Nopi

Nopi offer one of London’s most talked about breakfasts: the shakshuka, a hearty stir fry of peppers, tomatoes and onions with eggs cracked on top and dollops of smoky labneh cheese. It sounds appealing, so I’m disappointed when it turns out to be a lot more bland than expected. The dish exists in several variations in North Africa, the Middle East and in South East Asia; what they have in common is a focus on spices and seasoning. But here the paprika and cumin it’s supposed to taste of can’t be detected, and on a more personal note, I’ve always thought that a sauce with soft vegetables such as this one benefits from hard eggs, while runny yolks are better with something for dipping. Here the yolks leak into the fairly tasteless sauce.

A dish of poached eggs with smoked salmon arrives minus the salmon and has to be sent back, but this is a minor quibble and the staff are genuinely helpful. It’s a more successful option, soft poached eggs with cured salmon is always a winner, if done properly. Elsewhere on the breakfast menu there are sausage and bacon sandwiches with coriander aioli, healthy granola with fruit and the more unusual black rice with coconut milk and mango. However we realise that this time of day might not be the best to try chef proprietor Yotam Ottolenghi’s cuisine.

The best bit of our visit is a trip to the loos. No really, they’re fantastic. The walls and cubicle doors are mirrored and set at an angle, a clever visual trick that disorientates a little but mostly looks stunning. There are art deco fittings and the buzzy downstairs dining area has an exposed kitchen and plenty of chic marble. If only we’d had a more interesting meal.