Review - Ampéli

Amp é l i

Located on Charlotte Street in the heart of Fitzrovia, new Eastern Mediterranean restaurant, Ampéli is an exciting new addition to London’s ever-growing dining scene. Founded by Jenny Pagoni, and taking cues from the modern wine-focused restaurants of Athens, Ampéli serves dishes inspired by both Jenny’s native Greece and its neighbouring cultures. A key focus for the stylish restaurant is the indigenous wine list, curated by Greek Master of Wine Yiannis Karakasis, showcasing a strong focus on the innovative producers creating a stir in the country’s wine scene.

Heading up the kitchen is Head Chef Oren Goldfeld, who previously worked at Nopi and Tel Aviv’s acclaimed Toto restaurant. Oren has worked closely with founder Jenny to bring her favourite Greek dishes and family recipes to the capital.

Diners can start their meal with an array of hot or cold sharing plates. Highlights include Whipped feta with pistachio, Aleppo pepper; Pan-fried lamb sweetbreads with Jerusalem spice mix, almond sauce, pickles; and Salt cod croquettes, samphire and yoghurt tartar. Moving on to mains and the Whole grilled Cornish mackerel with jerusalem artichokes and vine leaves is impressive; as is the succulent Braised short ribs with date molasses, dried Moroccan peppers and quince. The desserts include poppy seed loukoumades, doughnuts with Greek mountain tea syrup.

Jenny’s enthusiasm for indigenous Greek wines, combined with Yiannis’ extensive knowledge, has resulted in an exciting and varied wine list at Ampéli. The list features a wide range of Assyrtiko, a thrilling and intense grape which has boomed in popularity over the past few years, as well as rare native Greek varieties produced in very small quantities. Perfect for those looking to expand their wine knowledge.

Set across three floors, the interiors are modern and stylish with pale green walls, brass accents and a range of artworks from a rotating line-up of artists. The first exhibition is from acclaimed watercolourist, Leonie de Lange, and Greek sculptor Vasiliki Maliopoulou, who crafts her works from fossils and reclaimed materials found along the Greek coastline.

Mr. White’s English Chophouse

Award winning chef Marco Pierre White teamed up with New Road Hotel to launch his first ever chophouse in Whitechapel, East London. Just a three-minute walk from Whitechapel tube station and based on the ground floor of this stylish, boutique hotel, Marco’s signature restaurant took its inspiration from the traditional Chophouses which served individual portions of meat known as ‘chops’ and were started in London in the 1960’s.

Marco’s restaurant celebrates everything that chophouses are famous for and the varied menu cleverly combines English classics whilst also introducing the French flair that epitomizes Marco’s cooking style. As you would expect, the menu centres around steaks, grills and chops and there is plenty of it. Marco has also adapted the menu to suit modern day tastes.

Starters include classics such as Marco’s French Onion soup with croutons and plenty of deliciously melted Emmental cheese or cocktail of Atlantic prawns with Marie Rose sauce. Steaks are sourced from the finest quality twenty-eight-day grass fed beef which include RibEye, sirloin and a daily special. Cooked to perfection, you can choose toppings such as grilled shell on king prawn or grilled woodland mushrooms with garlic butter. It all comes served with Béarnaise sauce, roasted vine tomatoes and triple cooked chips but it would be a shame not to try a side of crispy battered onion rings. If you have any room left, there is a selection of ice creams and sorbets as well as apple crumble with vanilla ice cream or farmhouse cheeses.

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