ROVI — Restaurant in London

I dined at Rovi for the first time on 19, April 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed it! We had a party of 4 with one member of the party being Coeliac (gluten-free).

FOOD: The food was great! Very vegetable forward, but with lots of great meat options too. They emphasize that their dishes are for sharing, though some of them (celeriac shawarma) aren't really designed for that in our experience. The dishes we got included:

Raw radishes with crème fraiche and what tasted like "everything bagel seasoning": This was offered on the gluten-free menu. It was fine, not a show-stopper. (!) Burrata with honey rhubarb and lemon tempura: This was DELICIOUS! One of the top 2 dishes of the night. (!) 5 spiced pork jowl with pickled kumquats: Another show stopper for us! My other top dish of the night. Celeriac shawarma: I had been wanting to try this dish for years, but sadly it didn't meet my expectations. It was very acidic and I felt like all the subtle sweetness of the celeriac was overpowered. The other member of my party who ate it agreed with this. Grilled mackerel with romesco and dukkah: This was the entre for our gluten-free member. They loved it and said it was one of the best dishes they'd had! Grilled halibut with tahini cream: Another win! My husband ate this as his entre and loved it! Honey glazed pork collar: The flavors on this were great, though we found the meat to be a tad tough. -Warm msabbaha chickpeas: Good texture and flavor! Pumpkin miso bibingka: Excellent flavor! The coconut/lime ice cream on top was divine! Barberry pudding: Very good, but the spices used made it taste "Christmas-y". Felt a little odd to eat it in spring. Rhubarb meringue: The only dessert on the menu that can be made gluten-free. Comments on this was that it was good, but they were surprised that it was cold like ice cream.

SERVICE: Overall our service was good! We did feel slightly rushed into ordering food, and once the time to pay the bill came it took some time to get the waiters attention, but overall a good experience.

ATMOSPHERE: Very hip! Despite the restaurant being full it was not too loud and we could still hold a conversation. Seating was very comfortable. Lighting was not too bright and comfortably warm. Both relaxing and energizing at the same time (in a good way!).

OVERALL: I look forward to coming back to Rovi! The food was delicious and the overall feel of the restaurant was great. A great special...

One of Yotam Ottolenghis famous restaurants in London. In contrast to its brother NOVI, the focus of ROVI is more on charcoal roasting flavor. Spoiler: both are great and unique and not comparable. Overall, ROVI is a very nice experience. The place is quite big, many seats, but the first thing you see when entering is the bar. And drinks are another important part of the experience. Many very good wines and gin & tonics. But I’d really recommend to go for the cocktails. All of them are really good, although rather small in size. Regarding the food: I guess it’s Ottolenghis mantra to have many dishes to share among all guests - and that’s the best thing you can do. Try as much as you can. Even main courses can be shared. Quality-wise the food is just excellent and the flavor is just like you’d expect it - although not that spicy as the receipts from the cookbooks. What I really liked about the place: it has an open kitchen, so you may watch the cooks prepare your food and enjoy the thrill of anticipation. We had the beef carpaccio (amazing), the köfta (great, just great), the grilled asparagus (very nice), grilled halibut (good, but could have been a bit spicier), pink potatoes (very tasty), and the Jerusalem mixed plate. The latter wasn’t it for me: good, but liver and heart of chicken …don’t need it again. There are many more dishes on the menu you may want to try, so definitely coming back. I personally will visit ROVI again just to have the chocolate cremaux dessert again. It was incredible, that’s the only thing you don’t want to share with other guests on the table. The espresso afterwards was rather okay. Finally, if you let the staff know about any special occasion or celebration, they will prepare a small surprise! That was so nice. Overall the staff was great - very friendly and even the chefs took the time to have a short chat. So, all in all, really nice place to have a great evening with friends over some delicious food. I’d recommend to go for the second seating though, it’s less noisy when some of the...

I dreamt of eating at one of Ottolenghi's famous restaurants. I've cooked many of his recipes, with ear marked favorites. Rovi didn't disappoint.

I arrived in London and immediately made a reservation for 5 pm at the bar. WoW talk about lucky! My recommendation might be a counter at the window for people watching or a table. Outside was quite pleasant in the shade if you don't mind traffic. As you can see, inside is lovely, bright, airy, and welcoming.

I walked here, 30 minutes, so I had no idea about parking. From what I could see, there's not much, although lots of vehicles and cyclists are everywhere. It's in an area packed with great places to eat, so there must be places to park.

The mixed grill mushrooms with assorted pickles, fresh grilled flatbread pita, and tahini were superb. Each bite is delectible with contrasting assorted mushroom textures: silky, soft, firm, chewy, and melty. Each type of mushroom had its own story. Tucked in between were deeply caramelized flavorful soft onions. The gorgeous flavors had depth and a subtle tinge of hot peppers. The crunch of assorted fresh pickles refreshed each bite, adding a needed crisp juicy crunch. This is a grand meal if you finish. It's rich with flavor and textures satisfying all senses.

How can I leave without having dessert? The sorbet is a new addition to the menu. The soft, barely held together soft green olive oil sorbet is in contrast to the pebble ice lemon granita. Both need to be mixed together to be enjoyed. I tried to eat them separately, and it didn't work. Do mix them together to enjoy the interplay of flavors and textures. Refreshing, light, and not clinging sweet like many sorbets in the marketplace.

Beyond happy, thrilled to have a wonderful experience dining at this extravagant restaurant, eating a meal designed by an aworld-famouss chef.

Londo, you did not...