Ottolenghi

The place is very expensive but I guess everyone knows. Once you get over the price, the food is absolutely worth it! I have never tasted anything that delicious. The flavours are from another world, so rich and full of aroma. The place is set up with a long table though the center of the room which can be a little awkward as it’s not the place to mingle. Vegetarians have a great choice here and can choose from various cold and warm meze like dishes. Food absolutely amazing!

Being a bit harsh even though the food was really good because the service was unimpressive. We have been to ottolenghis other restaurants and had fantastic experiences but here it’s incredibly slow and the waiter Daniel wasn’t really welcoming and attentive. Would hesitate returning because the experience went from a potential «wow!» to «meh, good food but don’t want to deal with people’s attitudes»

First time and yes it is all true. This place is cozy like a cocoon, bright and spacious, with floor to ceiling windows, and really good food. We went on a weekend morning to grab lunch. People were still having breakfast and by seeing what they had, I am thinking of going back to try it. They even had toaster plugged in the ceiling, being dropped on their tables to individually grill their own toasts. Beautiful. When you get inside this restaurant, you get to see the food you get. It is exposed right in your face at the entrance for you to see. I did not really know what was going on so I though you could eat from a salad bar, or while seating. Not really, it is to go or to stay. We sat and ordered delicious plates. Especially the eggplants. I was surprised to see rather big plates coming. For a healthy chic restaurant, I was more expecting to see small tapas style plates but no. Staff is very friendly, and made you feel right at home. It very looks like the best place to get breakfast in town, seriously. With all the nice lights, staff and food, there is no way you could be disappointed while there. Will go back if in the area, and meanwhile, will try the other locations out west of the city.

We had a deliciously crafted vegetarian Sunday lunch. On Sundays, you get to choose three salads and a main for £17. We had a delicious roasted aubergine with lemon yoghurt, harissa oil, flaked almonds and rose petals, char-​grilled broccoli with chilli and garlic, chantenay carrots with parsley yoghurt, pickled radish and wasabi oil, sweet potato wedges with roasted red onion, tahini and za’atar, lightly pickled cauliflower, kale, raisins, red onion, cavolo nero and apple. For the mains, we had butternut squash, chickpeas, parsley, manouri and maple filo parcel and a roasted butternut squash quiche with nutmeg, membrillo and Stilton cheese. The breads were delicious too, with sourdough, Italian white and focaccia with extra virgin olive oil.

Je suis une immense fan de ce restaurant. Ou plutôt de ce groupe de restaurants puisque j’avais déjà testé celui de Notting Hill. Dès l’entrée on bave devant le «plateau» à dessert: une immense table avec une bonne dizaine de desserts différents entre mini cakes, cheesecakes et autres douceurs.
Ensuite place au repas. Débuter par un joli cocktail: sorte de mojito au litchi et un truc frais au pamplemousse et gin.
Puis choisir 3 différentes portions de «salades». Pour moi ça sera: 1. Courges rôtie et feta (c’était parfait ça !). 2. Caviar d’aubergines hyper crémeux avec citrons confits. 3. Houmous de foufou plein de saveurs !
Puis finir avec un magnifique dessert (c’est une obligation) comme le super cake tendre à souhait polenta/​citron avec glaçage croquant. Ou le cheesecake pomme/​caramel à mourir de bonheur. Attention par contre, les desserts sont assez copieux donc né manger pas trop avant: D
Bön sinon ce n’est pas donné, surtout quand on sait que c’est juste des salades et des desserts. Oui c’est bon mais on y vide son petit porte-​monnaie donc on fera difficilement en dessous de 60£ pour deux personnes.

Have you had their cakes? No? Then what have you been doing for breakfast? Their seasonal counter desserts are to die for. Have their passion fruit meringue in the summer or their pumpkin chocolate cake in the winter — you won’t regret it.

Great service and fantastic first impression with food display as you walk in the front door. Had brunch off the al la carte menu and was a little disappointed. I had French toast which was yum but too much of the one flavour. My mum had the polenta and sweet corn pancakes that were more like corn fritters, very tasty but felt dressing on side salad was too salty. Next time will try the dessert and coffee which looks amazing.

Another fabulous Ottolenghi restaurant hidden on a quiet street near Liverpool street station. I have been to some of the other Ottolenghi restaurants but this one had a very different vibe. Instead of the typical Ottolenghi choice of a selection of salads in a big bowl, this one has all the salads listed tapas style. Making them easy to share with a group. There were also options of hot tapas rather than the usual cold premade salads. We went with the aubergine (always a hit at an Ottolenghi place) the green beans, the scallops, the seared tuna, the lamb, and the labneh. The scallops and the ahi tuna were both amazing, and the sauce that came with the tuna was divine. I found myself pouring it over the remainder of the green bean dish, as I felt it needed a bit more flavor. We made sure not to order too many dishes. so that we had room for some of their decadent desserts. I went with the maple, apple cake which was delicious and moist and sent me into a sugar coma quickly after.

A recent addition to the thriving Liverpool Street food scene. I would recommend siting at the bar because you can chat to the bar staff as well as seeing drinks being made.
The food was very good. From the cold counter we had roasted aubergine, walnut yogurt and pomegranate which you cannot go wrong with. Also ordered was a grilled tuna, soy honey, spring onion and ginger dish. Thi was incredibly fresh and tasty too. Some good meatiness to have next to the veg dish.
From the kitchen we ordered hake, tomato harissa, shrimps and kohirabi. This was nice though the sauce wasn’t my favourite. Another fish dish of mackerel (prob my favourite fish to eat) came with miso caramel, papaya, pulled carrot and peanut. This was good too but the portion left a lot to be desired.
For dessert we shared a carrot cake, which came with some custard. This was insanely good. For someone without a sweet tooth this was a perfect end.
All in all the wines and cold counter dishes and dessert made this is a good experience that would make me come back for more.

My favourite restaurant in London. I have eaten at all the Ottolenghi’s but this may be my fave. I love the line-​caught tuna paired with one of the most amazing salads. I would be happy eating every meal, every day at this wonderful establishment. I can’t wait to return!

A couple of weeks ago my mother paid me a visit and such visits always mean that I get to pick a restaurant. I had heard good stories about Ottolenghi and I have extensively browsed through the recipes that are published on the Ottolenghi website. I was delighted to see the salad bar when I entered the restaurant. I am no vegetarian, but have for years preferred to plan the dishes I eat around vegetables. I feel that vegetables are truly made the hero of each dish in this restaurant. Moreover the flavour combinations you are presented with are really interesting and not predictable in the slightest. A minor point of critique is that the proteins you can order to go with the salad are also served cold and I didn’t expect this. The salmon and the beef my mother and I tried were still delicious though.
Good, inspirational food? Check.
Vegetables? Check.
Nice, clean and light ambiance? Check.
Friendly staff? Check.

I’m a big ottolenghi fan and was a big underwhelmed by some of the main dishes but perhaps I was hoping for too much. Quite expensive for what it is and not as many veggie options as you might think. Some delicious dessert though

Love cooking the recipes so it was a must visit and did not disappoint. Hot and cold tapas style plates. Salads are amazing!

I am a huge fan of Ottolenghi’s so I hot footed to the new restaurant in Spitalfields a few weeks after it opened for lunch with my girlfriends (I admit this review was sitting in my drafts for a while!). This new edition to the Ottolenghi family is far more spacious than the other restaurants with ample eat in space. It’s the same light and airy atmosphere that you get in other stores. but you are no sharing long benches with strangers this time — you can get your own table. Hurrah.
The deal is the same. Piles of salads awaits you. I think there are other options to but I never bother to look at those as the salads are beautiful. I didn’t have a dessert here but I imagine they are as good as they are in other branches. The greeting from maitre de was slightly frosty at first, but I think she slightly stressed out by a recent incident. She then did her best to be make it up to us and friendliness resumed. Food here is always very good — but you have to know what you are expecting — aka Middle Eastern inspired salads — aka these are cold. Drinks are also mighty fine — there are even boozy cocktail options. I will always be a happy chappy if you take me here. Hint hint hint readers.

Pricey, but tasty.
I chose the 2 salads with main course option.
I expected the salads to be cold. But I wasn’t really aware of main course being cold. After all it said grilled salmon. Though it was cold, I must admit the salmon was delicious.
Apart from that, I guess everything was amazing. They had a wide variety of desserts, which I didn’t have time to try out. Probably some other time. Maybe I’ll skip the main course then.
I really think main course should be hot else, it should be mentioned somewhere in the menu. That was my only disappointment.
Brilliant ambiance. Beautiful layout of salads, displayed to tempt you. And there are some sandwiches too.

Where food meets art and adds a splash of happy and healthy. (Until dessert time.)
I sat at the bar — the lunch rush had booked the place full, but the staff were cheery and willing to let me hang out, look around, and «get hungry.» The wait was short, worthwhile, and scenic.
Easy to incubate an appetite, for the menu is on display in large dishes on a banquet-​style buffet table. Literally, food artistry. The many salads to choose from were colorful and varied and, to my liking, plenty of light, healthful options. The final decision was arduous to come to.
Following a meal, there are just as many desserts as entrees (if not more) to choose from. So you absolutely are obligated to save room. For they are epic.
Chat with the bar staff (I lingered past the lunch rush) for they are charming and entertaining human beings. All the staff were friendly, helpful, and enjoying the atmosphere and food scene just as much as this charmed consumer.

Perfect food, tapas style portions though. Coriander Margarita was awesome. Brilliant olive oil, perfect company!

A nice atmosphere, light and bright inside the restaurant and with a buzz about it on a sunday lunch time, although instead of being seated at our own table we were pasted onto the end of somebody else’s.
There is a selection of salads only on the menu, with reasonable variety, and they can be had alone or with a ‘main’ course which is essentially a serving of meat, fish or cheese. The salads were pleasant in flavour and the portions generous, the aubergine was particularly delicious. However the main course is also served as a cold portion, personally I would have liked a contrast to the salads as your whole lunch is therefore cold. Chicken skin was tasty but the meat a little dry.
Best part of the meal was actually one of the bread selection — a vegetable bread, completely delicious and worth ordering!
Carrot cake for pudding was nice and light. Service extremely friendly and efficient.
Overall I give it a 3 because although the main meal was underwhelming, everything else was great and also pretty good value.