Neighbourhood

Neighbourhood | Islington Residency Spot

Neighbourhood is a pop-up space in Islington (previously known as ‘Sessions Food Hall’) that shines the spotlight on new and up-and-coming chefs – or exciting, innovative chefs who may have been around for a while, but just need that extra bit of spotlight to get their breakthrough into the mainstream.

And it’s a blinding concept…

Because:

A) The chefs are lent a full-on kitchen with a restaurant space on a limited-time basis (normally for around a month), which in turn gives them the necessary exposure to build a following and test out what works (and what doesn’t) before they’re released back into the wild to fend for themselves, and for some, potentially open a permanent place of their own.

Also,

B) You get to eat their food.

It’s a win-win scenario that’s beneficial to all parties, and for February Neighbourhood’s guest of honour will be Ivan Orkin. If you were on the couch back in 2017 watching Netflix’s Chef’s Table, then that name’s an instant ‘ahh’ moment (as he was the subject/star of one of the episodes), and if you weren’t, well, just know that Orkin has something legendary presence in the world of ramen and his restaurant in New York – Ivan Ramen – has a strong claim to being the hottest spot in the Big Apple for bowls of Japanese noodles.

Anyway, Orkin’s menu will be at Neighbourhood for a good time, not a long time (just from February 9th to March 9th), allowing you to sample his new Ivan Mazemen concept (inspired by Nagoya’s speciality of serving ramen without the soup). You’ll be able to get those in flavours of Katsu Curry (with panko-breaded chicken breast); Triple Chicken Triple Garlic; and Cold Sesame Noodles (with chilled Szechuan chicken). There’ll be sides, too, like fried chicken with toasted garlic caramel, and it goes without saying – but we’ll say it anyway – everything can (and should be) washed down with ice-cold pints of Asahi.

You’ll notice that, as part of Sessions’ pivot to becoming Neighbourhood, the interiors have had a total revamp, too: the casual seating and counters of the old food hall set-up have been replaced by smart, candlelit tables with bentwood chairs, and a moodier colour palette on the walls, with warm wood accents. And whenever there isn’t a guest chef in residence, you’ll be able to pop in for classic local bistro fare – pizzette, sharing boards, salads, brunch dishes, and cocktails.

Which all seems like a great addition to the neighbourhood.

NOTE: Ivan Orkin’s Neighbourhood residency runs from February 9th-May 1st 2023. You can book and find out more on their website, right here.

Neighbourhood | 77 Upper Street, N1 0NU

Love noodles? Love soup? Alright, alright, here’s our guide to the best ramen restaurants in London…