A lockdown favorite, Oren has been the best culinary surprise we had in 2020. Tucked away in a little restaurant (about 20 seats currently!) off Shacklewell Lane, this Middle Eastern restaurant is a winner for us.

Why should you go? Because you’ll have an explosion of flavors in your mouth at every bite. Every single dish from nibbles to desserts are special. We’ve heard the menu changes regularly and products are fresh fresh fresh. More over, we love a restaurant where all plates can be shared, and Oren does not fail to disappoint.

What should you get? For starters, a beautiful flatbread (with za’atar, obvs) and some dips. We particularly love the tahini and the harissa dips, but you wouldn’t do any wrong with the kalamata olives or the house pickles, which are hand made at the restaurant. Portions are big, so don’t be fooled by how the menu is displayed. Both veggie, fish and meat dishes are a nice size. We are more into veggie food these days and so we would recommend you try the burnt cabbage (a must, really) and the roasted aubergine with feta. From the meats we loved the lamb chops and from the fish section we loved the octopus, though once again were are sure you can’t go wrong with any of the other options.

An added plus on the menu is their wine list. For starters, their ‘cheapest’ wine is Noble Rot’s house wine Chin Chin, so that’s already a big start. We’ll let you discover the rest.