Diners around the Charlotte Street/ Goodge Street nexus have an ample range of dining opportunities. Ampéli – open since January – does, however, bring something new. Eastern Mediterranean (a nice broad catch-all, encompassing everything from Italy to Israel) is definitively on-trend while Greek food and wine – Ampéli’s angle – is both overlooked and underappreciated.
Much thought has gone into Ampéli (located on the site occupied formerly by Senor Ceviche). The venue spans three levels and can hold 80 covers, yet owing to intelligent design, it feels neither cramped nor crowded. We liked the clever use of light and space as well as the thoughtful décor: think muted olive wallpaper and bronze ornamentation as well as watercolours from a local Greek artist on the lower level.
The team behind Ampéli also has pedigree, with the head chef having learned his trade in Tel Aviv’s famous Toto restaurant before moving on to Ottolenghi’s Nopi. Meanwhile, front-of-house can count Claridge’s among other on her CV. We received a warm welcome on our recent Friday lunchtime visit and seated on Ampéli’s mezzanine level, we were able to watch the action; the venue gradually filled up during the time we were there, despite the unpleasant weather.
Onto the food, and £19 for a two-course set lunch menu (or £30 for three) has to be considered as one of central London’s bargains. Alternatively, the a la carte offers small sharing dishes in the £8-10 range (although I dislike the contrived term used here for these as ‘social plates’) with mains coming in at £15-20. We kept it simple and went for the set option. Even this gave an insight into the venue’s potential and – spoiler alert – based on the success of what we ate, I would willingly return.
The Israeli influence seems strong – if in doubt, add tahini. Yet this proved a winning formula. Sesame sauce featured as an accompaniment both to one our meze (smoked aubergine) and also with our Sambusac (wild mushroom pastries – pictured) main. Regardless, the success of Ampéli lies in its ingredient selection – an emphasis on the fresh, where the base substance does the talking. Roasted beetroot also rocked as a meze option. Elsewhere, even if wild boar sausage perhaps sounds more French than Greek, the addition of sour cabbage infused with smoked lemon really helped this dish along. Plaudits for the wine list too, which emphasises Greek varietals above all else, yet usefully compares to them to international brethren (if you like, for example, Sauvignon Blanc then the list helpfully suggests that you might enjoy an Assyrtiko too). There’s little not to like. Time already to plan the next visit.