Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Ottolenghi Spitalfields

    4.3 (107 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 10:30 pm

    Ottolenghi Spitalfields Photos

    OTTOLENGHI SPITALFIELDS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Ottolenghi Spitalfields

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Assortment of lunch salads
    Julia F.

    You'll have to get a reservation in advance but do everything you can to come to this restaurant!! Everything we ate was so fresh and had such bold flavors. The assortment of salads and vegetables to choose from made for a light, energizing meal (until we got to dessert) and I can't recommend this restaurant enough!! It's not overly fancy and the focus is on the food. You walk in to what feels like a little market with salads and baked goods on display that you're able to order from the table. The menu always changes but honestly anything he makes is delicious so just try to taste as many things as possible!

    Shakshuka
    Lloyd M.

    Good but not great breakfast. I was very excited to go but found it not as awe-inspiring as I expected. The look and feel of the restaurant is great, nice and bright, and the pastries in the front window are very appealing. For breakfast, I had the shakshuka with a side of bacon. The streaky bacon was the highlight, as it had a sweet (I believe maple) glaze, was nice and thick and not overly fatty. The shakshuka was just meh. I am not an expert by any means on the dish, I've only had it four or five times, but this definitely wasn't even in the top 50%. Nothing bad about it but did not have the vibrant and layered flavors I was expecting. It is a good option when you want a nice breakfast that is not an English breakfast but I still would not return (at least for breakfast).

    Sam S.

    The food here is very good and the flavours are on point. I expected a lot more vegetarian options but maybe less is available in the lunch menu. Prices are high but the quality is good. Over all an expensive lunch option in London. Service is nice but slightly uncoordinated and the waitress was unable to explain anything on the bill when asked. It's ok but I would have expected some response or clarification. If it wasn't for prices I would have given this place 5 stars.

    Ryna D.

    I've enjoyed Ottolenghi's dishes by way of his cookbook and recipes for years now so I definitely had to come dine at one of his restaurants while I was in London. Fortunately it was easy enough to get a seat at the bar even without reservations as I was by myself. I ordered the following items: Sesame crusted barrel aged feta Roasted aubergines Cuttlefish Every single item was delicious! The feta was a perfect appetizer to start with - sweet, salty, so much texture! The roasted aubergines were lovely - though I must say, I don't think I've come across an Ottolenghi aubergine recipe that I didn't love. Then there was the grilled cuttlefish which came with samphire (a new ingredient for me!) and taramasalata and spiced with baharat. It was a fantastic combo and so much umami in that single dish! I got a wonderful glass of white wine that the bartender recommended and the meal was perfect! I wanted to have dessert but was too full so I got a couple things from the bakery to have later and the baked treats were also fantastic of course! The banana bundt cake with dulce de leche was such a treat! Definitely a memorable meal and I highly recommend it! I'd love to try his other restaurants on my future trips.

    Shakshuka
    Chris D.

    I had a lovely breakfast at Ottolenghi on lunch recent trip to London, a place I have wanted to try for quite some time. I received a very warm welcome from the staff, who were friendly and available throughout my meal. The tomato sauce on the shakshuka was rich, with a deep flavor. The toasted bread was the perfect accompaniment. One small thing I would have loved was some homemade hot sauce - when I asked for some, I got a bottle of tobasco. After breakfast I bough one of the cakes from the window- I'm yet to try this but it does look inviting!

    Jiro K.

    Food was outstanding. I had an order of sea bream with 2 salads (roasted eggplant, and chickpea/tahini) along with an order of bread and a non-alcoholic chamomile shooter. All were delicious and I was stuffed (with a bit of leftovers). Service and staff was great (and friendly) too. My only quibble: I had the least comfortable seat in the house (bar seating but not at bar but along entrance window). But I can't complain about that... I came without a reservation at lunch on Saturday. At least I got seated and ate well without breaking the bank!

    Menu July 2019
    Ryen B.

    Been wanting to come here since I was introduced to one of Ottolenghi's cookbooks years ago. We lucked out grabbing two seats at lunch as soon as they opened, but I recommend a reservation because the place fills up and they turned lots of people away. They charge for water, so go easy on it and enjoy one of the refreshing cocktails instead! Everything is tasty and portions are big. We ordered a main with two sides each. Smoked eggplants with chickpeas, green harissa, and tahini was rich. A pea and zucchini goat cheese tart with preserved lemons was my fave of the bunch. Sides were colorful and flavorful: a watermelon, lime, chili, feta salad; tomato and burrata with pearled couscous and capers; chickpea hummus with spring onions and grapes was an unexpected fave; and baby gem salad came with a smokey eggplant yogurt and spicy chiles. We didn't need dessert, but they were too pretty to refuse. The apple and currant cake with a maple cream frosting was amazing. The ricotta cake topped with hazelnuts has just a bit of innocent looking chocolate on top, but cut inside and it's stuffed with more rich chocolate throughout. Desserts are definitely for sharing. Highly recommend.

    Ginger zinger
    Vijay N.

    Having made several recipes from his cookbooks, I was so excited to try dining in an Ottolenghi restaurant. It surpassed all of my expectations! My wife and I sampled a variety of dishes, both sweet and savory, and every single one was fantastic. There were loads of options for people of many dietary preferences, including vegetarians and those who can't eat gluten! The rose harissa tofu scramble was really spicy and lovely and didn't overwhelm with a floral taste, the tangerine/pistachio/yuzu cake had such an interesting and complex flavor, and the brioche pretzel was a sweet, cinnamon-y cloud which paired well with the amazing house-made spreads which can be brought to the table. The drinks were also stellar - the hot chocolate being one of the best we've ever had! We were so impressed by the meal that we bought a few cakes and brownies to bring back to the US with us - they were delicious even a day later! And if you're looking to get someone an Ottolenghi cookbook, all of the ones in the restaurant are signed, so they make awesome gifts! On a weekday morning in November, it was very easy to get a reservation, and we would have actually been able to walk right in. The display of pastries and cakes in the window had me salivating. The table space is very bright and open, with whimsical decor like colorful toasters on the tables. This particular location is also close to Liverpool Street and Spitalfields market, so it would be a great place to grab breakfast before catching a train or going shopping for some unique London goods to take home. I really hope I have an excuse to come to London again soon just so I can go visit this restaurant!

    Jessica F.

    Whenever I splurge, I make sure to do thorough research and pick a place that will challenge and delight the senses. I had really high hopes that Ottolenghi would deliver, but honestly my boyfriend and I were quite disappointed by our 85 pound dinner here. Our drink of choice, Hendricks punch, was fabulous! It was refreshing and interesting, like a tangier, fruitier fun and tonic. We were off to a good start. Our "nibble" of "crumbed" octopus should have been advertised as burnt octopus, though the taste wasn't too bad, for 6.5 pounds it was a little disappointing and way too crunchy. I felt like I was eating cinders. From there, we tried the butternut squash, carrot mash and watermelon radish dishes. The butternut squash was pretty decent, if not a little cold and generally pretty bland, dolloping yogurt all over doesn't unbland it or add flavor. The watermelon radish dish was pretty tough to eat, the radishes were way too hard and filled with too many seeds. My boyfriend really enjoyed the flavorful carrot mash but I found it to be too overwhelming and the carrot mash itself felt a little baby foodish. My favorite dish was actually the bread dipped in whatever sauce accompanied the manti dish. What a heavenly sauce, warm and perfectly spiced, with the consistency of yogurt but the taste of hummus it was incredible! The aubergine dish I liked even though it was a little dry and had a monotone flavor. I felt that the chickpeas and the aubergine had the same flavor and just made your mouth kind of dry, but I'm a lover of eggplant so I still enjoyed the dish. We were so disappointed by the dinner (maybe we had too high expectations or maybe we just got a bad seasonal menu) that we didn't care for dessert despite still being hungry after 6 dishes! We went to nearby Spitalfields for some milkshakes instead. For 85 pounds you can buy so much delicious, flavorful food in London that I don't think I'd recommend Ottolenghi to anyone. It was decent food, tiny portions and overall did not live up to expectations.

    Seabream fillet and 3 salad sides

    See all

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Lovely place, great food and service! Went there for lunch and would recommend it to friends!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Adam S.
    4
    42
    15

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sam S.
    2159
    2772
    16294

    3 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Ryna D.
    225
    3140
    6171

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of B S.
    0
    10
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Yuk L.
    315
    497
    3320

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryen B.
    216
    1060
    3750

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy P.
    117
    10
    1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mel B.
    0
    16
    8

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marla P.
    56
    296
    331

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    We were a big group and were served a wide variety of items. Everything was delicious. The staff were very helpful.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Christina L.
    577
    993
    7198

    9 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Miko B.
    747
    543
    2009

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Minnie D.
    167
    19
    30

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dali S.
    53
    35
    0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeremy S.
    107
    25
    21

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ottolenghi Spitalfields Reviews in Other Languages

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mediterranean 571 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Corner Room - The lamps created a nice atmosphere.

    Corner Room

    4.2(35 reviews)
    1.3 miBethnal Green
    £££

    Yummy!!! I stayed at the hotel and ate at this restaurant as well as da terra (not part of the…read morehotel but connected) which were the highlights of my stay. I loved my meal- the flavors were perfect and I ate every drop. The menu is short and simple and you can tell it's one of those places which does everything well. The only downside is that I wish the portion size was bigger. I was one person and ate everything in the pictures attached- although I'm American and probably eat too much! The restaurant was kind enough to do a half size of the pasta to fill me up which was great to sample a bit of everything. It was al cooked perfectly and the spacing between dishes was great. The atmosphere is relaxing and super friendly. There were two huge groups of 10+ and the staff was quick to strike up conversations with their guests and to check in. I happened to have breakfast included and the nice thing was that you cook receive one cooked item from the menu which was so nice. The only downside was that you could not substitute a cooked item for a smoothie and the smoothie was the smallest thing ever with the biggest ice cubes so definitely not worth it. Otherwise, definitely check this place out!!

    I must get my hands on the recipe for the Portuguese "bread pudding". Oh my…read more Service is okay, but that's beside the point because the food is SO good. I think of it as Viajante-level cooking taken off steroids. Innovative combinations but faultlessly executed, not to mention at a fraction of the price. My favourites include grilled squid with romesco, seabass ceviche and most importantly the Iberico pork with "bread pudding". Words cannot describe how delicious the bread pudding is - I can only imagine that A TON of butter went into making it. Chunks of soft buttery bread stewed in a tangy tomato sauce. Ahhh. Go early if you don't want to queue, or make it a late lunch. Be sure to order the pork/bread pudding dish - you can thank me later.

    Photos
    Corner Room
    Corner Room
    Corner Room

    See all

    Typing Room - Snacks.

    Typing Room

    4.9(12 reviews)
    1.3 miBethnal Green
    ££££

    After two, ohmygodthisisthebestmealever, experiences at the Corner Room in Bethnal Green Town Hall…read more- I literally had 0 expectations for the Typing Room. I know, there have been rave reviews on a number of sites - I know. I saw them too. But what could possibly top the Corner Room? After last week's visit to the Typing Room, I will never doubt another restaurant decision made in this venue (and I hope there are many more!). You have to go to Typing Room. Right now. I don't even know where to start. There is a set menu, of course, but this apparently varies by the day. We went with a vegetarian friend, so if that is you - you will also feel the love. To begin, the set menu (whether you go for 5 or 7 dishes) all includes a group of "snacks". After a couple drinks at the bar and rearing to see the menu, I can't tell you how excited I was to have food arriving at the table without even having to think. And all of it...was just. so. good. And the bread. I'll be honest - I'm hit or miss with bread - sometimes it looks pretty good and it's still warm and a restaurant has some special sort of butter so I'm all over it. Other times it looks like it's been sitting in a corner of the kitchen for the past week. At Typing Room, the bread was a course in and of itself. I'm not kidding. Two types of bread with two types of delish buttery, chutney, goodness. More bread. PLEASE. By the time we got to the smoke deer roe, I didn't think I could possibly have another bite. But I had too - because the remaining two courses were too good to be missed. Service: Literally some of the best I've ever had in London. Everyone was so super friendly and knowledgeable about each dish. We never felt rushed and each course was given time to settle in. I can't rave about this place enough. 5 stars.

    Lee Westcott's new restaurant is getting raves so we booked for a weekday lunch. This place took…read moreover for the recently closed Viajante which we tried and were underwhelmed. Not so with Typing room. We had the 7 course lunch and skipped the pairing in favour of a couple of glasses of wine. Setting is similar with the restaurant on the left with very open kitchen when you walk into town hall and a bar to the right. Chef was on premise supervising the kitchen which was nice to see for a weekday lunch. Lots of Beatles and classic rock playing which I enjoyed although one of the other patrons kept complaining about. Certainly didn't interfere with conversation. On to the food the starter you pick from 4 snacks. We had the basil profiterole which was ok but the star was the smoked eel. Then can crab and pea dish followed by cauliflower which were both amazing. The raw beef was topped with what looked like granola and neither of us liked that dish. Too sweet and needed an acid to bring out the flavour of the tartare. The fish course following was also a 5 star. Then the lamb which also was good but have had better. Confit belly was nice but the yogurt didn't add anything and the onions were over charred. Desert started with almond foam and lemon sorbet which was a great palette cleanser and then a very interesting chocolate dessert. Cake almost looks dried out but is the texture of freeze dried chocolate mouse. Very tasty. Overall a couple of misses in execution more than design that I'm sure won't take long to correct. I'd expect this place to get a Michelin star in the near future. The star dishes were well worth coming back for.

    Photos
    Typing Room
    Typing Room
    Typing Room - Toasted cauliflower, raisins, capers & mint

    See all

    Toasted cauliflower, raisins, capers & mint

    Palmers Restaurant

    Palmers Restaurant

    4.9(14 reviews)
    1.7 miMile End / Globe Town, Bethnal Green
    ££

    Ok, So I only had a week in London and that meant only 1 Sunday to experience a London Sunday…read moreroast. After a long day of shopping and sightseeing, I wasn't sure if I had missed the boat by not making reservations somewhere for Sunday Roast dinner. Seeing as I was staying in the Stepney Greene area and really did not want to go to the other side of town for dinner, I found Palmer's Restaurant on my Yelp! app and mentioned it served up Sunday roast dinner. I walked over and made it just in the nick of time, before their last seating. First of all, this is East London and as gritty and edgy as that may be, Palmer's restaurant can only accurately be described as a hidden gem lost among the housing estate and what not. I had the roast beef and it came with all the trimmings, gravy, roasted vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and a good serving of horse-radish sauce. It was perfect for a cold, blustery Sunday night. The portions were filling, the roasted beef was rare and perfect and the service is warm. This is exactly the sort of place I love finding and being taken by surprise; no pretensions, solid good food, great prices and friendly service in a location you would never have thought of. Bonus: the restaurant is located literally right next to Regent's Canal. Come down and walk off dinner by walking along the canal and seeing the barge homes floating on the water.

    Outstanding service, accommodated me just as they were closing without hesitation. I ordered the…read moresea bass and it was a fabulous dish, I also had the house-made sauerkraut. Healthy, deliciously fresh food. Very affordable for the quality of food and service. Would come back again and again. Cheers!

    Photos
    Palmers Restaurant
    Palmers Restaurant
    Palmers Restaurant

    See all

    Jago - Jago is a restaurant serving simple, seasonal food with Mediterranean influences

    Jago

    4.5(6 reviews)
    0.3 miBrick Lane, Shoreditch

    To start off I have to say that the food was good. We ordered the orzo and veal cheek, the scallop,…read morethe cauliflower, and the squash, as well as some bread and olives. The flavours were rich, and well balanced. The squash especially was very well done. On the downside, I found the atmosphere a little lacking- though it was interesting to be looking into office cubicles. I haven't experienced that before. The real reason for the three stars however is our waitress dropped our bottle of wine while pouring, smashing the glass she was pouring into, and spilling wine and broken glass everywhere. Being two Canadians we were very polite about it (eh), but I admit I was very disappointed when there were no reparations were made. Not only was a big mess made, with wine spilling on my friend, but we lost at least an entire glass of wine. I do feel that there should have at the very least been a fresh glass of wine brought to make up for the spilled one, or a free dessert offered, or a discount given on the (not inexpensive) bottle of wine we ordered. I would expect better service from a restaurant.

    What.a lovely place…read more It's really nice coming here for dinner. The décor is really interesting and the staff are lovely, especially the beautiful waitress who served me the other night. She had the most lovely smile, I just had to tell her how nice it was! The food is almost as good as the waitress' smile. Good quality, decent sized portions served tapas-style. I had the tomato salad which was lovely, followed by some octopus peach combo that was really nice, and a great plate of grilled sardines. The atmosphere is lovely and the only reason I'm dropping a star is the service could have been faster (it wasn't always the smiley waitress serving us) and the bench seat, although really cool to look at, isn't very comfortable to sit on for any period of time spanning a dinner.

    Photos
    Jago - Ox cheek and farro at Jago

    Ox cheek and farro at Jago

    Jago - "It's a contender for dessert of the year" - Jay Rayner

    "It's a contender for dessert of the year" - Jay Rayner

    Jago - Photo from Jago's website

    See all

    Photo from Jago's website

    Brawn - Mozzarella

    Brawn

    4.4(52 reviews)
    0.8 miShoreditch, Bethnal Green
    £££

    Really nice restaurant serving quality European cuisine in an elegant environment…read more Anchovies (15 GBP) - I started off with the anchovies, which I also paired with the break and butter (4.50 GBP). The anchovies were decent and not overly salty, although definitely needed to go with the bread. 15 GBP for 5 anchovies does seem a bit pricey though. Cuttlefish ragu (22 GBP) - Pretty good although I couldn't really tell there was much cuttlefish in there. The ragu tasted lighter than usual with a lightly crunchy texture. The spaghetti was cooked well. Duck leg (32 GBP) - Very well cooked duck leg and the mashed potatoes on the side with the sauce was surprisingly delicious. The prunes had a strong alcoholic taste though which was a bit too bitter for me. Panna cotta (11 GBP) - The vanilla panna cotta had a nice creamy consistency and was paired well with the pear slice on the side. From afar, the restaurant looks like a very humble corner-of-the-block restaurant in a somewhat local area, but once you are inside, you can appreciate the minimalistic chic decor. There is a lively yet still intimate atmosphere inside. I would recommend getting a reservation at peak hours since the tables were all filled. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The service speed is also quick. Overall, I do think that the food was slightly overpriced for the portion sizes, however they were indeed good. Plus, with a nice environment and friendly staff, Brawn deserves at least a solid 4 stars.

    Such a cozy place. We enjoyed it very much…read more Charcuterie £20 - you can see how fatty those slices in the picture. I've seen pictures that looks like it's pure fat. It's rich and melt in your mouth. Pair great with our red wine that's slightly sweet but I would dare to get a second slice. Lucky 4 of us shared Oyster £4 each - small but very refreshing. Doesn't wow us but it's was good Baccala £12 - fish in a paste form with cheese cracker/cake on the side. It sounded weird but think of it like tuna salad on a salty cracker but a more sophisticated taste. A bit too salty tho Mozzarella £17 - the leafy greens on the sound was very interesting and gave the fish a new dimension. Very refreshing. Crab £18 - such a small portion. The crab has very mild taste so amongst all the salty dishes, this doesn't stand out that much. But you can taste the quality of the ingredients. Clams £17 - yummy. Cooked in a tomato-y sauce with some barley type of grains. Still on the more salty side but still manageable Angolotti £15 - small ravioli with meat stuff in the inside. Feels like a wonton soup to me but really really really salty. If it's not that salty, I think we would have loved it. Pappardelle £22 - typical ragu pasta dish. Tasty. Black pudding with squid £29 - star of the show. Absolutely delicious. Bit pricey for the portion tho. Lamb neck £32 - yummy yummy. Slightly pink on the inside. Our waitstaff was great but the wine guy was not helpful at all.

    Photos
    Brawn - Baccala

    Baccala

    Brawn - Oyster

    Oyster

    Brawn - Menu

    See all

    Menu

    Ottolenghi Spitalfields - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...