CERU opens in Farringdon

Last Updated on April 28, 2025

Levantine-style gluten-free dining from CERU

4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Born from a love of food, drink and sunshine, CERU’s Levantine-style cuisine brings colour and flavour to a third location in central London from husband and wife team, Barry and Patricia Hilton. Newly opened in Cowcross Street in the heart of Farringdon’s restaurant area, the space is filled with light and presents a menu that is entirely gluten-free (though you’d never know!), aside from the offer of pita bread. The restaurant even brews its gluten-free beers created to match the menu. It is a delight for vegetarians and vegans, and it also offers meat and fish dishes. With small, sharing plates, it is a perfect venue for lunch or dinner and will no doubt be popular with those who work in the area and are looking for a healthy and vibrant place to eat.

We arrived for lunch on opening day – the older sibling restaurants are located in Queensway and South Kensington – and the staff provided a seamless service. The sun streamed through the three huge windows overlooking the street, and the ambience was warm and inviting. We settled into attractive, semicircular banquette with a round, wooden table, and there were also square tables underneath the windows, which were dressed with joyful café curtains with a pomegranate design. CERU Farringdon has a vibrant colour scheme in shades of mustard and dusky pink with pops of bright orange. Large brass lamps hang over the tables. No detail has been overlooked with the loos beautifully designed with carved wooden doors,  brass taps and basins.

While we might have indulged in a few glasses of wine from a list focusing on Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, Armenia and Georgia, we went for a delicious mocktail, an orange and ginger mojito, which was refreshing without being sweet.

The menu at CERU is divided into sections, and we ordered one dish from each. There were three dips served separately or as a trio with warm, freshly baked, Greek pita bread or crudites to keep it gluten-free. We ordered both options and were soon dipping our way through bowls of humous, hamara (a particularly delicious roasted red pepper, pomegranate molasses, and walnut dip), and Fadi. This last dip was new to me, and it was gorgeous – roasted zucchini, garlic, yoghurt and tahini. I will certainly be making this at home when the warm weather allows for picnics.

From the salad section, we chose a seasonal melange of artichoke, green pea and baby onion. Served in an attractive bowl, this salad was literally pea green and bursting with healthy nutrients. The peas popped alongside slices of artichoke heart and petals of onion. The salad had an interesting dressing made with ginger and turmeric, the flavours of which sang through.

Zucchini and feta fritters from the vegetarian section were deep-fried balls shaped like falafel. Three balls were served on a pool of herb-flecked yoghurt and were light and well-spiced with a good chilli heat. Very tasty.

From the meat selection, we chose spiced, fried chicken tenderloins, which brought a pile of fried goujons and a lemon and tahini dipping sauce. The chicken was juicy but we felt it could do with more spicing. Another option that tempted us was slow-cooked lamb shoulder, which my companion has enjoyed several times in the other branches of CERU.

From the fish and seafood section, we chose two dishes. Seared Atlantic scallops brought three glistening scallops perched around a pile of bright green peas. They looked very appetising and were perfectly cooked with a good sear. Beautifully spiced and delicious.

Karides or sautéed king prawns were served in a dinky red serving dish. The prawns were nestled in a rust-red, full-bodied tomato sauce with dill and fenugreek, which was both sweet and spicy.

The grilled asparagus spears from the sides section were a sea of green. A neat pile of crisp asparagus spears was served on a mild zhoug with chopped hazelnuts. A lovely combination of colours, textures and flavours.

Although the dishes were described as small plates, we had far too much food for two. Fortunately, we both have a second stomach reserved for dessert. Here we had to debate which dishes to order as they were all so tempting. Labneh cheesecake was served in a round with a soft biscuit base and topped with caramelised fresh fig slices. Laid out like petals of a flower, it looked like the essence of springtime.

Flavours of baklava ice cream was the best gelato I have had in some time. Two large scoops of creamy ice cream with a superb flavour of cardamom were a highlight of the meal. It was served with nut brittle and a burnt honey caramel. An excellent end to a very healthy and tasty meal. All that we needed after this was a fresh mint tea and an Americano.

The menu at CERU is utterly up my street, full of the food I love to eat. Healthy, creative, and colourful. The restaurant is a great choice for coeliacs, anyone with gluten intolerance, or people who enjoy well-made, well-presented food from the Eastern Mediterranean, in a welcoming and sunny restaurant.

CERU
9-13 Cowcross Street
Farringdon
London
EC1M 6DR

020 3195 3003