40% off Il Bebo’s new Italian brunch in London Wood Green

When it comes to restaurants in the capital that offer a Halal Italian menu, there aren’t many which come to mind.

The last one we reviewed was Bella Cosa in Canary Wharf over two years ago, which turned out to be an impressive eatery serving a number of exceptional dishes.

Il Bebo’s in north London’s Wood Green is another one that can be added to the list, serving as it does a combination of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Alas, while pork bacon and non-Halal Cumberland sausage (replaceable with sucuk) is included in a few dishes, these are prepped and cooked entirely separately in the kitchen so as to ensure no cross-contamination.

Having taken over a national bank just before the first lockdown began, this two-storey venue on the busy High Road is beautifully decked out, with Il Bebo’s having retained the original building’s quintessential charm and classic architectural features.

With seating for 120 downstairs, the interior is a pleasant mix of the rugged and the modern, with bare brickwork and a sturdy spiral staircase leading to an additional 36 seats on the first floor, being juxtaposed with plenty of hanging plants and tasteful artwork.

Despite there being an alcohol bar at the back, Il Bebo’s spacious interior means that there’s plenty of seating farther afield.

Although the brand has two sites, the other being a lounge in west London’s Hounslow, this is the first to introduce their brand new brunch menu (available from 8am till 3pm).

Shakshuka – Middle Eastern skillet of eggs, tomatoes, peppers, crumbled feta cheese, chlli flakes served with sourdough, £12.00

What separated this Shakshuka from the one’s we’ve had in the past is sheer depth of flavour.

When a freshly made tomato base, as rich and as spiciously punchy as this, is paired with crusty sourdough bread pieces, which can be dipped into the sunnyside egg yokes before being used to scoop up the residue at the end, you’re left with nothing save memories of one of the best Shakshuka had.

French Toast – With banana, berries, mascarpone, maple syrup, £11.90

And things only got better with this cinnamon-infused, thick and pillowy-soft French Toast. Sprinkled with icing sugar, this was presented with plenty of quality fruit – plump black berries, raspberries, blue berries, and a wedge of passionfruit – with the bowl of maple syrup harmoniously bringing everything together.

Pancakes – Berries, banana, mascarpone, maple syrup, £10.90

These freshly-made, light and airy pancakes were, in addition to the maple syrup, berries and passion fruit, topped with a sweet and mellow mascarpone cream.

Despite both being extremely good, of the two, we’d opt for the French Toast.

Mediterranean Classic – Egg, Mediterranean sausage, halloumi, olives, feta, cherry tomato, cheese pastry, honey & mulberry dip, £13.90

A playful platter this Mediterranean Classic, with some good elements, the best of which was the cheese pastry that went surprisingly well with the masala chocolate dip, as well as its honey and mulberry counterpart.

Otherwise, we thoroughly enjoyed making our way across this busy landscape, with the sucuk and halloumi being executed well enough, the sunnyside-up eggs again perfectly done, slices of grilled bread, and so much more.

Exotic Sunset – Orange juice, cranberry juice, passion fruit, grenadine with crushed ice; Virgin Colada – Pineapple juice, coconut and milk; Virgin Mojito – Crushed limes, brown sugar, fresh mint, crushed ice and lemonade – £8.00 each

The mocktail that stood out here was the Exotic Sunset, whose many elements worked in tandem to deliver an undulating journey for the palate, with the grenadine’s sourness running in the background. This was followed close behind by the zingy Strawberry Virgin Mojito, with the freshness of the fruit coming through solidly.

As for the Virgin Colada, then its frothy milkiness struck that necessary balance between the pineapple and coconut; but without being anything spectacular.

Smoothies: Berry-Go-Round; Avo-Go-Go - £5.90 each

Smoothies: Pinapple Passionfruit; Strawberry

The smoothies were superb too, with each one turning out not just smooth in texture, but also full of flavour.

The delicious Ava-Go-Go and its hint of mango didn’t just make this gentle in its sweetness, but also gave it a complexity of flavour that was astoundingly good, making it our fave. This was followed close behind by the Berry-Go-Round.

Ribeye Steak (250g) – Served with house fries, garnish salad and a choice of peppercorn or mushroom sauce, £28.00

This Ribeye Steak was a tale of two halves. Despite being presented complete with symmetrical griddle marks and cooked medium to order, it turned out erring on the fatty-cum-chewy side, with not enough attention being paid to cripsing up the fat.

This came with a mushroom sauce that was perfectly adequate, as well as standard crispy fries and a salad medley.

Octopus – Grilled octopus served with mashed potatoes and mojito sauce, £18.95

A gorgeously presented Octopus which ultimately flattered to deceive. Not only were these tentacles overdone, but the mound of potato mash also turned out to be crumbly dry, with no amount of mojito sauce or a squeeze of the lemon remedying these shortcomings.

Spaghetti Carbonara – Mediterannean sausage, grana padano in creamy sauce, £13.00

This Spaghetti Carbonara, on the other hand, was everything one would want from such a classic dish, with the slices of smoky Mediterannean sausage marrying wonderfully against the rich piquancy of the grana padano cheese sauce, and the distinct aroma of the Halal parmesan generously grated over the top. A superb plate!

Verduriere – Cherry tomato, asparagus, truffle oil, £15.90

This vegetarian Verduriere risotto too was superbly executed, with the creamy rice retaining that al dente edge, the soft cherry tomatoes playing their role in delivering that occasional sweet and sour hit, and the segments of asparagus that textural contrast. All in all, a soothing plate of creamy goodness.