Six months after moving to East London I had to try the infamous Italian-British place that is E. Pellicci in Tower Hamlets. Walking up Bethnal Green Road towards Brick Lane on a weekend – as anyone who has recently moved to East London would – it’s hard to miss the huge queue of people outside E. Pellicci, a natural extension of the Italian running scene.
Sandwiched between an Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant and a household store, the small restaurant stretches out onto the street with a green rain cover and a neon sign buzzing overhead. Smartly choosing to go on a weekday, we are seated about 10 minutes after we started queuing and are surprisingly asked if we don’t mind sharing a table.
After months of observing everyone else waiting for their chance, we take it, so we follow our waitress under the low door, my friend giggling behind me, “It’s like walking into Berghain.” We sit at the glass and metal counter, garnished with cookies, soft baguettes and large slices of white bread.
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I can only see the hands of the person working behind the counter, like a silent film of various sandwiches being packed to go. You can see the main kitchen through an opening in the back wall; the plates pass through this, but the window acts more as a means of connecting with the chef. He leans over the counter and laughs with a family sitting by the kitchen and at one point comes out the side door and “calls out” to some regulars with familiar affection.
Service is quick, and within 20 minutes of grabbing the menus we get our food. I went for a full English and an oat milk latte – which in a greasy spoon is hard to come by – while my friend had the vegetarian option.
The breakfast was, simply put, great. Your standard English, it had one important thing that made it stand out for me: finally a place that doesn’t make you choose between different elements, because most times I want both mushrooms and beans. The bubble ‘n’ sizzle on the vegetarian was a soft and mild alternative to the well-cooked Cumberland sausage and made the meatless option much easier. The coffee was made in a European way, smaller and stronger, a good break between mouthfuls of buttery toast.
The decor is comforting, the wooden walls adorned with merch, and black-and-white photos that one of the waiters—tall and lovable, floating around the room with soft steps—tells show the grandparents who worked here before the 20th century and who still have family carrying on the legacy today. Every few minutes the smell of coffee fills the small restaurant, and there is no need for music as the many conversations, some from opposite corners of the room, would block it out anyway.
I came to Pellicci’s intrigued by its lively atmosphere, expecting it to be the food that makes it click. Instead, the perfect breakfast that will set you up for the day was overshadowed by the atmosphere and character of the place. The crowd ranges from couples gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes over the biggest panini I’ve ever seen, to traditionalists strolling in steel-toed boots and corporate raincoats, to the office boy with the collar sticking out of his shirt.
Our waitress, Rosa, speaks to my friend in Italian and stops to tell stories about her children and the importance of home. Through the few words I understand from her language, I hear the secret behind the restaurant’s success: la famiglia – the family, which you feel a part of as soon as you step through the doors.
E. Pellicci is open 8am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 3pm on Saturdays.
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