Ottolenghi Spitalfields in Tower Hamlets

Amazing food and atmosphere and the sumac margarita is do die for

Top notch food, service and ambiance.

Terrible restaurant. The service was inefficient: the waiter came to see us 10 times to ask us for information. The room is also horrible: super noisy, it was very hot and the tables are very close together. Let's talk about the dishes now: the quality/price ratio is mediocre. You pay 17 pounds for a very small dish with nothing to eat. A shame. Never seen a restaurant so bad in every way. Obviously I would never set foot in it again. It is also not suitable for children. The service is long.

Nice food, great waitress. Had fun.

Awesome delicious food treat yourself

The food is decent, but it doesn't quite have that "wow" factor. It's a suitable spot for lunch, but the prices seem a bit high considering what you receive in return.

Incredibly tasty food full of flavour. Unfortunately, we were let down by the cold & somewhat rude demeanour of our waitress, Karolina. From the time we sat down, we had to chase to get any attention. Waited ages until ultimately we had to flag her down to make our order. No water offered at the point of seating or throughout our meal, had to ask other waiters. Not once did she come to ask how our meal was or if we needed anything. When ordering dessert, she cut us short and walked away before I finished ordering. Her overall demeanour was simply unwelcoming and put a damper on what was a lovely meal but in a setting that left us feeling frustrated and slightly uncomfortable.

Went for the lunch menu - tried the lamb and two salads. Those were all really tasty and great and even though looks like small plates are very filling! However, I believe the price is way too high.

Having bought most of the Ottolenghi books, my wife and I have enjoyed cooking the recipes. We were eager to travel from Norwich to experience one of the Ottolenghi restaurants. We booked dinner at Spitalfields. As the waiter advised that the portions were not huge which turned out to be very true; we ordered one item from the nibbles section, a salad, a vegetable main and a fish main course ( moussaka and trout). I am sure my wife went hungry as she made sure I got the biggest share of each very small dish. However, the atmosphere was excellent, lively without being loud. The service was just right, professional, friendly and attentive. The food, as expected, delighted out tastebuds and there were several surprising elements. We adhere to a healthy Mediterranean diet so the food was a perfect match. The only negative would be that the portion sizes were very small and so, not great value for money in my opinion. We have a favourite vegetarian restaurant in Trouse (called River Green) on the outskirts of Norwich which is fantastic and much better value... Otherwise, a good experience. P.S. You may not realise it and think the plates in the pictures are normal 10 inch plates. They're not. I didn't measure them but they are around 6-7 inches. The toilets are lovely... BTW.🙂

Way too expensive for what you get.

Great place for lunch! Lovely setting, good service and great food!

A breakfast so delightful and attentive to detail, I think I might now have a crush on Mr. Ottolenghi.

Not as good for lunch as it is for brunch or dinner

Moussaka tasted divine! Waiter was very attentive. Food plates were to share between two. Slightly expensive but what you would expect for top chef food.

Great breakfast menu. Amazing shakshuka and good coffee. Big selection of pastry.

Every single dish was just amazing, I highly recommend if you are a foodie! The atmosphere and staff were great too

Been here a couple of times and it's always wonderful A+++

Amazing food, fantastic desserts! Absolutely recommended!

Amazing restaurant tucked away in an alley close to Spitalfield with delicious food that has a special flavour profile. Service was very friendly and attentive, the dessert selection is to die for.

Very tasty salads where you can mix any three from the menu for a fixed price. Good example of Mediterranean kitchen. Service is slow. Reservation might be needed even for a weekday lunch. Their to go shop worths a visit as well, just next door.

I've been on the look out to try this restaurant, it's been on my list for ages. A close friend of mine is visiting from the USA, have asked me to be in charge of dinner bookings while he's here, one of my other close friend is pescatarian and this restaurant seemed a perfect fit. Arrived solo 15 minutes before my booking, asked the maitre d' if our table was ready, which she replied it was and she would happily seat me - an odd comment struck me though, she asked if it's okay if she could start our timer (I am aware of the 2 hour table blocking), I replied politely if she could start it on time as I'm still waiting for my friends to arrive. I got ushered and seated, got handed the food and drinks menu and then she was off. 15 mins passed, no one has taken my drinks order, or offered water at least. The rest of the party arrived around the time, getting settled and chatted for a bit, browsed the menu for our potential orders etc. A good 30 minutes have passed before someone has actually approached us to offer water, the waiter apologised stating that he is sorry that he 'forgot' about us and how never explained the menu to us, but he did in the end (we didn't mind, we were happy to just order based on the menu description). Got our orders taken, and the waiter did tell us that the food will arrive staggered and in 'stages', we were okay with that and acknowledged it, then we went back to socialising. About 10 mins passed, 2 of our mains arrived (pork belly and trout), which I found odd because the we ordered 2 cold appetisers which he did mention will get served first but alas this was served in one go, 1 warm starter, prawn, and manti. Staggered food arrival sure, but it should make sense. Then we waited for, at least another 30 minutes, for the rest of orders to arrive (cold apps, and the rest of the mains), I ordered another glass of vignaverde, and got served with a totally different kind of white wine (I didn't make a fuss, it was lovely nonetheless). By the time we finished eating, we were only left with around 15 minutes till the our allotted 2 hour slot finished. We hoped for dessert, we were given the desserts menu but no one ever took our orders, by that time 3 separate personnel has (ironically) reminded us that our time was almost up, and if we wish to have desserts we can order on their bakery/desserts counter. We left disappointed. When the party left, none of the staff even acknowledged us, never mind. The incredibly poor service, for a very 'high end' restaurant left a bad taste in our mouth. The selection vegetarian options were okay. For the price point, I expected more when it comes to service, attentiveness, and portions. The restaurant decour itself was nothing special. I do not know if they were having an off day (Tuesday dinner), but I hope something changes. Would I recommend this restaurant to friends? Based on our experience alone, no. Would I ever come back? A reluctant yes, I'm always willing to try anything twice.

We were at the Ottolenghi Spitalfields for lunch, both opted for a lunch menu consisting of one warm component and two (cold) salads priced at 27£ for a vegetarian and 29£ for a meat option. A side of bread and olive oil was ca. 7£. We own some YO cookbooks and enjoy recreating his recipes at home& were therefore excited to dine here. The warm components were both delicious. Sadly, the salads, which make up ~2/3+ of the meal you’re paying for, were sort of lacking in flavour. Knowing the potential of YOs recipes since I have followed them myself, I was quite disappointed, and especially at this price point I expected more. Drinks were extremely pricey as well. We left with a 90£ bill for a small lunch (and I only had water). Nice to try out if you have the money to spare but otherwise would not recommend. This review applies to the lunch menu only. I have to mention that our server was very lovely, and food as well as drinks arrived swiftly.

Great choice of gorgeous food. Lovely staff. The largest of all the Ottolenghi restaurants.

V expensive but worth it. Unusual and delicious sharing dishes

Just another “Israeli” chef culturally appropriating Palestinian and Arabic food. Shameful.

Outstanding experience. I was for lunch by myself and was seated at the window with a view of the street. The food was brilliant and service very very friendly. I will definitely come back to try more of the fresh salads.

Food is beautiful, presented well and seasoned to perfection, although a little slow to prep.

Great food - lovely space. Poor service given that I was asked to cash out and leave despite not being given our last 3 dishes.

I wish I had ottolenghis shakshuka for blood so that I'd always have some ready

Simply delicious and a special taste experience - the service is top, very attentive and friendly

Was here in December '23, delicious lunch, rich and satisfying

Service was not in the best mood today 😅

Beautiful unique food, bakery and drinks. Lovely modern chill atmosphere. Excellent and friendly service. Easily our new favorite breakfast/lunch in London. Try especially the tofu scramble, chai almond milk tea, and the mocha. Incredible!

Delicious selection of takeaway cakes. Coffee/walnut, and apple/vanilla are great!

One of the best culinary experiences I've ever had! A delicious breakfast, in a clean and calm space. The freshness of the dishes and the ingredients that compose them makes you feel. Extra service, very caring for us, we will definitely come back 👍

Amazing atmosphere, came here for the first time for Valentine's and the food was absolutely phenomenal. I'm a very picky eater and my partner and I ordered 6 dishes and loved every single one of them. Highly recommend the Seabream and Pork belly -- these were incredible and I normally detest pork.

I ordered the lamb kebab and it was just two small pieces of lamb. The two accompanying salads were OK but the food was overpriced. Drinks were overpriced as well. Not recommended unless you enjoy tiny portions at a premium.

One of my breakfast spots is in Liverpool Street station. Their pastries are average great and consistent. Coffee is just okay. Service is friendly good.

I have had takeaway from their baked section and been to a different branch in Sloane Square so I can say food is tasty and fresh. However, Spitafields branch’a service I find extremely weird. I have tried 3 times to sit there with a ground of friends (total of 4 people) and despite 4-5 free tables I’m told that there’s no available seats. There’s no room for trying to accommodate guests, so I find the service not only weird but bad at the same time. Even if people have booked, I did find last time I was there a free table next to the window when I was told there’s nothing available and passed by an hour and a half later to see the exact same table still empty. It’s a shame because I love ottolenghi but this branch is just not the same as others I’ve been to…

I own many of Ottolenghi's cookbooks, so it had been a dream of mine for quite a few years now to try one of his restaurants. And I wasn't disappointed! The food was gorgeous. Absolutely delicious. Special mention for the baby aubergine and the celeriac. They were out of this world! The service was quick and very friendly. I also really appreciated how attentive they were to dietary restrictions and allergies. I have a lethal peanut allergy, so it was nice feeling so safe. I recommend 100%

Lovely breakfast! Scrambled Eggs cooked perfectly. Quite expensive but well worth every penny. Lovely holiday treat.

Good restaurant! Really cool to eat Ottolenghi’s food after cooking it so often at home. Also a really huge thank you to the waitress who checked twice with the kitchen if there were coriander leafs or seeds in each plates 🙏🙏 You made my diner perfect 👌

We had a really wonderful evening here. The service was incredible, and because we were sat at the bar we got to speak to Leo a lot who gave us brilliant wine recommendations and wonderful service throughout our meal. He was very thoughtful, and made our evening great! Would definitely recommend.

Are alone at the bar-quick bite. Friendly team delicious food!

In classic Ottolenghi style, the food was excellent: flavourful and well made. It took a bit long to be served, especially considering we ordered a selection of cold salads that were already made.

Had a fabulous lunchbhere today, and it was nearly all veggies!! Well, apart from 2 tiny lamb kebabs, which were awesome! The staff were excellent and friendly. The dishes were simple on one hand but complex in other ways. Overall, it was an excellent meal!

I actually went in here with fairly average expectations but ended up loving it. It's served tapas style with many small plates, we had 5 between 2 of us plus dessert which was just enough and each dish was fantastic. The atmosphere is nice and romantic, which for a date was great. It's not a small place, but it still felt cosy and wasn't loud at all like it can be at some places. No doubt we'll be looking to come here again. The only negative I would say is the prices, they are quite steep, even though they are great quality. It was fine for a nice dinner for 2, but any more it would start to get pretty pricey with wine. Also, please move the darn coat rack to a handier place!

Very interesting menu, had the chicken shawarma which I loved and wasn’t expecting how it came out. Presentation great, staff lovely too. One thing I like about the main course menu, it’s minimal yet perfect.

Delicious food but really let down by the very poor service. We were left with dirty plates on our table for 20+ minutes, waited ages to order and to pay as none of the waitresses seemed to be paying attention to what was going on.

Ottolenghi Spitafield really top! We hadn't booked, we managed to sit at the bar. Impeccable service, Pain au choccolat as it should be done, and that is with the chocolate bar inside. Very good, I'll be back!

My family and I went there on the 27th of December for Diner. It was my mother's only wish for her London trip to go eat at Ottolenghi as she is a big fan and own all the recipe books. All fine during diner (except the Lamb shawarma that was £17 for two pieces the size of a tea light!!!!), however, we ALL started to get sick, one after the others right after diner. It started with three of us at the restaurant just before leaving. I told the waitress who said who tell the manager, by the time we got home, we had all been sick (both ends depending of each person not to give all the details). I called back to let the restaurant manager (who had not been told from the waitress) know who said they will contact us back to check how we were the day after, and was told it was not them as an intoxication can be occurring up to 48h after a meal, so it was something we had had before (which would not be possible since two people in the group had just joined us).... Nobody called back, offered us a reimbursement, and barely gave apology. Very expensive meal for terrible quality!!!

Nice inventive menu which is great for vegetarians but it’s incredibly overpriced. Over £100 for 3 veggie dishes (one was a plate of hummus) and 1 small fish dish is too much. We also had a nice mocktail and margarita - good flavours. Nice staff

Everything was perfect but the cod was dry

Unforgettable Lunch, excellent food, creative drinks. Great atmosphere

Everything was perfect, excellent food, very friendly and attentive staff. Lovely atmosphere.

Excellent service. Superb unique deserts with perfect balance of ingredients. Excellent coffee. Superb ambience. Good prices. Excellent spot. Accommodating staff. A superb afternoon. Highly recommended.

Amazing food and once more I was positively impressed on the combination of ingredients. This was my second Ottolenghi visiting London.

Food was excellent. Large vegetarian selection. The chicken shawarma was excellent. The portion to price ratio was a bit much. Service was excellent - always there when you needed them but let you have your space as well.

Delicious. Service was exceptional.

Great coffee, friendly professional service. Nice food too. Can get very busy and noisy at lunch

The food was nice, depends on what you order. The portions were very small, so seemed a bit pricey for what they served. I heard great things, so I expected a bit more when it came to the overall experience. The atmosphere was nice, cosy. And the staff was kind.

Wonderful celebratory lunch here with friends. The food is super tasty, gorgeous vegetables in particular. Lovely cocktails too. And our server could not have been more friendly & helpful.

Wir waren während unseres London Aufenthalts dreimal dort: 1 Mal zum Dinner und zweimal zum Frühstück. Essen und Service sind einfach top. Die Atmosphäre im Restaurant ist auch sehr angenehm. Im integrierten Shop haben wir uns dann noch mit Mitbringsel eingedeckt. Wir kommen auf jeden Fall wieder 😊

Super friendly. Did have a meal here a while back but the most recent visit did not have space. Ended up taking away a few cakes and biscuits. Food as always is amazing and would always recommend :) JUST bear in mind it is very much more pricy.

Truly Lovely food! Service could've been a bit better so just the 4 stars

From walking in, to walking out after a delicious lunch, all the staff were welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. Definite place to visit again.

Good food and cocktails. Though, I left 4/5 stars for this reason: The service was not as good as i would expect, as you leave a lot of money in this place. Though as I observed, i think we were unlucky with the guy who served us, as he never came back until the end to ask us if we were okay with the food or if we wanted something else, and all the others were doing this. Also, we ordered the food and he said he recommends buying 5-6 courses as they are small, “fine-dining” plates. So we added what was attractive at a first look: the sweet potatoes thingy. We didn’t know that it had to come first as a starter. The bad thing is it didn’t come at all, and we told him that we also had the sweet potatoes and realised he forgot about that. He literally came back with them in one minute, as they were pre-made, we saw them on a counter in a big dish when we entered. The potatoes were cold, no particulare taste, on their own, and if they came with the starters or even with the main course it would have been great. First we were planning a dessert also but we were so disappointed about the potatoes at the end so we ordered the check and left. Honestly the 3 other plates were amazing but I’ve had better service in the kebab shop at the corner. So even if I love Ottolenghi’s style and recipes, wouldn’t come back.

I popped in as a London tourist that enjoys books by Ottolenghi. I ordered an almond croissant as takeaway. Wowowow!! That croissant was doing something totally new I hadn't seen before. The croissant was a huge portion, stuffed with delicious almond paste but what blew me away was the croissant texture. This isn't your typical flakey, laminated croissant due to the almond paste found inside but what made it so good was that the croissant still had a light crunch with the almond paste inside. It wasnt the type of crunch where the croissant was overcooked and almost painful (mouthfeel). This was a light, flakey crunch with just the slightest hint of salt to offset the almond paste's sweetness. I found the texture and flavor offsets on this croissant as so special to behold. Thank you for the lovely meal!

It was a great evening. We didn't have reservations but the host could accommodate us. The food was really wonderful.. top notch flavors, great staff!

I've been loving Ottolenghi through his recipe book, Plenty. We are cooking mainly plant-based now and he has so many interesting preparations of vegetables with unusual spicing and combinations a flavors and textures. I both follow the recipes and use them as an outline for inspiration. It was a treat to dine here and take in so many great small plates done as the chef intended. This is not high-end or fine dining, it's just very unpretentious, imaginative, interesting, flavorful, and fun dining. I highly recommend it. And I knew nothing about the deli and bakery offerings which are incredible and a temptation to buy everything in the shop.

Amazing and inventive dishes, I've never tasted anything that comes close to this. Delicious veggie options too, highly recommend!

Very good food and service..small bites for all and yummy cocktails.

I can’t help but feel somewhat underwhelmed after an evening’s dining. The table wasn’t ready at the booked time and service, although polite, was very slow. Once away from the crowded-out waiting area the restaurant had a good buzz. The food was decent, but hardly outstanding and I was expecting something more when little sharing plates are pitched at this level. With countless alternatives available I feel in no hurry to return.

This was a really special occasion for us - the food, the service, the atmosphere all helped create a memorable occasion. Thanks to Sourabh for elevating the experience for us!

Great food but dismal service at the price point. Orders taken, drinks not delivered, requests made and no delivered. Go for a nice meal but expect it to take twice as long and only get what you ordered after following up three times.

Great food, loved the 'salads' that come with the mains

They have amazing porridge! Perfect texture and the mix of fresh plums with toasted almonds and jam was brilliant! I also had the fresh mint tea, which was a nice touch. I sat at the bar and the waiter was super-friendly too. I’ll come here again.

Just wanted to say how lovely the service was. I didn’t get the names of any of the waiting staff (I think I was helped by someone named Sergio at one point) but everyone was lovely, and very accommodating x

Excellent. The food was wonderful, salads, no ordinary salads! Well presented. Staff were attentive but you were not rushed and the restaurant was not noisy. All in all, I would highly recommend Ottolenghi.

Fantastic share type food with a strong vegetarian bias but with meat protein for those that insist...

Lovely deserts, very friendly and helpful staff.

A bit on pricey side but good interesting dishes

Fantastic meal in a friendly atmosphere. Menu a bit restricted for a regular visit but all the food we had was great. Only downside is the wine is ridiculously expensive.

Lovely food and venue. The staff is friendly, polite and very professional. A bit pricey, but it's a nice treat once in a while. Will definitely return!

We called 15 mins ahead to ask if they had a table, they were fully booked but said if we were happy to sit in the window we could come. We weren’t expecting too much but when we arrived it was a beautiful table between the deli and restaurant. The staff were so accommodating, and the food is some of the best I’ve had all year. Simple, flavourful, with a gorgeous variety for our party. I love that you can go and check out your desserts ahead of ordering, as well as browse the deli for all sorts of wonders. We grabbed 2 cakes and a pot of zatar at the deli, where one of the team even notice I was pregnant and wished me congratulations. These little moments mean an awful lot- so personal. A wonderful experience- we can’t wait to come back soon.

Slow service. Loud and not ideal if looking for a quiet meal. Good food but more hype than substance.

I have been here a few times. I love it every time. The food is always beautiful and the staff are excellent. I will be back again.

Lovely restaurant in the heart of Liverpool Street in Spitalfields. Looks very cosy from the outside but large and spacious once you go in. As you enter, you can see the delicious cafe, filled with salads, cakes and home made jams and other goodies. There’s a nice vibe and crowed but too noisy and you have to shout at your companion diners. I’ve ordered the sea bream which came with a nice yogurt type paste, crunchy skin and smooth meaty texture - exactly like I would cook it at home. It was accompanied by a mix of 4 salads - chargrilled broccoli was too hard and could barely bite into it but had a nice taste, delicious roasted beetroots with hazelnuts but could not taste the Gorgonzola cheese; aubergine with grain and pomegranates - the aubergine didn’t really have a flavour but it wasn’t bad either; turmeric roasted cauliflower - very delicious. We were too full for dessert. I enjoyed the food even if it was a bit of a miss with flavours for some dishes.

Stopped for drinks. Food looked excellent but didn't try this time

Perfect food, perfect atmosphere. Joy!

Great service, beautiful space but food was super average, i was expecting more for the price :( cocktails were nice though.

Cibo davvero impeccabile: Federica super brava a consigliare i dolci e Sergio i vini. Assolutamente ottimo rapporto qualità prezzo.

Delicious light bites, buzzy atmosphere & attentive staff. Would definitely visit again.

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.

Had a lovely dinner - the mushroom and bulgur dish was standout for me but would recommend almost anything from the menu.

Food is a solid 10/10. Service could be a little faster and we got our drinks after the first dish was served.

Fantastic food, the Barkeeper really knows what he is doing. Only down side is the rough neighborhood ...

Great place for breakfast at the counter

Love coming for breakfast here. Welsh rarebit is always delicious and of course the cake and salads display is delightful.

Place was very busy Staff were nice but the food not for nev