Restaurants

By Euan Ferguson

We’re used to oyster bars, sushi bars and sandwich bars in London; there are even the less appetising nail bars. Now, the latest foodstuff to take to the bar can be found at Pilpel, an Israeli-run houmous and falafel ‘bar’ in Spitalfields. It’s ostensibly a takeaway, but there are enough rustic wooden chairs, tables and shelves around the room to call it a café too. The hanging pendant lamps, laidback reggae sounds and great people-watching opportunities (the big windows face Old Spitalfields Market) make eating in an attractive option. All this would be nothing without food to match, and the small but focused menu doesn’t disappoint. Choose a wholemeal or white pitta, which are baked every day, and watch the staff deep-fry every falafel fresh in front of you (each deliciously crispy disc is made using an imported falafel scoop). As with all good falafel joints, you’re offered a choice of other fillings to load up the pitta: chilli, houmous, tabbouleh, chickpeas, tomato salad… At £3.99 to eat in or take away, it’s great value, and you can vary the experience with the addition of other ingredients for an extra 40p (feta, aubergine, free-range egg). There’s also the option of houmous with toppings. Pilpel’s not licensed, unsurprisingly, but try the own-made lemonade instead (£1.20). The falafel/houmous/pitta combination is certainly nothing new, but done this well, it’s something we’d return for any day.

Time Out London July 2009