Dara Klein’s Tiella finds a permanent home on Columbia Road
Tiella Trattoria is the newly opened bricks-and-mortar site from Dara Klein, a progression of her successful Compton Arms pop-up in 2024. Having moved into The Compton Arms straight after Four Legs, there were big shoes (and many legs) to fill, but word of how good Tiella was spread fast. The signature chicken Milanese with green apple, celery, fennel, crème fraîche and fresh herbs, and that fresh ricotta drenched in wild honey and Calabrian chilli, were worth the trip alone.
So when she finally announced a new site, people were hyped – even more so when it turned out to be in one of Columbia Road’s most beautiful buildings. Much like The Compton Arms, it’s got chairs squished in and slightly chaotic vibes.
Eat This
Right now, the menu has quite a few of the classics from the pop-up days, and we’re not complaining. Give the people what they want. We went for the anchovies in saor, a typical Italian dish usually featuring fried sardines in a sweet-and-sour mixture of onions, vinegar, raisins and pine nuts. A great dish to start with.
Another highlight was the beef tartare, dressed with balsamic vinegar, a bit of cheese and a huge cracker. But if you haven’t been before, then you 100% must order the ricotta. For mains, we had the tria with cime di rapa and pangrattato – Dara’s mum’s fave – made without egg and with lots of elbow grease to make the noodles extra bouncy. Then there’s the aforementioned chicken Milanese – did you even go to Tiella if you didn’t eat this? We’re not so sure…
Desserts were exceptional: a bay leaf panna cotta with rhubarb in Campari, and a chocolate torta caprese with amarena cherries and crème fraîche. Honestly, though, we have a feeling you can’t really put a foot wrong with this menu.
Drink This
There are some fun cocktails and a decent wine list with a strong Italian focus. We kicked off with a Bloody Mary Marg and a glass of Lambrusco, followed by the house chilled red by the glass, which was very good. Tiella 2.0 has kept the building’s original pub bar too, so you can even pop in for a glass and a snack. Even that was jumping on our visit so we can only imagine how good the vibes will be come summer when a small outdoor area comes into play too.
Why Go
Dara has smashed it with the second coming of Tiella. She’s managed to retain about 75% of the pop-up, from the menu to the pub surroundings and the vibe, but taken it all up to the next level. This is a hype train you’ll want to jump on now.
Key Information
Address | 109 Columbia Rd, London E2 7RL
For more information | tiella.co.uk
