Mediterranean in London – Nopi by Ottolenghi

My family and I recently took a trip to London to enjoy the beginnings of spring, and while we were there we decided to have brunch at a fabulous restaurant called Nopi. Nopi was created by the famous chef Ottolenghi, and if you haven’t you should definitely check out his cookbooks which focus heavily on middle eastern flavors.

The Ottolenghi team opened Nopi in 2002, and they always strive to give their customers the best possible meals. Their food is free from preservatives, and the team tries to use fresh local ingredients as much as possible. Ottolenghi himself is very involved in his restaurants and it would not be uncommon to see him giving his staff a helping hand in the kitchen.

Now let’s get to the good part – the food! My family and I went to Nopi for brunch, but it was more breakfast based, which is a good thing to keep in mind if you go. I ordered the scrambled eggs on toast with an addition of salmon, and it was delicious. The eggs were so orange and fresh that I didn’t even believe that they were real, and I could taste the sea in every bite of salmon. The dish also came with a side salad, which had a simple yet effective lemon and salt dressing. I personally love simple dressings like this one because they bring out the best in the natural leafy greens. We also ordered a side of avocado salsa, which is not to be confused with guacamole, because rather than having all the extra fixings like onions and tomatoes, this salsa had just avocado, cilantro and sprouts. It went splendidly with the salmon and eggs and was a creamy relief to the sharpness of the salad.

We also ordered the Grilled Mastelo cheese with a fried egg, pita bread and za’atar, which was a unique dish that I will admit I was a little skeptical of at first, but it blew me away with its zesty flavors and absolute genius flavor combinations. The cheese was served in thin slabs and were actually grilled like one would grill meat or vegetables. It was so different and wonderful and I loved the way the cheese was hard on the outside but once you bit into the cheese it was soft and gooey. The pita bread on this dish is also notable because it was warm, handmade and the perfect dipper for the fried egg. The salad was mostly tomatoes and had a similar lemon and salt dressing from the previous dish, and I loved the addition of the middle eastern spice za’atar to everything in the dish because it really tied everything together.

This restaurant was truly special, and I could taste the care and love that the people put into their food. The next time that you are in London, make sure to check this place out!

Click here for Nopi’s website and here for one of my favorite recipes by Ottolenghi!