What's the draw
Light, veg-topped and oh-so-delicious: sound the klaxon, because tart flambées have arrived in Old Street courtesy of Neil Witney, formerly executive chef at Farmer J, La Bodega Negra and E&O. If you've never heard of a flambée, it's a dish originating from Alsace in Northern France, and it's not a pizza. Rather, flambées here are a deliciously light, crispy and messy pizza/filo pastry hybrid, bursting with flavour from roasted veggies, crème fraîche and drizzled tahini. The toppings are so cleverly paired that you forget your pizza-like dish is lacking cheese and tomato altogether. Head out of curiosity, if nothing else, and to snap a photo of the rainbow coloured, pomegranate-topped pastry and the loud, quirky illustrations covering the walls, already stars of the show on many an Instagram feed.
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What to drink
Attention to detail is strong at Flamboree across both the dishes and drinks on offer. There's pomegranate lemonade (they're big on pomegranate, can you tell?) and sweet apple iced tea brewed in-house, or, for something slightly stronger, opt for a beer from West London brewer Reunion, which were designed and produced for the restaurant opening (watch out for their iconic designs on the can). We try the lager and the pale ale: 'Wish Me Gluck', as the lager is aptly called, is slightly floral, with hints of lemon, whilst the ale has more depth, with a bitter, hoppier finish. They're dangerously easy to drink – especially as you begin to bop along to the early 2010s indie-leaning playlist (think Mumford & Sons, The Vaccines and Hosier, and you get the jist).
What to eat
The 'Salmon Dance' is a colourful assortment of sweet, moist smoked salmon, creamy avocado, rich roasted tomatoes and crispy, salty kale piled high on flaky base, and the 'Royal Levantine' has a more Middle Eastern influence, towering with roasted smoky aubergine, biting feta, nutty tahini, smooth molasses and tangy za'atar. Both are tasty, but the salmon is stand-out spectacular: just rich enough that you feel satisfied post-meal, but not so much that someone has to roll you home. We almost lick the wooden board clean. The Royal Levantine, on the other hand, is a little on the rich side – feta, tahini and molasses are a heady combination – but it's tasty, nonetheless. We'd recommend you do as we did and ditch knife and fork altogether: a quick glance around proves we're not the only ones who've given up on utensils. Instead, indulge by folding the thin pastry slices in half, capturing every last morsel of topping in the process, and devour hungrily with your hands as the sweet juices run down your arms. It's flam-tastic – pizza's more elegant, less heavy little sister. You heard it here first.
Mains from £8.95; beers from £4.95 per can. 154 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9BW; flamboree.co.uk
