Ottolenghi

Islington

The original restaurant from the Jerusalem-born chef still attracts huge crowds from breakfast to suppe.

With his restaurant, delis and excellent cookbooks, Yotam Ottolenghi introduced once-exotic ingredients from the Middle East to our store cupboards, turning za’atar, freekeh and sumac into (almost) household staples. His recipes have become the default option for those seeking to impress at a dinner party, and he has transformed the British culinary landscape with innovative ways of cooking with vegetables – just note the queues for the takeaway salads at any of his venues come lunchtime.

After leaving a career in Israel as an academic and journalist behind, Ottolenghi cut his teeth on the pastry section at The Capital, London, in 1997, before meeting fellow chef Sami Tamimi, who he would come to open the rst Ottolenghi with in 2002. Serving a riff on the Levantine way of eating – simple but inventive combinations to share – success of this Upper Street eatery was immediate, and three more branches (in Notting Hill, Belgravia and Spital elds) followed, plus the slightly sleeker Nopi in Soho. However, the agship branch of the burgeoning Ottolenghi empire has timeless appeal and still draws queues of locals and tourists alike. The all-white interior and counters laden with salads featuring pomegranate seeds, za’atar chickpeas, roasted grapes or tahini dressing, aky cheese straws, and towers of oversized fruit meringues still impress. Breakfasts here are synonymous with good-time weekends: plump cinnamon brioche pretzels, traditional shakshuka served with labneh and grilled focaccia, while toasters placed on communal tables alongside pots of homemade spreads cry out for one of the generous bread boards. Come evening (when reservations are taken), fusion sharing plates take hold in the bustling candlelit restaurant – expect the likes of dukkah-crusted mackerel with burnt aubergine yoghurt, beetroot and spiced mash, and roasted pork belly with mango, pickled ginger, kohlrabi and cashews. Of course, Ottolenghi’s name cannot be uttered without at least a mention of cake – the tempting array in the window is a shining beacon for those with a sweet tooth. While you can’t go far wrong with any of the daily-changing bakes, the passion fruit meringue tart and on-point cheesecakes will leave you to spend the rest of your days as an addict.