nopi

16 March 2014

Everyone knows about Ottolenghi and his ever-growing popularity with his restaurants and delicatessens in London. Slap on the wrist for me, because until this day, I had never ventured into any of his establishments. I really have no idea why.

Anyway, my love for brunch is no secret, and this time round we finally booked a table for the Ottolenghi experience at Nopi.

Firstly, it already gets two thumbs up from me for not being a no-reservations place, a trend that seems to be on fire in London lately.

Secondly, the decor. It's swish but not stuffy, modern but not cold, elegant but with an edge. The white and gold with wooden furniture - it completely won me over.









Onto the main event.

Their breakfast/brunch menu is not extensive, but certainly interesting. I went for the Shakshuka - braised eggs, piquant tomato sauce and smoked labneh (a kind of cheese), E went for the sausage focaccia sandwich with tomato chutney, and we shared the black rice with mango and banana out of curiosity.










My braised eggs were perfectly booked, the tomato sauce so flavourful and fresh, with sticks of grilled bread for dipping. E's sausages were delicious, and the black rice was fascinating - sweetened with maple syrup and coconut milk, it was unusual and mild in taste, a lovely palate cleanser after the savoury dishes.

Honestly, I can't say a bad thing about this place! I do know that their lunch and dinner menus require a slightly larger budget, so in comparison to that I thought this was very reasonably priced for generous portions.




It's the perfect place if you want something a little different to your standard eggs benedict, with their unique offerings and distinctive flavours. I kind of want to go back and try everything on their menu now, but first, I really should visit the other Ottolenghi branches.

It's ideally located in a little street in Soho, and did I mention you can make reservations? Do it.



18 comments:

  1. Wow, this place looks fancy for brunch. The food looks fantastic though. Would love to come back here next time I'm back in London.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it is definitely a little snazzy, but very reasonably priced and very relaxed x

      Delete
  2. The photos in this post are stunning, Miho! I would love to check out this place. I love brunch and as much as I love the standard pancakes and bacon, it would be fun to try something new. Your egg dish looks so so good.
    N xo

    www.whatnaomiwrote.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Naomi! yes, i could never say no to french toast or eggs benedict, but it's good to switch it up sometimes x

      Delete
  3. I feel even worse because I haven't even heard of him!

    This looks amazing, and that black rice and mango has piqued my curiosity...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love their place on Upper St, but it's certainly not for the budget conscience! I can never seem to get out of there for under £80 for two (that's with wine though...) I can get on board with cheaper brunch options though!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes! i was definitely pleasantly surprised that there seemed to be quite a gap in price point between brunch and lunch/dinner, very appreciated though and the portions were generous x

      Delete
  5. One day, if I ever make it to London, I am going to take all of your foodie posts and use it to build a food itinerary for my visit haha! Your shakshuka looks super yummy :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. holy monkeys, that looks absolutely amazing. nothing makes me more happy then a heart of cream in my coffee! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. coffee art is a serious talent isn't it?! x

      Delete
  7. Omg the interior and decor look stunning...ALMOST AS STUNNING AS YOU. Really though it looks so bright and fresh! Perfect for brunch. That black rice sounds sooo interesting! Isn't there a Japanese dessert made with beans or rice (I think it's beans though)? When I was in France some of my Japanese friends made it for me and my Canadian friend and we were so surprised to have those flavors matched with what we always picture as being savory. Anyways, that's what I thought of when you mentioned the sweet black rice haha.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks amazing! I have two of Ottolenghi's cookbooks and just love his unique cooking. I;m going to london in May so I'm thinking of either going here, or if its nice, to his deli cafe and getting some food to takeaway and eat outside.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting and commenting! I'd love to hear from you.