Pockets: The Union of Fluffy Pita Bread and Crunchy Green Falafels

An average East Londoner's weekend revolves around two major events: strolling through Broadway Market, pondering what to eat, and cruising among the plants at Columbia Flower Market on Sundays. Veteran Londoners know the best time to visit the market is after 3 p.m. to grab half-price deals or ask, 'What’s your final price?' This is often followed by running into friends outside The Dove, or if you prefer, taking a short walk to meet acquaintances at The Spurstowe Arms. Beer is the glue that binds diverse groups together, while a Bloody Mary is the cure for the previous night’s hangover.

It’s rare to convince a hungry, hungover Londoner to wait in line for more than ten minutes for food. But that’s exactly what Pockets does. Starting with their delicacies at Oxford and then at Chatsworth Road Market, Itamar Grinberg and the Pockets team made their way to Netil Market and eventually settled at their new spot on Mentmore Terrace. Since then, Londoners have been queuing up to achieve the ultimate goal: a falafel pita.

On the right: The renowned Pockets’ falafel pita. On the left: The renowned Pockets’ falafel pita II.

It’s not just the falafel; it’s the union of fluffy pita bread, crunchy green falafels, the classified sauce we finally dared to ask about and learned was mango-based, hummus, tahini, garnishing, cabbage slaw, sumac onions, tomato, cucumber, parsley, and the final touch: a boiled, roasted, fried potato slice we dream about while counting how many people are ahead of us. It takes about two minutes to layer one falafel pita perfectly.Yes, we timed it!

What to order? Falafel, obviously! Although you can choose spicy or not. If you ask us, always go for the one with chile!

Heads Up: Since they moved to Mentmore Terrace, Pockets is open from Wednesday to Sunday. The good news is that the queues are shorter. No bad news.

Word of mouth: Saint Monday Brewery across the road is where you can enjoy a good pint, and they have a vegan smokehouse run by LD’s Kitchen. A tip for the next time you’re in the neighborhood.

Address: 367 Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3RT

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