Yotam Ottolenghi
🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Israeli cuisine · b. 1968
The Jerusalem-born chef who made Middle Eastern vegetables the most exciting food in the world.
Biography
Yotam Ottolenghi was born in Jerusalem in 1968, the son of an Israeli father and German mother. He moved to London in 1997 with his partner Sami Tamimi to study patisserie, and opened the first Ottolenghi deli in Notting Hill in 2002.
Ottolenghi fundamentally changed British and global home cooking by introducing an abundance of Middle Eastern and North African ingredients — pomegranate molasses, za'atar, sumac, preserved lemon, harissa, tahini, dukkah, rose water — into mainstream Western kitchens through his delis, his newspaper column in The Guardian, and a series of cookbooks that have become among the most cooked-from volumes in the world.
His 2010 book Plenty demonstrated that vegetable-focused cooking did not need to be ascetic or protein-anxious — it could be extravagant, colourful, intensely flavoured and deeply satisfying. Jerusalem (2012), co-authored with Sami Tamimi, explored the culinary meeting point of Israeli and Palestinian food cultures through the city they both grew up in. Both books became international bestsellers and remain essential references.
Ottolenghi now operates five Ottolenghi delis in London, the NOPI restaurant in Soho, and ROVI, a wood-fire and fermentation focused restaurant. His broader influence on contemporary home cooking — particularly the way herbs are used in abundance rather than as garnish, and the way vegetables are treated as protagonists rather than sides — is immeasurable.
Cooking Philosophy
Abundance over restraint. Ottolenghi's aesthetic is built on layering: multiple spices, multiple textures, multiple acid elements, large quantities of fresh herbs. He believes that cooking vegetables well requires more technique and more flavour commitment than cooking meat, and that the Middle Eastern and North African tradition of vegetable cooking is one of the richest and most underexplored in the world.
Restaurants
- OttolenghiNotting Hill / Islington / Kensington / Belgravia / Spitalfields, London
Deli-restaurants; casual, counter-service with elaborate salads and pastries.
- NOPISoho, London
Full-service restaurant; Asian-Mediterranean crossovers.
- ROVIBloomsbury, London
Wood-fire and fermentation focused restaurant.
Awards & Recognition
- Multiple Observer Food Monthly awards
- James Beard International Cookbook of the Year (Jerusalem, 2013)
Iconic Dishes
Cookbooks
- Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (2008, with Sami Tamimi)
- Plenty (2010)
- Jerusalem (2012, with Sami Tamimi)
- Plenty More (2014)
- NOPI: The Cookbook (2015)
- Sweet (2017, with Helen Goh)
- Simple (2018)
- Falastin (2020, with Sami Tamimi)
- Ottolenghi Flavour (2020, with Ixta Belfrage)
- Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love (2021)
Recipes in Yotam's Style
These recipes from our database reflect the israeli cooking tradition that Yotam works in. They are not direct reproductions of Yotam's copyrighted recipes, but traditional dishes inspired by the same culinary heritage.
In Yotam's Own Words
“Vegetables have to work harder. They have to carry a dish on their own, and that requires more technique, more flavour, more care.”
— Yotam Ottolenghi
Career Timeline
Moves from Jerusalem to London; studies patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu
Opens first Ottolenghi deli in Notting Hill
First cookbook published
Plenty published; transforms how the world thinks about vegetarian cooking
Jerusalem published with Sami Tamimi; wins James Beard International award
Opens ROVI restaurant in Bloomsbury
Frequently Asked Questions about Yotam Ottolenghi
What style of cooking is Ottolenghi?
Ottolenghi's cooking blends the Middle Eastern and North African food traditions of Jerusalem, Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey with Mediterranean and Asian elements. It is characterised by abundant use of fresh herbs, layered spice combinations, tahini, pomegranate molasses, za'atar, harissa and other Eastern Mediterranean pantry staples, applied to primarily vegetable-focused dishes.
Is Ottolenghi vegetarian?
Not entirely — Ottolenghi is not vegetarian but is heavily vegetable-focused. His restaurants and most famous cookbooks (Plenty, Jerusalem) are either vegetarian or vegetable-led. He eats and cooks meat, but the most influential aspect of his work has been his demonstration that vegetables can be as satisfying and exciting as meat dishes.
What ingredients are essential for Ottolenghi-style cooking?
The Ottolenghi pantry essentials: tahini, pomegranate molasses, harissa, za'atar, sumac, preserved lemon, rose water, Aleppo pepper, dukkah, baharat, good-quality olive oil and large quantities of fresh herbs — parsley, mint, coriander, dill, basil.
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