Ottolenghi Spitalfields, Mediterranean restaurant in Spitalfields, London.
Ottolenghi Spitalfields is a restaurant and deli counter in the Spitalfields area of East London. The space is bright and open, with communal tables arranged around a long counter where prepared salads, roasted dishes, and pastries are displayed throughout the day.
Spitalfields has been a market district since the 17th century, shaped over time by waves of new communities settling in East London. The Ottolenghi group opened its first London location in Notting Hill in 2002 and later expanded to this site in the heart of the old market area.
The food here draws on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, with fresh herbs, roasted vegetables, and grains visible at the counter throughout the day. Visitors often choose dishes by looking at what is on display rather than reading a menu.
The restaurant serves from breakfast through to dinner, and the deli counter is open during the same hours for takeaway orders. For a table at peak times, booking ahead is worth doing, though walk-ins at the counter are usually possible.
The Ottolenghi format of combining a sit-down restaurant with an open deli counter was unusual in London when the first location opened in 2002. Many of the vegetable-forward dishes that are now common in London restaurants were first introduced to a wide audience through this group.
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