Tag: Restaurants in Shoreditch

Holy Carrot Bistro

On August 7, 2026

As with most good things, I discovered Holy Carrot through word of mouth from a friend of a friend who heard it from another friend. It was exciting back then, their pop-up used to be at the Urban Retreat wellness space not far from Knightsbridge station. You’d enter the dining room through a split staircase into a cute space decorated with blue and white patterned plates…

Dishes from the menu at Holy Carrot Knightsbridge Pop-up

Founded by former Ukrainian Vogue fashion producer, Irina Linovich, the original pop-up served only vegan dishes using mostly organic and sustainable produce. The menu was inventive, inspiring, and made me an instant fan. But when we visited, we didn’t realise it was actually their final month. It wouldn’t be until a couple of years later, in 2024, that we finally got to try Holy Carrot again at their new permanent spot on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.

Unfortunately, that visit left me feeling a little disappointed; it just seemed to be missing the spark of excitement and inventiveness of the original pop-up. My friend who had originally recommended them had an even worse experience, finding the food subpar and the service outright rude. While my own experience wasn’t quite that extreme—I figured they were probably just trying to find their feet again—there was definitely room for improvement.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I was recently walking past Spitalfields Market and saw that Holy Carrot Bistro was opening. I immediately subscribed to their newsletter to ensure I’d get an early reservation the moment bookings opened.

In the end, our first visit was a completely spur-of-the-moment decision during the recent heatwave, and we were incredibly lucky to snag a walk-in table. They seated us outside, comfortably out of the glaring sun. But stepping inside for a moment, you can’t help but notice the space—the overall interior design, including the striking hand-painted murals, is by British artist and designer Faye Toogood, giving the bistro a very deliberate, earthy texture. The atmosphere was wonderful; the staff were exceptionally friendly, highly knowledgeable about the menu, and perfectly attentive without being intrusive.

Holy Carrot Bistro in Spitalfields, East London

We didn’t order any drinks this time, though I had initially planned to. I remembered that when we went to the Holy Carrot in Notting Hill, their pre-mixed cocktail menu was curated by A Bar with Shapes for a Name (written as 🔶🟥🔵). I happened to visit A Bar with Shapes for a Name on Kingsland Road one night catching up with an old friend and remembered their cocktails were exceptional and ending up quite tipsy. I just found out, however, that they no longer make the drinks for Holy Carrot, and the newer menu here shifts the cocktail program entirely in-house.

Onto the food.

The kitchen is now led by executive chef Daniel Watkins (ex-Acme Fire Cult), and the menu is wonderfully creative. The presentation of each dish is beautiful.

We started with some lighter dishes to share:

New Season Radishes, Whipped Tahini: A wonderfully simple but vibrant and fresh starter. The radishes arrived crisp with their green tops still on, served alongside a smooth, rich swirl of whipped tahini dusted with black chilli flakes that balanced the peppery crunch beautifully.
New Season Tomato – Pangrattato, Green Goddess dressing and nasturtium: A stunning, colorful dish. Sweet, juicy tomato chunks were drizzled with a bright Green Goddess dressing, topped with a crunchy texture of toasted pangrattato, and finished with fresh nasturtium leaves and a gorgeous edible flower. It tasted just as fresh and summery as it looked.

New Season Radishes with whipped tahini at Holy Carrot Bistro

New Season Tomato - Pangrattato, Green Goddess dressing and nasturtium at Holy Carrot Bistro

For the mains, we ordered a mix of dishes, including two absolute standouts:

Coal-roasted Leeks – pepper romesco sauce and almonds: This was easily my absolute favourite dish of the meal. The leeks were perfectly tender with a subtle, smoky char, but the pepper romesco sauce was the real star—rich, incredibly smooth, and packed with flavour, topped with a cluster of crunchy roasted almonds. I wanted to scrape every last bit of that sauce off the plate.
Khachapuri – fermented koji-dough pizzetta: Served warm, pillowy, and incredibly comforting. Breaking into the centre to mix the baked egg and molten cheese with the cracked black pepper was pure heaven. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
Charred Artichoke – carrot and fennel braise, aioli: A lovely, delicate dish featuring beautifully charred artichoke hearts resting on a sweet, braised carrot and fennel base, garnished with fresh dill and carrot slices meticulously cut into little flower shapes.
Celeriac Schnitzel – grilled pickles and herb and caper sauce: A golden-brown celeriac schnitzel with a satisfying crispy bite, topped with a generous dollop of zesty herb and caper sauce, and served with a slice of grilled pickle and a wedge of lemon. This dish, although cooked perfectly, leans a bit too heavy on the sharpness of the vinegar rather then on complex depth.

Coal-roasted leeks - Pepper romesco sauce and almonds at Holy Carrot Bistro

Charred Artichoke - Carrot and fennel braise, aioli at Holy Carrot Bistro

Celeriac Schnitzel - Grilled pickles and herb and caper sauce at Holy Carrot Bistro

While a few of the simpler dishes felt slightly expensive for what they were, you can easily tell that they are sourcing exceptional, high-quality ingredients.

Would I go again?

Absolutely. The creative menu, beautiful new interior, and fantastic service made this feel like a true return to the imaginative spirit of the original pop-up. If you’re looking for exciting plant-based dining in East London, this is definitely one to add to your list.

Holy Carrot Bistro is in Spitalfield, East London.

Closest tube station: Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street Station.

Booking is recommended.

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Osteria Angelina

By The Capital Craving

On August 5, 2026

In Craving Itameshi

Whenever someone suggests going out for Itameshi, I always get quite excited. I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps it’s because the concept of Itameshi—the genius fusion of two of my favourite cuisines, Japanese and Italian—fills my brain with dopamine. Or maybe it just reminds me of the time I tried Spaghetti con Uova di Pesce for the first time at Basta Pasta in New York a few years back: al dente spaghetti tossed with flying fish roe (tobiko) and perilla herbs. Gosh, I’m salivating just thinking about it.

Sadly, on a side note, Basta Pasta has closed its doors for good. However, after a little digging, there is still hope. They wrote on their socials that, “…this is not the end. The spirit of Basta Pasta will live on, and we are already dreaming of what comes next in a new era.” Fingers crossed they decide to cross the pond and open up in London!

The first time I tried Angelina was back in 2022. We had some old friends visiting from Malaysia, and we had booked weeks in advance for the Dalston branch. The vibe was easygoing yet stylish, and we had a brilliant time. I remember the tasting menu being a little hit and miss, with a few more misses towards the end, which was a slight shame. Nonetheless, the company was great, and we enjoyed every minute.

The theme continued with Osteria Angelina. I was super excited to find out they had opened a sister restaurant in Shoreditch. Everyone on socials had been talking about it, so I thought I’d better find out what all the hype was about. We had friends visiting from Singapore this time, so it felt like the perfect occasion. They are super organised and wanted to get dates in the diary as soon as possible, so I made the reservation about a month in advance.

Now, eating out can get quite expensive, especially in London. So, when there’s an opportunity to eat for less, I’m all over it. The app I use is called CODE, which is specifically for people working in the hospitality industry. If you’re interested in signing up, I’ve popped more details at the end of this post.

The space at Osteria Angelina is expansive, with tall ceilings and plenty of natural light. It was all very lovely. The service was friendly and welcoming, and we were seated at the back, away from the entrance, right by the huge windows.

Onto the food.

We were absolutely starving, having just come straight from the gym, and our friends were running a little late. We decided to order some drinks and bread whilst we waited. My goodness, was the bread tasty! We ordered both options on the menu to share between the two of us: the Roasted Plum & Nori Focaccia and the Hokkaido Milk Bread with jam and burnt honey butter. They were unbelievably good. Embarrassingly, our friends arrived exactly as I bit into the last piece of the Hokkaido Milk Bread, leaving nothing but a couple of empty plates and a few crumbs. We just had to order another round.

The crudos arrived first. The Hamachi (yellowtail) with truffle soy and furikake crudo was an absolute delight. The truffle wasn’t overwhelming; it just added a beautiful depth and umami. We could have easily ordered another plate of this. The Tuna with house ponzu and wasabi crudo was nice and clean, though the ponzu and wasabi flavours were perhaps a little overpowering for the delicate, sweet profile of the tuna.

Next came Usman’s Magic Tomato Salad. We just had to try this one—if only to find out the story behind the name! The dish consists of sliced heirloom and heritage tomatoes drizzled with a savoury umami dressing, topped with a salsa verde granita, and garnished with finely shredded nori seaweed, shiso leaves, and a sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds. The refreshing contrast in temperatures, textures, and rich umami flavours truly was magic. I would absolutely order this again.

For the pasta course, the menu recommended we order a couple to share as it’s their speciality, and it was a good job we did. We opted for the Tagliolini with Tuna, Mentaiko, and Kombu Cured Caviar, alongside the Tortellini with Truffle & Kombu. The Tagliolini was easily my favourite. The savoury mentaiko, the delicate melt-in-the-mouth tuna tartare, and the sharp, salty pop of the caviar, all wrapped up in perfectly cooked pasta, was comforting, satisfying, and genuinely exciting. If you love truffle, you will probably adore the Tortellini. For me, the truffle was a bit too intense—when it comes to truffle, I prefer a more subtle profile—but I can completely see why so many people praise this dish as a standout.

Other dishes worth mentioning from the sides are Ikuko’s Aubergine, the Miso Braised Onion & Fontina, the Namayasai Greens, and the Burrata, Miyagawa and Plum Ponzu. They were all delicious.

We also tried the Church Hill Chicken; Delice Pumpkin, Sage & Wakame; Ox Tongue with Kizami Wasabi; and the Spring Onion Tempura & Black Garlic. Honestly, I would probably only order these as fillers, and even then, I might just pick one and try another pasta dish instead. While they were nice, they simply weren’t as special as the other plates we ordered.

Osteria Angelina has a lot of exciting and satisfying dishes on the menu, though much like its sister restaurant, it can be a little inconsistent in places.

Would I go again? Yes, but I would skip the Grill and the Fritti sections entirely. Instead, I’d focus just on the Insalate, Crudo, and Pasta options, alongside a few of the Sides. And next time, I’d definitely leave room to try a few things from the Dolce menu.

A Quick Note on the CODE App

As mentioned earlier, I used the CODE app to save 50% off on our food at Osteria Angelina. If you work in hospitality or F&B and eat out a lot, it is well worth joining. There is a huge variety of restaurants on the app offering up to 50% off the total bill (though sometimes this excludes drinks). You simply find a participating restaurant, check their offer, make a reservation, and mention you are using the CODE app when booking.

There are a few restrictions to keep in mind, such as the specific times and days the offers are valid. For example, at Osteria Angelina, the offer is only valid on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 12:00 and 14:30. Over at Angelina Restaurant in Dalston, you get 50% off the tasting menu, but only between 18:00 and 23:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays.

Offers range from 25% off the total bill in places like Hoppers and Humble Grape, to 30% off at Bubala, Allpress Coffee, and Haidilao, right up to 50% off at Bancone, Hawksmoor, and Som Saa. At the moment, most venues seem to be located in London with only a few outside the central area, but they seem to be adding more restaurants every week.

Signing up is pretty straightforward. You just need to use your work email as proof of employment. If you don’t have one, you can upload alternative proof, such as a letter from your manager or HR, or a copy of your contract. The membership costs £39.99 a year, but you easily make that back after just a couple of meals out with friends.

If you use my referral link below, you get a one-year membership for just £20, and I get a month for free!

Apply for a CODE app membership here.

Osteria Angelina is located in Spitalfields / Shoreditch.

Closest stations: Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street Station.