It might be wise to make a reservation, but we did not. Eric R. had picked most of our meals in London and said, "This is your chance - what is the one meal you want?" I figured we ought to go to an Ottolenghi restaurant, and off we went to NOPI. We sat at the dining bar on the main level, and had an excellent bartender/server in Wojtek. He had a great sense of humor, was patient, and described the food when we asked about it. I started with an iced tea, but as that is not the norm in this part of the world, it was more like a mocktail with a splash of hot tea and something else. He made two for one and gave one to Eric R. He suggested we share four to five dishes. Our first dish was the roasted eggplant with almond yogurt and chilies. It was served cold and was absolutely delicious! We also received complimentary bread with very delicious olive oil. Our next dish was the mutton schwarma which had a lot of delicious scallions (my favorite veggie!) plus watermelon and pita. We also got the burrata with coriander seed and apricot, and the crispy trout marinated with koji with labneh and radish, topped with yuzu kosho. We ended up having the strawberry mess for dessert, our first version of the eton mess we had ever had. It was quite delicious with meringue, whipped cream, strawberries, and sorbet. Eric R. finished with a pot of jasmine tea. We loved the ambiance, the food, and the service. I would highly recommend coming here! The downstairs section has communal tables. Also, visit the restroom here - the bathroom is like a magical mirrored trippy-ville! read more

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A disappointment. At the outset you are informed that you have the table for 2 hours, although we were rushed from the moment we got to the table. I didn't even have my jacket off before the server asked if we wanted to order drinks. I said that I didn't have a chance to look at the menu so we needed a couple of minutes. Literally 2 minutes later the server reappeared asking for our drink order. Trying to subtly slow things down, I explained that we were going to order our drinks and some snacks and look through the rest of the menu. Before our drinks arrived we were asked what else we wanted to order. Of course, the drinks, appetizers, and first part of the main meal all arrived at the same time. At this point, I said that they need to slow things way down-- but by that point we had maybe 80% of our order on the table and we hadn't even been in there for 25 minutes. Easily some of the worst service I've had anywhere at this price point. To NOPI's credit, the food was good but it was a shame we couldn't really enjoy it. read more

I love this restaurant. Plan at least 2 visits every time I go to London. The food is original exceptional always surprising. Have never been disappointed with a dish. My favorite London restaurant read more

Interesting dishes. I own Otto Lenghi's Plenty cookbook so was great to go to one of his actual restaurants and try his food! Everything I tried was super inventive and interesting and I like how he uses different not so familiar spices and flavors. I ordered a couple small plates and a main entree thinking that a small vegetable dish like "eggplant" was not gonna leave me satisfied but because there's lots of flavors being used I actually get full rather quickly. I also had the goat which was quite nice and a cabbage dish with dried shrimp that was also quite interesting. Open, modern and culinary ambience. Waiter was helpful in us trying to make a decision. read more

NOPI - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

We visited London for 3 days and couldn't book online a table for dinner, so we had to book at lunch instead. Every single dish we ordered tasted delicious. They were flavorful, unique and satisfying. If you are asians and eat tasty food all your life, you'd definitely love his food. The two most memorable dishes would be the cauliflower and the pork belly. My sister also lives her Cod fish dish. The best meal we had in our entire trip in Europe. Its restroom is so beautiful, way better than those from 5 stars hotel. We had such a great experience here that we also went to Rovi (another restaurant of Ottolenghi). Different experience and not memorable like Nopi. read more

NOPI - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

Gorgeous decor with a classy and relaxed feel. Bookings are a must and even with a booking I believe we still waited almost 10 minutes for a table to be ready. We opted for a variety of small plates and enjoyed them all. Normally, when ordering a variety of small plates the waiter asks how you would like the plates timing wise. Or they just evenly space it out with the heavier courses closer to the end. Unfortunately, we received all of our dishes at once which was a visual delight but was not optimal. Unless you want to inhale your food, the dishes get a bit cold as you nibble through. The twice cooked chicken was moist and flavourful with a lovely crisp skin. The courgette fritters were fragrant with herbs but but were a tad soggy. Polenta chips = yum, fluffy pillows fried to a crisp. read more

One of the best and coolest dining experiences I've ever had. Food was DELICIOUS. My friend and I split: (1) pork belly with delica pumpkin, apple and walnut salsa, (2) the achar green beans, char-grilled okra, hispi cabbage & roasted peanuts and (3) the truffle polenta chips (aka fries) with parmesan, served with aioli. All of these dishes were impeccable - very fresh and satisfying. Inside of the restaurant is BEAUTIFUL - felt like I was transported to the Mediterranean. A very cool and calm vibe with a hint of edge. Incredibly friendly and attentive staff that made for a great experience. Can't wait to go again. read more

NOPI - FRONT: Pork belly with delica pumpkin, apple and walnut salsa * BACK: Achar green beans, char-grilled okra, hispi cabbage & roasted peanuts - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

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Tried to cancel a reservation for five the morning ahead of our afternoon reservation but they are strict with their 24hr £25/person charge even though I am positive they filled the spot considering London is PACKED. Not cool. read more

Delicious tapas style restaurant, with flavorful food. I have a honey allergy, and was given a special menu to accommodate that. We enjoyed our drinks and meal. I recommend that you book a table before dining here, as this is a popular restaurant and fills up quickly . read more

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This was very good. We got: - Olives - Onion dip - Smoked beef - Burrata - Butternut squash - Fritters - Octopus The highlights for me were the burrata, beef, and octopus. (I'm always scared when I get octopus, but it's always so good.) The only thing I really wasn't crazy about were the fritters, which had a sour cream and/or goat cheese-type cream as part of the filling, and that's generally not my favorite. But everything else was great, and I would definitely recommend going here. read more

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solid five stars! many small plates which is great for sampling. I was with a vegetarian and never felt like there wasn't enough meat protein. everything was fantastic. standouts were: burrata with peaches, octopus, courgette fritters and the chickpea pancake. service was really nice, friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about the menu. good value too, even though it's a pricey restaurant. I can't wait to return read more

10/10 recommend! Good cocktails to have as an aperitif. The NOPI Negroni was very good. The starters are great for sharing with really creative and delicious versions of some classic Greek/Mediterranean dishes. The offers dedicated gluten free menu and The main dishes were the absolute highlight. The grilled sea bass came with red curry paste, cucumber sambal and pineapple - a very unique Thai twist that worked out brilliantly. For dessert I had a key lime pie which I can definitely recommend too! - the added perk: all of my dishes were gluten free and they had provided a gluten free menu - just be aware that they make everything in an open kitchen. The waitress said that they try very hard to be careful but obviously can't guarantee anything. read more

NOPI is ridiculously good and is a must-stop for anyone traveling in London. I came here for brunch, and simply had one of the most well-prepared and comforting meals in my life. For brunch, we ordered: - Shakshuka (braised eggs, piquante tomato sauce, smoked labneh). Perfectly seasoned and cooked. I've eaten a lot of this dish before, and this had to be in my top 2. - Black rice, coconut milk, banana, mango. Not overly sweet and well balanced. Would have loved some more mango in the dish, but can't complain too much. - Hot Chocolate. Velvety goodness. - Bacon with honey. After eating so much British "bacon" for the past few days, you cannot imagine how delicious real bacon was. One of the best things about NOPI is that it has earlier opening hours than other similar places, so for those of you who have to travel in the morning, I definitely recommend dropping by this place. Just don't forget to make a reservation - you won't regret it! read more

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My fiancée booked us in for lunch because we had to go to at least one Ottolenghi restaurant while we are in London. It did not disappoint. We started with the bread board - a spicy corn bread type, and sour dough for the spice averse bookend this, but the star was the eggplant spread. We then went over to shared dishes - my favorite was the cauliflower and green bean fritters; I also tried their beets (ground up with goat cheese), and the sirloin (which, surprisingly, had a really good salad accompanying) For dessert, they make an incredible hot chocolate. The poached pears and the hazelnut meringue got high marks. The bathrooms were also a surprise. It's rare that restrooms get much thought, but these ones did. They are worth a visit. read more

Unfortunately they must have been having a bad night. Upon seating us we were told we had our table For 2 hours. When our drinks game out at 20 minutes and our first of 3 appetizers at 40 minutes I was thinking, there's no way we are going to complete 2 more appetizers a main and dessert in the next 1.2 hrs. Sure enough the main course came out while all the appetizers were on the table (small table for 2) and there was no room so our server took the fish back and re delivered it later cold and soggy. They brought a fresh one but the manager came over to tell us she would add 15 minutes to the table. I've eaten at some pretty high end places in New York City, San Francisco and Chicago. I've never felt like I had a clock ticking at my table anywhere else. I decided that since we were ordering g dessert I'd ignore the time table. We went over the 2 hours because the bill came with my fish main course on the bill twice. Fish was over salted and the other main that was the eggplant casserole was over salted as well. Sad experience since we were excited to eat a Ottolenghi's famed restaurant. I have his cookbooks and will stick to cooking his dishes at home. read more

Was beyond excited to try NOPI as I'm obsessed with the ottolenghi cookbooks. I sat at the bar as I was dining solo on a business. The bar tender was super friendly and didn't make it awk at all like sim do with a solo diner. I asked him for a few suggestions on popular dishes as well as how many to order. I chose the roasted aubergine with labneh and pistachio, rainbow trout, and a side of the potatoes. All of the dishes were awesome, really don't have any complaints at all. Was very satisfied after the 3 dishes and 2 pieces of bread and olive oil. Could have eaten more since it was so good, but didn't want to be too full. Only wish was that there were a few dips on the menu such as a hummus or babbaganoush. read more

As a caveat, I went here because I have his books so my expectations were high. So overall the food was good but I kept anchoring it on the things I made from the book and many other people have. It is obviously an unfair comparison because if you know how to somewhat cook, you're likelier going to suit to your tastes. The vegetables you get are likelier to be better (i.e. from a local farmer and not from a large supplier, etc).. So my rating is 4.5 stars Trying to distangle that, I think that the food is well prepared. I only ordered vegatarian things not because I am but because I have in my head that he has made a name in this area... In a nutshell, warm stuff is way better than the cold items. The cold items are prepared well in advanced and is set in a buffet like table. The warm items are pretty good. I would recommend the cheese cake dish, the falafel and the basic chips. Didnt like the crudite and the burrata. read more

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I came to NOPI without knowing what to expect because I had never heard of Ottelenghi in the United States. My experience in London fine dining has been nothing short of spectacular. We ordered from the nibbles menu "Mixed seed lavosh, burnt spring onion dip," from the vegetables menu "Burrata, loquats, verjus, coriander seeds," and "Chargrilled Everleigh farm asparagus, miso tahini, poppy seeds." As a main, we shared "Chickpea pancake, spiced peas, tomato, picked chili, yuzu." All of the food was finely prepared and beautifully presented. I prefer sweet wines over dry, and could not find one that suited my palate. The waitress, Tes, asked if "everything was good," and I expressed my wish for a sweeter wine. I have yet to find a Riesling in London. Tes was extremely patient with me (and I tried really hard not to test it, as I felt like I was too fussy already). She brought two sample glasses of what she thought were sweeter white wines. While those didn't satisfy me either, I expressed my gratitude to her (and here) and via the Ottelenghi info/contact e-mail address. Clearly, the staff are trained to cater to any customer's discriminating palate. I would return to NOPI or his eponymous restaurants any day I am in London. Don't miss out on this exquisite dining experience! read more

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Love love loved this place. Went here back in January 2017 in London with my boyfriend for one of our date nights. I made a reservation the day of on a Thursday night for 6PM online without a problem. I heard of this restaurant because a friend in New York had Ottolenghi's cookbook and cooked something for us. I loved what she cooked so had to try the restaurant in London. Best decision ever! We ordered 1 main dish and a few sides. The main was the confit duck leg and the sides were the twice-cooked baby chicken, Valdeon cheesecake, and the venison w/ peanuts & blackberries. The cheesecake was by far my favourite dish. I could have eaten a whole one for myself!! All of the dishes were bursting in flavour! The venison was incredible! There was a perfect balance of flavours with the sauce, the peanuts, and blackberries. The lemon myrtle salt with the also made the dish wonderful. Lastly, the duck was also just the perfect way to end the meal. We were too stuffed to get dessert! The service was great! The atmosphere was wonderful as well. I would highly recommend this and would definitely return again! read more

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My dining companion and I had a late dinner here on a trip to London first week in July and, while a few of the dishes were quite yummy, NOPI is going to be a NOPE next trip. Overall, the experience was disappointing. Too bad as we're big Ottolenghi fans. The main problem was the service. While not rude, it was not particularly friendly and was also extremely disorganized. My companion and I definitely felt like we were falling between the cracks. We arrived on time for our 9:15 PM reservation. Our table was not ready which was, in itself, not a big deal. We were given menus and directed over to the bar to wait, next to a little ledge where there was a tiny saucer with about 3-4 nuts sitting in it which looked to have belonged to a previous party. No one took the saucer away so we had to stare at it while we waited. A pleasant enough server asked if we wanted drinks (we didn't). We continued to wait and, not long after, another server who seemed like he might be a manager (he was wearing light blue while the other servers wore black) asked if we wanted drinks - we declined again (but were starting to feel a bit "upsold") and he told us our table would be ready soon. When we were seated - about 7 minutes later - a third (male) server escorted us to our table, carrying over that little saucer of nuts, put it on the table next to us and scurried away to fetch us water. We had to wait ANOTHER five minutes before he returned with the water and asked us for a third time if we wanted drinks. Then - and this was weird - we told him that the nuts he had put on the table weren't ours and that we didn't want those added onto our bill and also just didn't want them on our table. He seemed to not understand us, assuring us they were complimentary and for at the bar while we were waiting. We corrected him, reiterating that the nuts had not belonged to us in the first place so we did not particularly want leftover nuts belonging to a previous and unknown party sitting on our table while ate. This did raise the question though of why we had never been given our OWN nuts while we waited - or was this because we didn't order a drink? He went over the menu with us, informing us that we should order at least 4 to 6 dishes if there were two of us. He left again. We'd already decided on 5 and then were planning for a dessert. He came back, after another wait. We ordered, he went away. After another minute or so, the "manager in light blue" came up to our table to take our order (AGAIN!), recommending we order between 6-8 dishes! Felt like more upselling and also gave us the message that the staff seemed really unorganized. Why didn't he not know that the other server had already taken our order? We told him we'd already ordered and he went away. The first 3 dishes came in fairly decent time. We finished and, after a while, another (female) server, not particularly friendly and a bit impatient, asked us if we were done and whisked away the empty dishes. Then we had a wait for a while before our next two dishes (cod and potatoes) arrived. They arrived. It was plenty of food. My companion and I were stuffed from the five dishes and were really glad we had not ordered either 6 or 8 as recommended. FOOD: For our first three dishes, we we got corn fritters, char-siu cauliflower and buratta. All were very tasty, although none were revelatory - and I expect revelatory from $$$ Ottolenghi. They also might have provided a little bit of bread along with the buratta, but no - need to pay extra for that! The cod was really good and the potatoes were hot and crispy, if a bit oily and not super flavorful. We were fairly, but not ecstatically, happy with the food and agree with other reviewers that it was a bit overpriced. AMBIENCE: While we are used to loud restaurants, it was unusually loud in NOPI that evening. Seemed like there was live music playing either next door or above us. read more

WOW. Just wow. One of the best meals that I've had in a long time. Made a reservation for downstairs. Downstairs includes public group seating and you'll be seated next to strangers. You also have a view of the kitchen. Met some folks traveling from Germany and we had a great conversation. NOPI's menu changes on a regular basis. I ordered the charred hispi cabbage, the Korean inspired sirloin, and the pineapple with coconut ice cream for dessert. The waiter recommended the banana and cardamom cocktail. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Eat here as soon as you can! You won't regret it! read more

NOPI - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

Fantastic service and very accommodating to allergies! Beautiful decor inside and stylish, intimate ambiance. read more

NOPI - Pork Belly , Apple Purée , Pickled Cedro Lemon Icama , Smokey Jalapeño , Tomato Salsa - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

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This place is tasty and has fun variations on dishes. I feel it's a bit pricey for what the dishes are. However they are very unique if you haven't had any ottolenghi restaurants. If you have, well it's a bit boring as it's a lot of the similar dishes reimagined. read more

Oh no, NOPI!! We were sooooo excited for a visit to NOPI. I have cooked from each of the Ottolenghi cookbooks extensively and just love the food. It is always so surprising how well certain combinations work, how easy it is to prepare a wonderful feast with a healthy array of great ingredients. In this case, I think we may just have picked the wrong restaurant to visit. If you are looking for the flagship Ottolenghi experience, it is my sense that this one just isn't it. If like me you looked at the menu online and thought: oh, full bar with extensive cocktail list, puddings menu, etc. this must be the one, it just isn't. Most of the dishes are cold preparations or really simply prepared meals without the pizzazz of the Ottolenghi touch. We were so disappointed by the menu altogether, and afterwards, as we lamented our culinary downer in our hotel, we looked again at the other menus. The Spitalfields location appears to be the one doing the larger, more interesting composed dishes. Take a look at that menu - I think we would have been happier had we gone there. To be frank, dishes like the jicama were really just jicama and salsa on a plate. Not even artfully presented. The burrata was nice, but the accompaniments were too simple to be anything particularly revelatory; the other location seems to present it more artfully. We were told that dishes like the polenta chips were very rich. They weren't. They were just chips with a mayonnaise on the side. Again, nothing artful about it. Our poor server was running around like mad: they need FAR more staff here not to make this a slow experience. She was a whirling dervish and did a great job keeping up, but when you are paying $200 for very basic small plates, you shouldn't have to admire the stamina of your server. Cocktails were nice. Desserts were so very humdrum that we didn't even bother. So, in sum, go to one of the bakeries for breakfast or look at the Spitalfields location for Ottolenghi love if you are in London. This one seemed to be an elevated version, but alas, it really fell flat. read more

So glad my friend recommended we go here and booked this for us. I had the best sea bass I've ever had in my life here. Ottolenghi is truly an artist and I love the flavors and ingredients he pairs. Mediterranean / middle eastern influence. We sat at communal tables downstairs downstairs with strangers which made it a social dining experience. Our waiter also suggested an orange wine to pair with the sea bass which was literally mind blowing when consumed together. Also started with the polenta chips which were amazing. Such a memorable experience because it was so incredibly delicious. Would absolutely recommend. read more

This place rockets to the top of my favourite places to eat in London, and I don't say that lightly. We went here last night for my boyfriend's birthday, and had an unbelievable night. I booked online and went for the upstairs sitting, where you get individual tables, as opposed to the big shared benches downstairs next to the kitchen. Both lovely, just different in atmosphere. When you walk in, it's immediately a nice place to be. A white and yellow colour scheme with natural light makes it feel airy and spacious. Gold finishings add to this, with marble flooring and LOADS of space between seats. The best place to sit is the first table of two, at the back of the restaurant on the right hand side.The bathrooms are a mirrored headtrip too, totally disorientating and a load of fun. So, we sit, we order a pineapple & sage martini (which has a somewhat spicy kick to it) and a rum &pistachio cocktail. We're not rushed, the drinks are delicious, and we admire our surroundings. We're brought a complimentary plate of hummus with aubergine and bread with olive oil. Simple, but delicious. The oil was super green, the hummus absolutely perfect. Our waitress was attentive but not pushy, knew the menu inside out and indulged all of our questions. We went for roast asparagus with a smoky tomato sauce and broccolini with lemon mash from the vegetable selection. They recommend three dishes per person, and I'd agree. I love simplicity, and the menu here is divided into three sections.One from each. Easy. Anyway. You know you're somewhere special when a chef manages to make vegetables that tasty. Both dishes were stunning. I've never tasted anything like that lemon mash. From the fish selection we had the mackerel with red lentils (yum) and prawns (huge and meaty, but with delicate flavour). For meat we had beef sirloin (obviously) and twice-baked chicken, which deserves a special mention for being juicy and tender. The wine list is equally eclectic, divided into sections such as 'off the beaten track', from which we chose a beautiful Italian red. We chatted to our waitress while we switched out an initial crab dish for the prawns, since it wasn't to our taste. She replaced it without fuss, and we weren't charged. My other half asked to keep a menu (since they're printed with the date and it was a nice keepsake for his birthday). Then when our deserts came out, there was a candle a piped chocolate birthday message on his. A lovely touch, and something we didn't even ask for. For me, the desert was the star of the show. I recently had the best ice cream I've ever tasted at da Polpo, so my bar is high, but I have to say that the pineapple galette with coconut ice cream at Nopi was phenomenal. It was divine. We also had the coffee pecan financiers with maple cream. Both dishes were made fresh and were hot from the oven. Sure it's pricey here (we paid £125 including service), but, you get what you pay for. The experience is fantastic and well worth EVERY penny. read more

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I can't believe that I'm about to say that I was disappointed in NOPI, but I was. Considering how complex and intimidating Ottolenghi's cookbooks are, I was just expecting a little bit more from him. The food wasn't bad, as Yelp suggests for three stars, it was A-OK. I found that the courgette fritters were way too aggressively seasoned. They were super salty. We also had the burrata, which was actually my favorite. It's hard to screw up a big blob of cheese. It was accented with coriander seeds, which were great for taste and texture, and blood orange helped cut through the creaminess of the cheese. For my main, I had a roasted eggplant dish and a side of the lentils. The eggplant was actually quite good, but the lentils were almost inedibly salted. Adam had the baby chicken, which he seemed to like a lot. We finished with a dessert that was like an apple crumble with a celery gelato. This is maybe where my expectations were crushed most. I have had celery flavored gelato and ice cream before, and this just really didn't pack a lot of the flavor we were hoping for. Considering the price, I'm not sure that we'd make a repeat visit to NOPI. read more

One of my best friends just got dubbed Elite. So I gave her a restaurant challenge for my Birthday. Obviously, she used Yelp, and took me to NOPI. It was amazing, and you should go too. My mother is a MASSIVE fan of Ottolenghi, and has been experimenting from his Jerusalem book for the past 3 years. My mum is an amazing cook so I was really excited about this. The venue is a great representation of the food you will be served: simple, but tasteful and original. You feel that you are in a nice place, but didn't have an over-the-top feel to it - you feel welcome. The menu is divided into 3 main sections: - Nibbles - Mains - Sharing My friend and I having similar culinary tastes, we decided to go for a mix of dishes from the Nibbles and Sharing, and we went for: - Vegetables with avocado: as simple as it gets, but with amazing seasoning that just brings out the flavour of amazing products. Just make sure you like radish and baby carrots. - Prosciutto: good prosciutto doesn't need much. It was perfect - Burrata: With grilled coriander. Oh. My - Aubergine with yoghurt - Pork Shoulder Croquette: SO TENDER AND TASTY - Scallops May I also recommend the Vitovska wine? It is an orange wine that goes really well with the sharing platter. I would say that we ordered the perfect amount of food to feel full but not stuffed. The products used are incredibly tasty and fresh, and with flavours you wouldn't usually be used to - which turns the whole meal into a great culinary experience. When can we go back? read more

NOPI - - Sourdough with olive oil (complimentary) - Pio Tosini Prosciutto,beer piquillo - Vegetable crudités, avocado - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

I was very excited to check out Nopi, afterall Ottolenghi in Islington remains one of my favourite restaurants. Nopi continues with the small plate theme---lots of excellent tapas-sized dishes to choose from. The standouts (see pics) included the grilled sea bream, braised pig cheek (I wish we ordered 2 of this, it was fall off your fork tender) and the goat cheese/asparagus starter. For dessert be sure get an espresso martini and the freshly baked financiers. I recommend eating in the sightly more informal downstairs dining room, which consists of 2 very large common tables right in the middle of the pantry. You get to hear (and possibly) see the chefs hard at work in the open kitchen, and also get a chance to interact with other diners. And do check out the toilets...the mirrors are a total trip. Service was excellent---prompt, polite, and oh so knowledgeable about the menu. Our waitress also allowed us to sample a few wines before selecting a bottle. She also went out of her way to accomodate my friend's allergies. Only downside...it's ridiculously expensive for what you get...try 8 quid for a small plate of broccolini! Be sure to bring that expense account! read more

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I've heard a lot of buzz about this restaurant and was so excited to finally try it. As a party of 4 for lunch, we were a bit early for our reservation and was able to be seated. Nice plus for a very hard to get reservations for dining upstairs! The dining room is sleek, white, and modern. It's a very comfortable dining area. My reason for knocking off a star is because of our service that we had received. Our server seemed a bit put off because we were not ordering any cocktails with our lunch. Prejudging by a server can lead to a not so great dining experience, my friends and I love to eat, also being a restaurant owner I tend to see a bit more than other customers do. A separate check request was given a disapproving attitude. After that we had to request more olive oil for our bread, more still water, dessert from another server and our food bill. The food was outstanding! The valdeón cheesecake, crispy potatoes with truffle oil, and pork chop with Spring vegetables. No complaints about the quality of food. I wish we had a better service experience to make me want to return on my next visit to London, but there's too many other great restaurants to try. My friends were here the day before almost ordering the same items they ate the time before. That tells me how much they enjoyed the food, they actually complained about the service to management. Too bad- we would've ordered dessert. read more

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Great restaurant and not overly pretentious. I really enjoyed NOPI, though I wouldn't classify it as one of my top-10 meals ever (as some of my friends had said). Before getting to the food, some things I liked were the service and atmosphere. The service was not at all stuffy and quite helpful. In fact, I was about to try a bottle of "orange wine" and the waitress was very concerned because I had not tried it before. She ended up encouraging us to try it first and after we did went with a more traditional red, she saved us from a bad wine experience. The ambience was also neat and modern without being too faux trendy, which is what you often get in London. My friend and I had a collection of small plates, which ranged from good to great. The burrata with blood orange and honey was great, ample portion of burrata and the blood orange complimented it well. The courgette and manouri fritters were good but not as awesome as they sounded, tasted like deep fried fritters. The cuttlefish was very good. Sea Bream with rasam and potatoes also very good with a nice texture. Possibly my favorite dish was twice cooked baby chicken, which we almost did not order. The pork belly was also fantastic, with crackling done perfectly. Finally, the venison, which was served in a pastry shell, was very good but not as classic as the other two meat dished. read more

The restaurant had a nice feel, cozy and contemporary. There is also a downstairs area with two chef's-style tables next to an open kitchen, which I assume are for private reservations. The waitstaff were very pleasant and attentive. We ordered the Shakshuka w/ braised eggs and smoked labneh and the corn & polenta cakes with fried egg and avocado salsa. Both dishes were cooked brilliantly and the freshness of the ingredients shined through. Having had a fair share of shakshukas, this one ranks high with the addition of smoked labneh that brings a great flavor punch to the large tomato and golden egg combo. The toast with slightly burnt edges adds a nice depth. The corn cakes were also well balanced with great textures from the whole sweet corn mixed into the cake and the avocado salsa brings a nice creamy, citrus finish. Combine it all together with the mixed greens and the flavor profile was worth the visit! read more

NOPI - Corn & Polenta Cakes w/ Fried Egg - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

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Very delicious place with great service! The savory cheesecake is the best thing on the menu so make sure to order it!! also great atmosphere!!! read more

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What can I say about NOPI? It's simply put, one of the best meals I've had in my entire life. A few weeks before coming to spend a few days in London, my party of four booked reservations to sit in the communal downstairs section of the restaurant. We planned our day for sight-seeing out to make sure we were a short walk away in time for our reservation. An easy walk 15 minute walk from Buckingham Palace, we were greeted at the restaurant by a friendly and pleasant staff. We sat at the end of a long table that can seat about 14-16 people. The table was quite tall and I usually find these uncomfortable, as tall chairs cut off circulation in my short chubby legs; however, these seats were perfectly comfortable. Our table neighbors were all friendly but respected that we were a group of friends having dinner together and kept conversation with us to a few polite interactions. I started my meal with a cocktail that was amazingly delicious: a Rooibos Old Fashion. Made with Fernet Branca and chocolate bitters, the bourbon and rooibos tea syrup blend so well that I could have had four of five of them and skipped dinner altogether. Everyone else also seemed to enjoy their cocktails that night: one had a Ginseng & Grapefruit, another a Banana & Cardamom, and lastly, a Raspberry & Bourbon. All were a hit! We decided to have our dinner "tapas" small plate style and split everything between us. We shared Jicama & salsa, vegetable crudités, olives, burrata & blood orange salad, beetroot & goat's curd salad, cheese w/ peaches, and a Kale, Apple, and Turnip salad. When I say that all of these were amazing... my words do not do them justice. All were a revelation of how good properly prepared vegetables can be. Everyone agreed that we could have had a purely vegetarian meal and walked out delighted. My personal favorite was the beetroot and goat's curd salad - which I declared would be the last thing I tasted with the meal before dessert. We also ordered two mains to split between the four of us: the seared tuna and the rotolo. Both were phenomenal. The tuna was cooked perfectly and prepared in such a way that if you were to close your eyes you would believe you were eating a delicate cut of beef. The rotolo, made with spinach, mushrooms, and a walnut miso, was also just incredible. We all agreed that the mains would have been wonderful meals to have alone if we weren't in a sharing mood. Lastly, dessert (aka puddings) - We ordered three for us to share: I had chocolate with orange oil and crème fraîche... it was chocolate heaven with a sultry richness that should be illegal. We also ordered an apple gingerbread trifle with celery sorbet... I didn't try any because I was in a chocolate nirvana but more than one person raved over the celery sorbet. We also had a tau fu fa (a type of tofu pudding) that was also delicious! This was easily the best meal I've had in London and one of the best in my life. You can bet that whenever I am in London, I'll make sure I have a reservation for the downstairs at NOPI. read more

NOPI - Downstairs table - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

We came without a reservation on Friday but they warmly greeted us and arranged a table in 15 minutes. Free snacks were given when we are waiting. The food is delicious as advised by other customers. read more

NOPI - Burrata cheese with peaches! Delicious! - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

For the sake of this review let's generalise for a minute and split the world of restoration into two categories: the one that has dishes made tasty by a variety of strong flavours and ingredients aplenty, and the one that focuses on few ingredients, but REALLY good ones. Nopi is definitely part of the latter category. It's your typical 'pay a lot for smallish portions' and yet you leave the restaurant with a singing palate. I took one of my best friends there for her birthday and I'm really happy I did: we ordered two starters/nibbles dishes and 4 dishes to share, which included a bit of everything: from veggie crudités to burrata, from aubergines to scallops, and every thing was spot-on. The flavours were incredible. Nicely presented too, which I always like. We were actually wondering where can they possibly source such good and fresh ingredients. We had lunch upstairs (I believe there is a downstairs too, with communal tables). The room is bright and airy, there's space to move around the tables without knocking someone's vino down with your butt (don't ask) and the tables for two can actually accommodate two people PLUS the food. Amazing, right? I'm so used to having to push plates around to fit everything in some restaurants. We also tried their orange wine, which was very yummy. I'd definitely go back, probably to try something from their dinner menu. Very impressed, bravo NOPI! read more

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The dishes range from 2 to 4 stars, so I'm being generous by rounding way up because if I lived here, I'd revisit and find what dishes work across the board to make it a stellar 4-star restaurant. Cute Soho restaurant. For tourists like me, go behind Hamleys on Regent and you'll find NOPI, which stands for "North of Piccadilly." I wasn't pleased with our greeting. It was as if we didn't belong there without reservations, yet there were 5-7 tables open the entire time we dined there. They seated us at the bar, which is weird, given my daughter is 11...but I wasn't going to correct them given that the hostesses were a wee bit snobbish. Aside from that, the service at the bar was great and the food ranged from just OK to excellent. I am rating on food and bar service only (not the above mentioned snobbery). They recommend 3 small savory plates per person, so we ordered 6 between us and shared them all. Plates are nicely split into categories: Veg, fish, meat, sweets. I wish we had ordered more of the veg plates and skipped the meat. But that's hindsight. We tried: --Winter coleslaw w/macadamia and mango (very good) --Five spice tofu (STUNNING! Wish we had ordered 3 of these and skipped some of the others. Only bummer is you literally only get 2 small squares of tofu. Trust me, you'll want more. Don't let the "tofu" part dissuade you.) --Seared prawns, fennel, feta (just Ok) --Seared scallops, fennel puree, apple salsa (good) --Slow cooked pork belly, coco bean cassoulet, salsa verde (just OK) --Roasted beef sirloin (just OK) Were I to come back (and I would if I lived here)...I'd make it for happy hour only and have another great Lychee and Grapefruit Cooler with vodka and mint and lemon. And then I'd order a couple of the 5-spice tofu dishes and some of the other veg dishes that sounded great, but we didn't try....and call it a night. Oh, and I do not jest, whether you need to or not, visit the bathrooms. You've never seen anything like it. I wish I had taken my camera in there... read more

NOPI - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

The name Ottolenghi is synonymous with culinary rapture in my household, a status achieved through our home cooking of his sublime, complex dishes; our frequent ogling of his vivid cookbook photos; and our appreciation of the compelling personal stories and behind the scenes commentary accompanying many of his recipes. To say expectations were high going into my recent lunch at NOPI -- my first time in an Ottolenghi restaurant -- would be the understatement of the year. The feast was sumptuous, beautiful, and memorable, and every single ingredient -- from the cuts of meat and stalks of vegetables to the subtle condiments and deftly sprinkled spices -- was purposeful and perfect. Navigating the menu was impossible, like choosing from thirty secret doors, each concealing an unknown but assured fortune. We selected a combination of plates from the meat, vegetables, and sides. The only way we could possible narrow down choices was to sorrowfully sacrifice the mains, 'nibbles,' and fish, and what we did try was astonishing. I could rhapsodize at length about each of the dishes. The highlights among the vegetables were the courgette (aka zucchini) and manouri fritters with cardamom yoghurt, and the crushed butterbeans with muhammara and walnuts. The fritters were crisp on the outside and very moist on the inside, with a subtle infusion of cardamom in the fritter and the yogurt for good measure. The earthy, coarsely crushed butterbeans were enlived by the robust muhammara, a traditional Syrian pepper sauce: plenty of zing, but not overwhelming spice. The twice-cooked baby chicken with lemon myrtle salt and chili sauce and the pork belly with pineapple and long pepper chutney and winter sour greens were our favorite meats. I don't really have to say much about these dishes -- imagine the juxtaposition of ingredients assembled with care, creativity, and expertise, and you'll conjure the fantastic results. The pork belly was especially interesting and well-executed, with a mind-boggling range of flavors. The vegetable highlight was char-grilled purple sprouting broccoli, a vegetable I'd yet to encounter in my life but hope to meet again, with the divine combination of tahini and miso folded generously over, around and under each stalk and floret. We eschewed the more intense chocolate desserts and the undoubtedly toothsome financiers, opting instead for a palate cleanser of sorts, a Chinese dessert known as tau fu fa. Normally made with soft tofu, Ottolenghi has taken coconut milk and set it in the fashion of panna cotta, topping it with sliced fresh coconut and mango and with ginger gula gawa, a potion of uncertain but celestial origin. read more

NOPI - Purple Sprouted Broccoli. Miso. Tahini. - Mediterranean Near Me - London, XGL

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Meh. Israelí lunch food served glammed up to justify the price. It was extremely loud in the restaurant but the hostess was nice enough to seat us in a relatively quieter section. Still loud. I guess if you've never had Israel/Middle Eastern food this may be interesting but in reality, this is slightly elevated everyday food from that region at a largely elevated price. Disappointed by the pretense of the concept. read more

This is our second time to London in the past 10 years, though our palate has changed dramatically (for the better I presume!). Our London friends took us to NOPI for lunch - overall an excellent experience! Though pricy, the ambiance is what you may expect, and the service excellent. We were blown away by some of the dishes, and others we liked though were not impressed to the same degree. We loved the roasted aubergine (eggplant) with almond yogurt and beef bavette wjth shiitake ketchup and morning glory. I would say the morning glory was over salted by itself though if you pair with the beef it was perfect. Other dishes we tried that were good (but not as extraordinary) include lavosh, couchette (zucchini) and manouri fritters, spiced potato cake, and Cumbrian pork chops. read more