Review on Haya
Haya is a gem of a neighbourhood restaurant located next to the Community Church in the heart of Notting Hill. A Mediterranean restaurant with Israeli influences, it's laid out over two floors with interiors designed by local based Alessio Nardi of A-nrd. The brainchild of Victoria Paltima, Haya is her middle name and also means 'life' in Hebrew.
The ground floor dining room is bathed in lots of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling timber sash windows during the day, while in the evening lights are dimmed to create a cosier atmosphere. Blush marble-topped tables are set on a warm oak floor, there's textured concrete walls and a touch of greenery hanging from the ceiling. Guests can also enjoy the theatre of the chefs at work in the open kitchen. Downstairs there's a home-style bar and a large white marble sharing table overlooked by a bespoke stained glass window and coloured walls are adorned with mirrors and art.
Taking helm of the kitchen is Tel Aviv born chef Shiri Kraus, who has climbed the culinary ladder at esteemed restaurants such as Paolmar and Barbary. Showcasing a fusion of traditional Israeli dishes and Mediterranean flavours that are designed for sharing, she makes excellent use of the finest local ingredients paired with seasonal Israeli classical spices and vegetables. Diners can look forward to freshly baked tahini bread served with olive oil za'atar, and spicy whipped feta, as wall as octopus croquettes with a spicy aioli and sour cream dip. Other options worth looking at would be roasted poussin biri biri sauce, micro salad of herbs and apricots and from the sea salmon tartare freekeh, roast pepper and harissa coulis, cured lemon and yogurt.
Daytime sees cold-pressed juices and coffee being served, while in the evening there's Israeli wines from the country's five producing regions, as well as Old World and organic bottles, together with classic cocktails with a twist.
Cuisine
Middle Eastern
Chef
Shiri Kraus
Restaurant Opening Times
Lunch: 12.00 - 3.00pm Tue-Fri (10.30am - 3.30pm Sat & Sun)
Dinner: 6.00 - 11.30pm Tue-Sun
Accepted credit cards
Visa, Master Card