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Three of us came to Angelina in Dalston for lunch as part of a small London Pride celebration. The restaurant serves a Japanese and Italian fusion set menu, with the option to add a wine pairing.
The booking process was the weakest part of the experience. Their website repeatedly showed a “Missing Refresh Token: undefined” error, and I had to try different cards, addresses, and combinations of boxes before the reservation finally went through. Not the smoothest start for a restaurant operating at this level.
I had previously visited their newer sister restaurant, Osteria Angelina in Shoreditch, so the comparison was interesting. The interiors are quite similar, but service here felt noticeably more polished, confident, professionally paced, and friendlier. The food also ended up being much tastier overall, which makes sense given this is the original.
Once seated, the only real decision was whether to add the wine pairing, which we did. I really enjoyed the progression, and especially the glassware. The fine stems were genuinely beautiful and added to the sense of occasion.
The team asked about allergies and dislikes before the meal, and they handled my friend’s dietary preferences very well. Everything was accommodated without making the experience feel disrupted.
The dishes were consistently well executed, and the wines generally complemented them nicely. At first, the portions looked very small and the pours seemed minimal, but by the end we were satisfied, not completely full but comfortably fed. Early in the meal, we were offered the option to add two extra courses at £9 per person per course. We declined, though in hindsight it was difficult to judge whether we would need them before seeing the full progression.
My favourite wines were the Monte Rossa “Coupé” Franciacorta and the Pojer e Sandri “FAYE” white. Food highlights included the antipasti, pasta, and the binchotan course, which was especially well judged, with precise cooking and layered, intricate flavour. There was also a small salad-like dish served with the fourth wine, consisting of a few leaves and berries. It was refreshing, and we assumed it was intended as a palate cleanser, though it felt a little unexpected within the progression.
One slightly frustrating detail is that the card given to us was only a general introduction to the Kondate menu, rather than a list of the dishes. I even took a photo of it, assuming it would include the full list, only to realise later that it didn’t. It would have been lovely to be able to check the details during the meal and afterwards, especially as the online menu had already been updated by the time I looked.
Overall, this experience felt thoughtful, refined, and well coordinated. The food, service, and wine programme all worked together, and it was clear why Angelina has built such a strong reputation. The bill came to about £500 for three people, so it’s definitely on the higher end, but I did have a good time. Lastly, I am curious about one thing: given that the pairings are pre-planned, would the team be able to swap out more tannic reds for alternative wines if a guest prefers lighter styles?
