The main dining room at Morchella (you can also see the way through to the bar at the back)
What can you tell us about Morchella?
This is the new restaurant from the team behind Michelin-starred Perilla in Stoke Newington. However while this second restaurant may share the characteristics of a sunlit corner space with its elder sibling, this is a very different affair from the original. First of all, the focus at Morchella is on Mediterranean cuisine and we'd say it's also a shift towards more casual dining. All that and it's a much, much bigger space that even has its separate bar.
Where is it?
Morchella has taken over an impressive corner building just off Exmouth Market, on Rosebery Avenue. Once a bank, the space has had quite a few tenants over the years and to locals will probably most recently be remembered as Italian restaurant/pizzeria La Porchetta.
Getting here, Angel or Farringdon are the closest stations (each about a 10-minute walk away) but the 19 or 38 buses will drop you off right outside.
The impressive building hosting Morchella
What's it like inside and where should we sit?
Previous restaurants have found this something of a tricky space to manage and it seems that the team here decided that the best way to approach it was to undergo a full rework inside. It looks very, very different from the La Porchetta days, with the room opened up considerably and the focus now around a central bar and open kitchen.
If you like to watch the chefs in action, the counter dining seats here are the ones to aim for (and we like the way they fold away when not in use). In addition to that, for couples, there are cosy booth tables for two all along one of the walls opposite the bar that looked great too.
Anything to note before we talk about food?
At this point, it's also worth a quick note about the pricing. There's no service charge at Morchella, because all the prices have that baked in, so there won't be any extra costs added on at the end and bear that in mind for the prices below. Will this be the start of a trend for other London restaurants? We'll have to see.
What's on the menu?
Mediterranean cuisine has become something of a thing in London in recent years with The Langham's Mimosa coming soon as well as The Greek-focused OMA. With this restaurant, Morchella have cast their net wide for influences from across the Med, for what they pitch as a "modern interpretation of classical dishes".
It's primarily a small to medium sharing plates setup, alongside a few bigger dishes like steak and salt-baked poussin. You could happily pop in for a few dishes and some wine or stay longer and trawl through much of the menu - each would be a rewarding way of approaching things.
With that in mind, here's what we had, which is very much the latter of those two options:
Spanakopita (£3.50 each) - These are bite-size snacks (it's a bit of an extreme close-up) of spinach and feta inside wafer-thin pastry. An absolute must-have.
Salt cod churros (£9.50) - so SO good.
Vitello tonnato (£8.50 each) - we're big fans of vitello tonnato, so massively approved of these tuna/veal bites.
Scallop and cauliflower mushroom (£17) - A truly wonderful scallop dish. Make sure to order the bread too, as you'll need it to mop up the sauce on this dish.
Hake and sobrasada (£12) - a beautifully cooked piece of fish improved still further by drowning it in sobrasada
Monkfish and cuttlefish (£23) topped with horseradish cream
Winter caponata panzerotti (£24) - this looks to be a regular dish that changes its fillings according to what's in season and is very much a great veggie option.
Anything else to highlight?
There is one other dish that we didn't have that's become something of a signature - the whole salt-baked poussin with chilli sauce (£28). That comes to your table under its already detached crust which is used as a somewhat handy dish for any bones. We hear good things and it was a very popular dish when we visited.
And what about dessert?
It is absolutely worth holding back so you can have dessert. There's a dish of gorgonzola dolci on the list - but really you'll want to be aiming for either of these:
Lemon Tart (£13) - This has everything we want from a tart - just very barely set and the thinnest of bases. Phenomenal.
Blood orange and black olive portokalopita (£14) - Just as good is this Greek-inspired orange cake.
What about drink?
While Morchella gives off a laid-back casual vibe, they have a large leather-covered wine list that is certainly taking itself seriously. There's a focus on natural, biodynamic and organic producers and as with the food influence, there's a strong emphasis on Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. Wines are also marked as coastal, classic or "funky" to help you narrow down what's right for you. Price-wise, glasses start at £8.50 (£52 for a litre, but carafes are available too)
It's also worth noting that there's a completely separate bar here at Morchella. It's for walk-ins only so it's an ideal meeting point if you're here before your table's ready. In addition, all the snacks from the main menu are available in the bar so if you can't get a booking, it's well worth popping into the bar to try some of the menu.
The bar at Morchella
Overall thoughts
When Perilla opened , it was an extremely accomplished restaurant right out of the gate and the team has achieved the same thing here. The menu at Morchella takes the Mediterranean concept and runs with it in new and exciting ways, delivering wonderful dishes along the way. Coupled with a beautiful room and a friendly vibe to go with it, this is the best opening that Exmouth Market has seen in a while.
More about Morchella
Where is it? 84-86 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4Q
How to book: Book online
Find out more: On their website or follow them on Instagram @morchelladining.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Morchella. Prices are correct at the time of writing
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