There’s a new neighbourhood gem in this pocket of North London
If you know your Roman mythology, you’ll know Lupa as the she-wolf who sheltered the twins who would found Rome. Now Lupa is also a charming little restaurant in Highbury thanks to two locals, actor Theo James and restaurateur (and Carousel co-founder) Ed Templeton.
They’ve certainly nailed the osteria look. The 28-cover corner restaurant is essentially one small room and a tiny kitchen in the back, where ex-Pidgin chef Naz Hassan is beavering away. The wooden tables, the butter yellow colour, the cafe curtains, the wine bottles skirting the walls, the light streaming in from two sets of windows – if you didn’t look outside, you could well be in Trastavere not Highbury Park.
Eat This
The menu at Lupa is billed as Roman comfort food and it certainly delivers on that promise. The food is simple and bold – the draping of single anchovy over a plump burrata-stuffed courgette flower is about as cheffy as things get here.
There’s freshness in the tomato carpaccio, liberally seasoned with pangrattato and salt, and also in the green tangle of asparagus, broad beans and peas. There’s heartiness in the pastas, which come in decent-sized bowls, like the golden-hued paccheri alla carbonara with fat chunks of guanciale. The robust pasta certainly looks striking and tastes great, though it maybe loses some of the unctuousness you get with spaghetti.
Fans of porchetta will be happy with the Lupa version with its rich apricot stuffing swirled into the tender meat and crispy crackling. Artichokes alla Romana, aka fried, is one of our favourite ways to eat the vegetable and it’s another wonderful rendition of a classic, with minty ricotta underneath adding creamy contrast.
It wouldn’t be an Italian restaurant without a tiramisu for dessert and this one delivers on all fronts; soft, spongy, not overly boozy, liberally dusted with cocoa and big enough to share.
Drink This
Like the food menu, the drinks selection is tight – they’d physically struggle to fit many more bottles into the space – but you’re not left wanting. Start with a Select Spritz, Aperol’s more elegant cousin, and follow with a glass of something from the almost-exclusively Italian wine list, like the crisp Bianco Vignali from Venosa.
Why Go
Lupa is a lovely little room to spend a few hours in, drinking spritzes and eating pasta – the chance of spotting co-owner Theo James is no bad thing either.
Key Information
Address | 73 Highbury Park, London, N5 1UA
For more information | @lupa.restaurant
