london
Oren
• Mediterranean• Dalston
About the restaurant
The restaurant is the first permanent site for Oren, who spent the years since his move to London in 2012 putting on successful pop-ups.
Oren feels like a classic East London restaurant, with a stylish and pared-back interior that could just as easily be on a Copenhagen backstreet as on Shacklewell Lane in E8. A small concrete-topped bar counter complements the small square tables that line the 35-cover dining room, and the feel is hip and intimate.
Like other Israeli restaurants in the capital, including The Good Egg and The Palomar, Oren serves dishes inspired by the dining scenes of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in addition to plates that draw from further afield in the Middle East. Braised ox cheek on hummus is an always reliable dish, and fluffy pitas stuffed with fillings like Tamworth pork, yoghurt, zhoug and pickled shallots are a standout.
Reviews from the Web
Critic reviews
Time Out
Inside, it’s like a dimly lit, sepia-toned stylish grotto, the sort where you have to squint to read the menu, to the sounds of knowingly funky music. Oh, and everyone looks exceptional, from the punters to the friendly, model-worthy waiters.
The Nudge
The food, like Oren’s heritage, hails from Israel, but adds a few influences from the rest of the Middle East too. Dishes start with the likes of burnt aubergines with tahini from Mount Gerizim (it’s literally where the Good Samaritan came from); and baked hispi cabbage with a vibrant romesco sauce.
- 89 Shacklewell Ln
- E8 2EB
- London
- +44 20 7916 6114
- Visit website
