Holy Carrot Bistro opens in Spitalfields, bringing fire-led, vegetable-focused dining to east London

Holy Carrot Bistro, a vegetable-led restaurant founded by Irina Linovich and led in the kitchen by executive chef Daniel Watkins, has opened in Spitalfields. The restaurant marks the second location for the Holy Carrot brand and expands a concept centred on fire-led cooking, fermentation and low-waste techniques. The opening follows the launch of Holy Carrot’s flagship restaurant in Notting Hill in July 2024, which was born from a pop-up in Knightsbridge in 2020. According to the company, the new bistro format allows the kitchen to extend its menu beyond the original offering, while keeping vegetables as the focus.

The menu brings both new dishes and some previously served at Holy Carrot. Starters include Koji-cured Vegetables with Tofu and Pickles and English Ricotta with Radicchio, Truffle and Koji Honey. Other options in the selection are Beets Cooked in Coal with Ezme Salad, a Crispy Artichoke with Smoked Tofu Gribiche and Peas and Burrata with Smoked Pepper and Citrus Dressing.

A separate pizzetta section offers a Georgian-inspired Khachapuri with baked egg, cheese and black pepper, and others such as one made with new season peas, courgette and wild garlic. All are made with dough that is baked using fermented koji and silken tofu. In the larger plates selection is an Artichoke Tempeh Schnitzel with Café de Paris Butter, the Vol-au-Vent with British King Oyster Mushroom, Peppercorn and Dulse Sauce, and Sexy Tofu with smoked carrot XO and mustard greens. The kitchen also plans to serve a regularly changing Pie du Jour. Returning dishes from earlier iterations of Holy Carrot are the Caesar Salad, Crispy Mushroom Wings and Coal-roasted Leeks with Smoked Carrot Hot Sauce, Chilli and Hazelnut. Desserts come in the form of Tiramisu, No-waste Lemon Posset, Chocolate Crémeux with Malt Caramel and Rice and a seasonal sorbet served in the fruit shell.

The drinks list has been developed around a seres of pivotal flavour profiles: smoke, spice, heat and fermentation. Among the cocktails are Heat (described as a spicy margarita with pineapple, coriander, poblano chilli and sherbet), Smoke (an old-fashioned-style libation made with Glenmorangie, Hennessy, corn liquor and banana oleo) and Spice (a rum-based cocktail with apricot, ginger, apple, honey and vanilla). For non-alcoholic options there’s Heat 0.0, a rhubarb and tarragon soda, and rooibos kombucha brewed in-house. The wine list focuses on European producers, with wines available by the glass, carafe and bottle.

The interiors were developed in collaboration with designer Faye Toogood, resulting in a space that uses textiles, illustrated motifs, metal, timber and tiled finishes, with hand-drawn elements incorporated into the restaurant’s visual identity.

Linovich, whose professional background is in fashion, founded Holy Carrot in 2020. Watkins previously worked at Acme Fire Cult in Dalston and now serves as executive chef. The company explained the Spitalfields restaurant is intended to function as a neighbourhood bistro serving solo diners, business lunches and larger groups. Reservations are now open.

Food Desk

To book a table at Holy Carrot Bistro, 61-63 Brushfield Street, London E1 6AA, call 020 4580 1425 or visit the restaurant’s website here.