Fantastic London Food London Cafes Ottolenghi BelgraviaOttolenghi - Belgravia
Yottam Ottolenghi writes a column for the Guardian (The New Vegetarian) and his recent venture 
into cookbook-land has been a success, even without a BBC programme slot to pitch the book into (you can buy copies at any of his four outlets). He specialises in bakery, having trained at the Cordon Bleu school in London before branching into pastry and baking at The Capital and Kensington Place. Although he made his mark in baking, he's also renowned for his meat, fish and vegetable dishes and for the use of lesser-known spices like Sumac and Za'atar (a blended spice mix).
The Belgravia branch of Ottolenghi is not overburdened with space, but has a large table at the rear and seating outside when the weather is fine (a small, but cherished al-fresco 'window' occurs in the UK, Jun-Aug generally). The shop has a retro feel to it, with hints of mullion windows from a Georgian past. The cakes and pastries are positioned to catch your eye before their siren song tempts you "Come in, come in... Look at all this cake available!" Tea, Coffee, salads, savoury pastries, cakes, sweet-treats, sandwiches are all artfully displayed between floral bouquets, in a surgically white room. Prices are about right for the location and you can taste the ingredients which have gone into Ottolenghi's produce - butter, quality sugars, nothing cheap and insipid. So if you're after budget snack, then buy cheaper, but you will taste the difference as Sainsbury's like to remind us with frequent hammer-blows.
You're only as good as your last sale in products which wilt and wither as quickly as fresh baked goods, so the recommendation comes for this branch, rather than the chain as a whole. A few problems with slow service and indifference in other branches have taken a little shine from the brand, but Ottolenghi in Belgravia keeps the quality consistent.
Ottolenghi, 13 Motcomb Street, Belgravia, London SW1X 8LB
Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge
Call: 020 7823 2707
