Beloved by newspaper editors and the working mums of Islington, Ottolenghi is as firmly middle class as a weekly Ocado shop or cauliflower ‘steaks’. If you’re not immediately familiar with Ottolenghi, that’s OK—we don’t live somewhere leafy and beautiful either.

It's a mini-chain of upmarket delis and restaurants that do impeccably fresh and very tasty salads and pastries, along with full sit-down restaurant dishes. The food’s loosely Middle Eastern and without exception it’s all delicious. If you’ve ever wondered how good a salad can taste, the answer’s here—it’s the sort of food you feel like you could eat every day, and it’s extremely useful when you want to keep it light and casual but still want something tasty.

Inside, each one has a futuristic-looking deli out front and a restaurant at the back. If a sit-down meal is what you’re after, the Spitalfields location is the best. Choosing to grab brunch at an Ottolenghi is always an excellent decision, and you’ll feel like you have your life figured out when you’re here. It’ll make for handy conversation the next time you find yourself at a polite north London dinner party.

photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch