Rovi
Fitzrovia, London
Yotam Ottolenghi's name has become synonymous in recent years with a style of aspirational, but practically doable, cookery writing, thanks to a portfolio of bestselling recipe books and a high-profile weekly presence in The Guardian. His speciality is food that orchestrates the upstanding flavours and spicy warmth of the southern and eastern fringes of Europe and the Levant. In this spacious, appealing venue, with bar counter seating and banquettes in chilli-pepper red, the various culinary influences are brought into exciting synergy. Vegetables are very much at the forefront, producing appetisers such as grilled leeks with pickled walnuts and date/walnut praline, or charred hispi in almond XO, while main dishes include an assembly of grilled carrots, hawaij-spiced greens and lentils, honey-pickled kumquats and crispy garlic. Let anyone dare say you don't notice you're not eating meat. Should you be determined to do so, however, there may be a saddleback pork chop with kohlrabi and apple kimchi. There's fish too, perhaps grilled halibut with curly peppers and capers, seasoned in khmeli-suneli, a Georgian version of five-spice. Close the deal with a fennel meringue, served with lime and pastis sorbet and lemon curd, or a chillied-up cherry and chocolate fondant. The drinks list is an enticement in its own right, with a slate of inspired cocktails, gin variations, and softs such as hibiscus agua fresca or watermelon and rose sharbat.
Dining Information:
Separate bar, Counter seating, Outdoor dining, Wheelchair access, Family friendly
59 Wells Street, Fitzrovia W1A 3AE
020 3963 8270
