Yotam Ottolenghi

Yotam Ottolenghi is a highly acclaimed Israeli-born British chef, restaurateur, and food writer known for his innovative approach to Middle Eastern cuisine and vegetable-centric dishes. After relocating to London to pursue French pastry cooking at Le Cordon Bleu, Yotam Ottolenghi honed his skills as a pastry chef at several prestigious London restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Capital Restaurant, Kensington Place, and Launceston Place. In 1999, he became the head pastry chef at Baker and Spice, where his culinary vision led to a pivotal collaboration with Sami Tamimi. Together, alongside Noam Bar, they co-founded their first delicatessen, Ottolenghi, in Notting Hill in 2002.

This innovative venture quickly earned critical acclaim for its distinctive, vegetable-centric dishes infused with Middle Eastern flavors, establishing a new paradigm in London’s culinary scene. Building on this initial success, the Ottolenghi brand rapidly expanded with additional delis opening in Islington, Marylebone, and Chelsea. Further establishing his restaurateur footprint, Ottolenghi launched NOPI, a formal brasserie in Soho, in 2011, followed by ROVI, a vegetable-focused restaurant in Fitzrovia, in June 2018. Parallel to his restaurant ventures, Ottolenghi began a prolific career as a food writer, contributing a weekly column titled ‘The New Vegetarian’ for The Guardian starting in 2006.

He has also appeared as a guest judge on ‘Masterchef Australia’. Most recently, Yotam Ottolenghi has continued to captivate audiences with new culinary explorations. He published ‘Ottolenghi Flavour’ in 2020, followed by the successful ‘Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love’ in 2021 and ‘Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things’ in 2022. His latest work, ‘Ottolenghi Comfort,’ was released in 2024, maintaining his status as a preeminent voice in global cuisine and a consistent international bestseller.

Through his multiple successful restaurant concepts, influential cookbooks, and television appearances, Ottolenghi continues to shape contemporary eating habits worldwide.