Wicked cocktails and indulgent dishes to not feel ‘Guilty’ about!

Restaurant Guilty by Olivier opens at nhow London, Old Street. “Less guilty, more foodporn”, is a concept and ethos we can truly get onboard with here at On In London.

After great success in Lisbon, Porto and Bangkok, the Guilty international restaurant group has now turned its attention to Northern Europe, and officially launched its first UK restaurant, Guilty by Oliver at nhow London.

Guilty by Olivier is more than just a restaurant – it’s a vibrant meeting spot that caters to all occasions. Whether you’re in the mood for a business lunch, a family dinner, watching the game with friends, or an after-work guilty hour, this place has got you covered. Guilty by Olivier London promises good vibes and an exceptional dining experience.

Taking residence in nhow London, a picturesque open-house lifestyle hotel in Shoreditch, the restaurant is the centrepiece of the hotel. Visible from the lobby and framed with sexy, mystery-inducing velvet curtains, the sprawling restaurant is a marvel. Boasting a large central bar, the space gives off just the right amount of ‘hotel restaurant’ vibes, combined with a decadent and expressive, artsy décor.

Opening night proved to be one of the hottest Thursday nights out (that feels like a Friday) in London, with a well-attended room of top press and influencers. Each table got to try the full menu, with full size sharer dishes, a mean feat for any foodie – naturally, we gave it our best shot.

The menu is curated around indulgence, with a sidenote of gluttony. The key: encouraging guests to walk away without feeling guilty. Think big-eat challenges. As part of the menu, guests can partake in the Guilty Big Challenge – an all you can eat eight double cheese tower, plus sides – all to be gorged in just 60-minutes. Wow. It might be an eye-watering £130.00, but if you succeed, it’s free!

We thankfully didn’t participate in this challenge. But highlight dishes included On The Side Chicken Wings – with the most delicious garlic mayo we’d had in a long time. The Beef Carpaccio was an incredibly generous portion, complemented with parmesan, balsamic glaze and rocket. A favourite dish for the whole table was the Gratinated Porcini Ravioli, which gave just the right amount of earthiness and a classic al dente texture to the pasta.

Along the same vein, burgers and pizzas were as naughty as you would expect, with the right amount of gooey cheese, crisp toppings and all that good stuff. I’d love to comment on the desserts, but the sheer volume of food left us ready to burst. Although I did hear moans of joy when the neighbouring table was served up a Naughty Nutella Pizza – classic dough, topped with Nutella, strawberries and white chocolate.

It might not be the focal point of the restaurant, or even the website, but we can rave about the quality and calibre of the cocktail range. Trying all the classics, from Daiquiris, to Espresso Martinis, to a lethal Long Island Iced Tea (as they should be), each went down an absolute treat.

For more than 20 years, Chef Olivier da Costa has been the mastermind behind innovative, one-of-a–kind culinary concepts that turned into instant successes. In addition to Guilty, the Olivier Restaurants Group has six other concepts: Classic, K.O.B, Yakuza, SEEN, XXL and Savage.

We’d certainly recommend a visit to the new Old Street London location. With other incredible bars such as Nightjar Shoreditch and Callooh Callay in the local vicinity, why not make it a night to remember (or not, depends how many of those Guilty cocktails you put away)?

For more information, please visit the Guilty By Olivier website.