Ottolenghi Spitalfields
Mediterranean restaurant · Spitalfields ·
Creative Mediterranean dishes with a chic, serene vibe
Creative Mediterranean dishes with a chic, serene vibe
"To some, Ottolenghi is a nobody. To others, he’s the man who introduced chucking some pomegranate seeds onto a salad. To Planet Organic goers, he’s a deity to be worshipped. Whatever you think or don’t think about him, the restaurants that bear his name are a damn fine chain of kind-of-healthy spots to grab a celeriac skewer. Head to the Spitalfields one for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s as reliable as they come." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"Eating out in North and West London is usually civilised and grown-up. So, pretty much the opposite of East London’s rep for casual but slipshod, then. If a single person is beloved by both West and North folk, it’s chef Yotam Ottolenghi, whose Middle East-inspired dishes and salads have come to define what we like to call aspirational casual dining (it’ll catch on, promise) over the last few years. And fortunately for you, there’s a Spitalfields outpost that is actually even sleeker and more polished than its counterparts, with loads of room for a relaxed breakfast or lunch, and a larger menu of healthful but tasty dishes that’ll make facing your nutritionist / personal trainer easier next time you see them. The roast squash salad is excellent and at breakfast, the shakshuka is a classic." - david paw
"For mums who like things that they already know they like Ottolenghi may seem a bit five to ten years ago if you’re some sort of food scene obsessive, but Ottolenghi is a failsafe if your mum is into healthy shit that also tastes good. They’re almost part of the furniture in London these days, but we prefer the Spitalfields branch - mostly because it has a wine bar a few doors down for when all else fails." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing
"Shakshuka Shakshuka never fails to result in a smile and a tomato stain down our shirts that we dutifully blame on not having had enough coffee. Let’s focus on the former and leave the latter to Vanish, shall we? A good morning medley of spices, onions, labneh, tomato, and—dun dun dun—braised eggs, the shakshuka at Ottolenghi is the stuff of London breakfast legend. A mini-chain of great little restaurants where vegetables reign supreme, there are a few Ottolenghis dotted around London but the Islington location is our favourite due to the impressive cake display in the window. Shakshuka and a Persian love cake, anyone? " - heidi lauth beasley
"At Ottolenghi, the food is vastly vegetable-based (with the occasional bit of meat or fish). But it’s all so good that meat-eaters will ponder swapping sausages for things like grilled broccoli and roasted squash salads. Most Ottolenghi locations have cafe-style seating but the best outpost is in Spitalfields, which has a full sit-down restaurant." - heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, jake missing
