. Taking this into account, we eventually settled on an order of:
- Roasted aubergine with sorrel yoghurt, turmeric pickled radish, spring onions and almonds;
- Broccolini, green courgettes, parmesan, pistachio and truffle oil;
- Twice cooked pork belly with salted cod potato and fermented Punterella; and
- Braised leeks with goat’s curd, cranberry and red onion sauce.
As expected, all that came before us was awesome; flavourful, fresh and innovative, it made for an incredible meal and in particular, really highlights how good vegetarian food can be. The pork belly though proved to be the highlight of the lot; the cracking was perfectly crisp and meat so juicy, it was a delight.
But to come to an Ottolenghi establishment and to not have cake is criminal and our carrot and walnut cake with cream cheese icing prove why. Served with a rich creme anglaise, it was, without exaggeration, one of the moistest and tastiest I've ever had; and I've had my fair share of carrot cake. A beautiful way to end an excellent meal.
All in all, a fantastic meal which met my lofty expectations and the service was equally as good which was a bonus. However, all this did not come cheap as a meal for 2 set us back just under £75 (inc service) and that was only with a bottle of sparkling water for drinks.
Also follow me on Twitter @annixontong and @wetrykai and on Instagram @annixontong.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
It's a bigger space than Upper Street, so its much easier to get a private table instead of joining a long communal one. There was a problem with the gas in the kitchen on the night of our visit, so there was a delay getting the hot dishes. There were four of us at dinner sharing everything. Portion sizes are small, so we had some double orders. A few of the warm dishes contain two or three chunks of meat which are not easily divisible, so I would recommend consulting the server about how much to order for sharing.
From the counter we had two orders each of roasted aubergines and the poached quinces. We had a single order each of the broad beans and broccolini.
The quince dish was a really classic flavor combination. Salad leaves, poached quince, roquefort, and candied walnut. I thought it was lovely, but some of my companions found the blue cheese over powering and the quince too hard. The broccolini and courgette dish was beautifully dressed with parmesan shavings and a subtle hint of truffle oil. The green beans, broad beans and pea dish was good. Not a lot of broad beans, which incidentally should have had their skins removed at this price, but didn't. It was mostly snow peas and haricot verts. The peas in particular were lovely because they tasted as if they had been brined and rinsed, so salty on the inside but not the outside. The aubergine dish was nice but the least exciting of our veggie order. The combination of aubergine and toasted almond flakes was pleasant, though. I didn't really notice the sorrel and turmeric stated in the menu. One at our table is a stickler about food temperature, and he complained that all the vegetables were served straight from the refrigerator, thus far too cold.
Of the warm dishes from the kitchen we had single orders of pollack, venison koftas, and pork belly. We took a double order of tea smoked lamb cutlets. The lamb cutlets were wonderfully smokey with a contrasting sauce of tart jalapeno. Pork belly was beautifully cooked with a very thin crispy skin. It was accompanied by mash mixed with salt cod--a sort of unfried salt cod croquette. Venison koftas were okay, but the green tahini sauce which was spiked with jalapeno, coriander and lemon really lifted the dish. The pan fried pollack had a good crisp skin. The slightly sweet cauliflower puree was a good foil. The accompanying lightly pickled carrot and radish was lovely but the dahl was a little undercooked for my taste. Overall the warm dishes were really well conceived, successful combinations. There was an objection that all of the meat dishes were served lukewarm, rather than hot.
The four of us shared two desserts. We were disappointed that chocolate and rum fondant cake was just cake, rather than gooey fondant. Very rich though we couldn't really taste the rum. Lemon polenta cake was tasty but crumbly and quite hard. Both desserts were served with rather thin custard.
Bread and olive oil were complimentary, but dinner for 4, if we subtracted service charge, drinks and takeaways (they do a delicious, if not so healthy, granola), came to £130. With wine, a few cocktails and service we had a whopping bill. An enjoyable experience with plenty of refinement, but not perfect.
Background:
It was one of my favourite restaurant in London when I was studying. It was known for its vibrant and flavorful cuisine.
Ambience:
The ambience is relaxed and inviting, creating a welcoming atmosphere for diners. The restaurant's modern decor, combined with natural elements, creates a warm and trendy setting. They still display ready to eat salads and desserts at the counter.
Service:
The service is attentive
Food:
The menu showcases a delightful array of dishes that are bursting with flavor and creativity. The vegetarian options are particularly outstanding, with a wide variety of flavorful and satisfying choices. From vibrant salads to hearty mains, Ottolenghi's vegetarian offerings are a true culinary delight.
Drinks:
The drinks are equally impressive, offering a refreshing selection of beverages to complement your meal.
Overall:
A must-visit restaurant for food enthusiasts seeking a vibrant and flavorful dining experience.
We’ve had a great time here with stunning food, very competent service and overall a great experience.
Generally, all Ottolenghi restaurants should be seen as a sharing experience and I love that. The food quality was great and almost all meals were great. Only the sea beam was slightly dry and burnt but it was ok when considering the rest of the meal. The food prices are alright, drinks rather expensive but the Ottolenghi wines from the Czech Republic were surprisingly good!
The atmosphere was ok, a bit loud at times with many long tables. The lighting was changing throughout the evening but not really for a good reason. So maybe fix one lighting and stay with it? Otherwise great experience.
I have been here during brunch and breakfast and it’s always delicious and the staff kind. I appreciate that they let my storage my (folding) cycle in their closet.
Totally recommend the hazelnut cake and all the salads. The pita bread is not that good though.
The food was delicious. The Mediterranean menu is very interesting and inviting. The portions are small but very good. The staff was attentive and took care of my guest’s birthday. I would come here again. The only downside is that it’s expensive. 4 small plates + 2 drinks came to around £150 in total.
This place is definitely corresponds to its reputation. The food is delicious and there is nothing else needed to add here. It was so good that a group of people went quiet when the food arrived. Service is nice, and quite fast even though there was a very busy lunch time when we visited. This is not a cheap place. The vibe is smart casual.
Mimi Melea (UnfocusedBunny)
+5
Delicious food, relaxed atmosphere, although it was very busy during the lunch time and that is perhaps also why the waiting time was rather long. It was well worth it though. We were also recommended to visit for dinner for a more serene evening. You can make a selection of salads that then arrive on a sharing plate as an accompaniment to your main dish. Middle eastern/Israeli vibes.
Modern contemporary cusine, Indoor seating with 35-40 tables plus a full bar. Great indoor atmosphere suited for all walks of live. The spot is near a tube station and the dishes are suitable for 1-3 peoples. Highly recommend this restaurant for a couples night out or with in a group setting.
Serene restaurant & superb front of house. I am addicted to the aubergine salads. The seabream dish was perfect when lunching with a friend. Excellent wine options. My favourite Ottolenghi in London.
What can I say… This was an absolutely wonderful experience!
Nice relaxed and vibrant atmosphere, attentive and friendly service and the food is packed with vibrant flavors.
Really recommend enjoying one of the cocktails as well!
Breakfast, lunch or dinner are all treats here. Fantastic creations with an ever changing menu to keep up with what’s fresh. Each plate is well balanced with potent flavor that delights the palate. And their in-house market and bakery is awesome.
Nice plates to share with options within salads, veggies, sea and meat. The favourite ones were the scalop with archichoke pickles and the cheesecake with berries compote.
Had a wonderful dinner here, Sergio went above and beyond to make sure we had a lovely time. Excellent food, drinks and service. Will return
Food is always truly exceptional – this is a must-do experience, with great vegan options and a wonderful wine list. Ezequiel was a gracious and wonderful host in such a busy restaurant. Expect to order a few small plates, spend £100+, but feel delighted doing so.
My colleague and myself celebrated a successful tradeshow here.
The staff was very welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable and charming. We opted for five vegetarian dishes warm and cold to share. Every single one was brilliant. All five dimensions of taste were well represented in every dish. Every dish stood for itself and yet was in harmony with the other ones. A real treat.
The wine list is international and put together really well.
If you eat here take the advice from the waiting staff to leave room for desert - the passionfruit tarte was to die for!
A definite recommendation!
Love the decor of the restaurant but above all, amazing food. Delicious!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes