Tiella is having a moment. Did dinner live up to the buzz?
Tiella Trattoria & Bar
A lively East London trattoria serving comforting, well-executed Italian food. I went for the buzz and left thinking about the Enzoni, the figs and the chicken Milanese.
Good
Yes—for the Enzoni, the figs and the chicken Milanese. At around £150 for two, it feels like a treat rather than an everyday dinner.
The highlight
Figs with green beans, hazelnut and sheep’s cheese; chicken Milanese; and the Enzoni.
A small note
The spaghetti alle vongole was nicely done, though it didn’t stand out as much as the other dishes for me.
Best for: Comforting Italian cooking in a lively East London setting
What I’d order again: Figs, green beans, hazelnut and sheep’s cheese; chicken Milanese
Would I return? Yes
Rough spend: Around £150 for two
Tiella has been getting plenty of attention, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about. It sits right by the entrance to Columbia Road Flower Market, in a converted Victorian pub. On Wednesday evening, the room was already packed by 6:30.
We were seated at the counter, which gave us a view into the kitchen. It was a small space, busy with service, but the chefs seemed calm and well organised. The food arrived before our drinks. We were hungry, so we didn’t mind, though it made the start of the meal feel slightly out of sequence.
We had an Enzoni and a martini. The Enzoni was refreshing, and the grapes served as a garnish were the best part: sweet and familiar, like the grapes in my mum’s garden. I liked it enough to order a second.
The menu is divided into antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci. We started with bread from Forno, the bakery across the street, along with panelle, mortadella with plum mostarda, and figs with green beans, hazelnut and sheep’s cheese. The figs dish was a favourite: a lovely combination of sweet, savoury and nutty.
For primi, we had spaghetti alle vongole. It was well executed, but it didn’t really grab me.
The chicken Milanese, served with green apple, fennel and celery, was much more memorable: comforting, generous and very good.
By dessert, we were full, but there’s usually room for something sweet. We tried the bay leaf panna cotta with blackberries. I wanted to be able to taste the bay leaf, and I could—in the best way. It brought to mind the flavours of this plum, blackberry and bay friand cake from Ottolenghi.
The dishes were all very well executed, even if nothing felt completely unfamiliar. Our bill came to around £150 for two. Tiella is a treat rather than an everyday dinner, but I’d go back for the Enzoni, the figs and the chicken Milanese.
If you’re in the mood for tasty, comforting Italian food in a lively East London room, it’s worth trying at least once. Tiella is also a recent addition to the MICHELIN Guide—though for me, the meal itself is the more interesting reason to visit.
