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Inside all day dining - Ara, London, Greater London

Ara

4.9 (34)
£25 and under
Global, International
Whitechapel High St, London, Greater London E1

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2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Innovative
Ara is an all-day dining restaurant serving well-travelled food taking inspirations from wherever we can. The restaurant's design evolves dynamically throughout the day, offering a bright and airy ambiance during daytime hours and transitioning to a darker, more intimate, and secluded atmosphere in the evening.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Global, International
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 8:00 am–11:45 am Brunch Sat, Sun 8:00 am–5:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:15 pm–11:00 pm
  • Website
    http://www.ararestaurant.co.uk/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Murat Kilic
  • Location
    Whitechapel High St, London, Greater London E1
  • Neighborhood
    Aldgate
  • Cross street
    Cross Road between Whitechapel Road and Leman Street
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Aldgate East Tube Station
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Feasting Menu

    £55.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    SMALL PLATES TO SHARE Con ribs, umami dust Sourdough, fermented chilli and honey butter Charred green beans, tahini mirin dressing Burrata with crispy chilli peanuts and apricots Fried chicken, no-pomelo salad Blackened leeks, muhammara, xo sauce, soft herbs, confit walnuts Grilled carrots, labneh, Vadouvan spiced butter BIG PLATES TO SHARE Adana lamb skewer, red zough, pico de gallo Slow cooked short rib, white grape and mixed herb salad Agria potato, double fried, strong aioli Kimchi DESSERTS TO SHARE Chocolate basque cheesecake, whey caramel Herb sorbet
    Feasting Menu Photo

  • Sharing Menu

    £39.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    SMALL PLATES Corn ribs, umami dust Grilled potato bread, cultured butter Burrata with crispy chilli peanuts and apricots Fried chicken, no-pomelo salad Blackened leeks, muhammara, xo sauce, soft herbs, confit walnuts LARGE PLATES & SIDES Sweetheart cabbage contramar, almond sauce Skate wing, macadamia, shallot and lemongrass crunch Agria potato, double fried, strong aioli DESSERT Chocolate basque cheesecake, whey caramel
    Sharing Menu Photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 34 people are saying

Ara reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • City of London

    Best Overall

  • City of London

    Best Food

  • City of London

    Innovative

  • City of London

    Great for creative cocktails

  • City of London

    Healthy

  • City of London

    Good for special occasions

  • City of London

    Vegetarian-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ara is a delightful dining experience, praised for its "culinary brilliance" and "sincere service." The "beautifully designed" restaurant offers a "varied menu" with standout dishes like lamb, grilled mussels, and the incredible short rib. Attentive staff and a cozy atmosphere make it a "breath of fresh air." Highly recommended!

34 Reviews

  1. Armen VIP

    London52 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food is very good with several standout dishes. Great selection for vegetarians. The burrata is exceptional...a unique combination of flavours to accompany it. The carrots with labneh were full of flavour as were the agria potatoes; perfectly crisp with a subtle taste of salt and vinegar. Make sure you order the grilled potato bread. Service was exemplary. The maitre d' made us feel very welcome. We'll definitely return.

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  2. Davide

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful experience! The atmosphere is relaxed and the layout is intimate and comfortable. Our waiter was friendly and helpful. The food was amazing: ingredients, taste and presentation were superb!

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  3. Lisa

    New York City7 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    A lively new restaurant. Great service. The food was good though portions on the small side. Unfortunately there was nausea straight after the meal in one of our party. Great location but a bit pricey for the overall meal.

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  4. Lyn VIP

    London13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A magical evening sitting outside on the terrace. Interesting good value wines, but a fan of Prosecco but enjoyed the Undurraga at £9 a glass. Mediterranean dishes, corn ribs with chicken butter nicely charred. Seabass ceviche light and fresh, blackened leeks delicious. Agria potatoes too big and just too solid. Skewers of Mussels ok, seemed tinned to me. Skewered lamb neck large plate ok. Had the herb sorbet, yuzu, spinach, basil- both of us really liked, along with the Basque chocolate cheesecake. Fun evening, staff fabulous-warm, friendly and helpful. All credit to the manager who recruited a really good team who’ve only been together two weeks. As a recruiter I can tell you it ain’t easy. Yes, we’d go back.

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  5. rachel

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A lovely new restaurant with delicious food in a smart but relaxed space. The outside dining was a definite plus

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  6. Corinne

    Surrey1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and excellent service! Nice to have outside space for summer!

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  7. Corinna

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible spot, all the dishes were spot on and the service was outstanding! Ready for this to become my new local!

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  8. Hasitha

    London3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience with food , service.. specially bartender was great with his service . All The best ara

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  9. Paul

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was incredible, not the biggest fan of the atmosphere, it gets quite crowded and the music can be a bit distracting. Still a definite recommendation, the ceviche was one of the best I've ever had.

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  10. Harriet

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible food, great service - my new hot spot in Aldgate East!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Ara is rated 4.9 stars by 34 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. London
  4. City of London
  5. Aldgate

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Ara

Whitechapel High St, London, Greater London E1

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Cross Road between Whitechapel Road and Leman Street
  • Neighborhood
    Aldgate
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 8:00 am–11:45 am Brunch Sat, Sun 8:00 am–5:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:15 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Global, International
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Aldgate East Tube Station
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Murat Kilic
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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