Popolo Shoreditch

1. Took a chance and walked in without a booking. They had space upstairs looking over the street. Great place to watch the world go by.

   Had a delicious natural wine, along with several of the dishes they have on offer.
   Each one was well presented and the tastes just melted in your mouth.

   The pasta was cooked to perfection and the sauces were so good that I wanted to lick the bowls clean!

2. I’ll start by saying that the owner and staff are very welcoming, making a genuine effort to accommodate the different preferences of their guests.

   We were a group of three and sat at the bar, where John, the owner, ensured we had everything we needed. He was incredibly kind and informative.

   Now, about the food. The restaurant claims to be Italian with a Basque twist, but the execution falls short of both Italian and Basque cuisine. The menu seems disjointed, featuring dishes like Spanish octopus, crispy olives with labaneh (which is Druze from Lebanon) and lobster pasta that uses egg noodles, giving it more of a Cantonese feel.

   Honestly, we didn’t understand any of the dishes, and none made us say, “OMG, this is so good.” In fact, no dish even made us say, “This is worth our while.”

   The dishes were mostly bland and didn’t excite our palates, lacking the bold flavors typical of the claimed cuisines, such as salt, pepper, and spice. We tried most of the menu, except for the desserts, and unfortunately, we all left disappointed, despite John’s efforts to accommodate us.

3. Visited for dinner as a party of 3, we were swiftly seated and ate at the kitchen bar, really great to see the chefs in action. Food and drinks were all excellent, octopus and the pork cheek dishes were the highlights. Service was great and will visit again

4. We had a lovely visit to Popolo for my birthday last week! We were initially a little concerned when looking at the menu as it is heavy on the seafood but when you have chefs cooking at this standard, I don’t think it matters what you order- it’s all going to be beautiful- and it was! The gnudi is a must and the flourless chocolate cake will blow your mind! Reading other reviews I expected the dishes to be smaller so we ordered similar to a tapas style and we over ordered by way too much but it was nice to taste all of the plates! Definitely recommend this place!

5. From the US, and this is my third time to Popolo, stopping each time I’m in London and it never disappoints. John and his team remain consistent, creative and each time equally outstanding in food, prep and hospitality. Love sitting at the kitchen bar and watching it all take place. Past with white truffle was off the charts. Highly recommended and look forward to my next visit!

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