Bakery by Day, Wine Bar by Night
***Rachel Khoo would like to thank all the inspiring people who helped make the Khoollect studio a hive of creativity. Although the Khoollect studio’s doors have now closed, you can keep up with Rachel’s newest adventures on RachelKhoo.com and on Rachel’s Instagram and Facebook pages – and, continue to enjoy the Khoollect website’s stories and recipes, which will remain available.***
Tucked down an unsuspecting, less-than-polished side street in the trendy East London suburb of London Fields, is a bakery turned wine bar that’s steadily growing in popularity.
Lonzo is the newest of three restaurants owned under the same small umbrella group, with a focus on making quality food from scratch. When Khoollect visited at 10am on a weekday morning, the restaurant was uninhabited except for a couple of staff and an enormous number of freshly wood-fired sourdough loaves, awaiting delivery around East London and beyond.
This bread, of which the bakery produces around 60-160 loaves per day, is made using some of the freshest stone milled flour in England sourced from Gilchester Organics. After sampling this heady delight, it’s obvious why it’s gaining cult popularity around the city, being snapped up by locals at weekly farmer’s markets, and stocked in an increasing number of casual dining joints and high-end London restaurants.
On returning for dinner at night, the same space that occupied endless loaves mid-morning, now appears transformed into a neatly set Italian family dining room. The shelves of old world wines and artisan olive oils that went unnoticed earlier in the day, now reveal their abundant selves – each carefully selected from smaller lesser known vineyards, producers and varietals. Friendly staff have an in-depth knowledge of the ever-changing selection, and are happy to provide customers with a taste of whichever wine they like – even if the bottle hasn’t yet been opened.
A laid back dinner consists of delicious small plates to share, in a quintessentially Italian ‘everyone squeeze around one large communal table’ setting. Freshly handmade pasta, ricotta, pizza dough, and ice cream and gelato is all made at onsite at Lonzo, and distributed around sister restaurants Lardo and Lardo Bebè.
Lonzo is a great example of London’s many multi-functional restaurants utilising their space for more than one purpose. If you can’t get there for dinner, then you best try source yourself a loaf.
Lonzo, 5 Helmsley Place, London E8 3SB
Find Lonzo on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
Photos by Khoollect photographer Lara Messer
Tucked down an unsuspecting, less-than-polished side street in the trendy East London suburb of London Fields, is a bakery turned wine bar that’s steadily growing in popularity.
Lonzo is the newest of three restaurants owned under the same small umbrella group, with a focus on making quality food from scratch. When Khoollect visited at 10am on a weekday morning, the restaurant was uninhabited except for a couple of staff and an enormous number of freshly wood-fired sourdough loaves, awaiting delivery around East London and beyond.
This bread, of which the bakery produces around 60-160 loaves per day, is made using some of the freshest stone milled flour in England sourced from Gilchester Organics. After sampling this heady delight, it’s obvious why it’s gaining cult popularity around the city, being snapped up by locals at weekly farmer’s markets, and stocked in an increasing number of casual dining joints and high-end London restaurants.
On returning for dinner at night, the same space that occupied endless loaves mid-morning, now appears transformed into a neatly set Italian family dining room. The shelves of old world wines and artisan olive oils that went unnoticed earlier in the day, now reveal their abundant selves – each carefully selected from smaller lesser known vineyards, producers and varietals. Friendly staff have an in-depth knowledge of the ever-changing selection, and are happy to provide customers with a taste of whichever wine they like – even if the bottle hasn’t yet been opened.
A laid back dinner consists of delicious small plates to share, in a quintessentially Italian ‘everyone squeeze around one large communal table’ setting. Freshly handmade pasta, ricotta, pizza dough, and ice cream and gelato is all made at onsite at Lonzo, and distributed around sister restaurants Lardo and Lardo Bebè.
Lonzo is a great example of London’s many multi-functional restaurants utilising their space for more than one purpose. If you can’t get there for dinner, then you best try source yourself a loaf.
Lonzo, 5 Helmsley Place, London E8 3SB
Find Lonzo on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
Photos by Khoollect photographer Lara Messer
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