Amazing place in London. I love the food. can’t wait to come back here again. Congratulations to the staff.
A go to Italian restaurant in the area that serves a delightful array of food items at reasonable prices, optimal hygienic conditions and punctual and prompt service.
We booked a spot at the bar and had a birds eye view of all that was going on in the kitchen. It was fascinating to watch the food preparation process and we enjoyed watching the young lady who was the go between from the kitchen staff to the waiters. She was memorable in the way she handled this crazy role - it was a treat to watch her in action. We shared many dishes among 3 adults. The food was outstanding, preparation enjoyable to see, the wait staff has helpful and attentive. This place is a "must visit" in my view!
A very good place with nice ambience, reasonable prices, optimal hygienic conditions, friendly and professional staff not to mention the prompt and punctual service as well. Highly recommended.
A small cafe with the best pasta. It is a lovely place with loads of good food. I loved their fish also. But if you want to order one thing, make sure it’s pasta
Francisco, dishes are served bathed in bubbles and atop pristine logs that make you feel as though you’ve stepped into a Tolkien novel. She calls it “poetic culinaria,” but beneath the otherworldly showmanship is an earnest love for and dedication to the essence of rustic, virgin
Bocca Di Lupo Archer street, Soho, London ka bahut bdhya restaurant hai. Yaha par Mai kuch din pehle gya tha. Bada sahi Khaana tha yaha ka swaadisht
Nice decor and tables, not cramped by a smallish Soho location and along bar with stools, The pasta was amazing as was the pork.
glorious food ....Particularly all the fritti, the tagliatelle ai finferli, the truffled radish, the melanzane...and the cannoli!
Amazing food and great service. The Rum Baba is a must. Try getting a table at the kitchen, its a good experience. Would definitely recommend to all
From cheesy balls to Grandpa’s balls, Bocca di Lupo specialises in obscure, regional Italian cuisine and the menu changes twice a day.
The verdict: The quality of the food and drinks compensated for the discomfort of the tiny bar space. While this place isn’t cheap (our bill for two was £126.90 including service) you do get what you pay for – it’s more of a place to go for a treat than every day dining (you need to book well in advance anyway).
Great food, definitely one to try. I booked this restaurant for a team lunch, we ordered a good variety of food so we were all able to try different dishes.
Nice location and genuine Italian restaurant. I love their fried starters. The last time I got anchovies and mozzarella but give a try also at the vegetables. As main courses I suggest ravioli pasta. Good service even in busy moments. It is a bit complicated to reserve a table.
Amazing food. I went there for a late lunch. I know that it is quiet Hard to get a table but we were lucky to get one. Eating on the bar is also fine, it has its own unique elegance. I would suggest you to order small plates so that you can taste more. Pay a visit around 5-6 to get a table if you do not want to book a table.
You must try to save a space for dessert especially for the eclair, it is very delicious!!
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Sexy, sleek Italian restaurant in the heart of Soho. We visited on a Tuesday night and still had to wait half an hour for an unreserved table/seating at the food bar for two. We were sat where we could see the food being made by the chefs and seeing all the beautiful dishes being made got us wanting the whole menu. The food is quality, tasty and tastes of authentic Italian (following the concepts of simple high quality ingredients which speak for themselves). We ordered 3 of the pasta dishes, which were all made with homemade pastas, the fish stew, some starters such as the fried mozzarella balls and sides such as the polenta and cheese. All were beautiful and very enjoyable. Next time I'd like to try the fish and many of the other dishes they were making in front of us...all the dishes looked fantastic! I would highly recommend this place - high quality, delicious, authentic food, good service and affordable. Sitting on the bar stools was fun but maybe next time will also try reserving a table.
I went to Bocca di Lupo ages ago, way before I ever moved to London and since we have been here (almost two and a half years), I have been meaning to go back. Every time we went to Gelupo, their gelato place across the street, it reminded me that I wanted to make a booking and go back, but reservations are never easy to get, unless planned with a lot of notice.The food is tasty and they offer Italian dishes from different areas. Their bolognese is delicious and its a perfect place for a pre-theater dinner or a casual meal seating at their bar area (no booking area).
I finally payed a visit to one of London’s favourite Italian restaurants: Bocca di Luppo. Yes, getting a table is difficult.
That’s the problem with good food: it attracks the crowds.
But if you’re at the door right when it opens, it should be too much of a problem (good to know if you’re on the lookout for some pre-theatre dinner!) and you'll definitely be in for a treat (or five)!
Normally I avoid Italian restaurants in London. Being Italian I inevitably feel ripped off when I leave a restaurant with overpriced food I feel I could have made better at home.. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Bocca Di Lupo bucks the trend.
The menu is Italian but more interesting than average. The ingredients are incredibly fresh and tasty, and service is friendly but professional. I happened to be sitting near the spot at the counter where dishes were coming out of the kitchen and into the restaurant and every single dish looked amazing.
Bruce K. AKA Salt Of The Earth Projects
+5
AMAZING.... Had 7-8 different items, all amazing. Great and friendly service.
Loved it. Delicious food, great atmosphere and nice staff
Love it, here for the first time. Great food and atmos, bit the "manager" comes across as a self absorbed arse.
Cooking with gas. On an open kitchen bar makes for theatre as much fun as some of adjacent Shaftsbury Aves play houses. Excellent, sharply cooked italian food. I wanted to try everything and those I did didnt disappoint.
Interesting menu especially if you want to experiment with some offal dishes. Fantastic beef tagliata. Sit at the bar counter and watch the chefs cook.
Been a few times - can't fault the food or service. It's with the money if you enjoy good food. Best spot is to sit at the window on the bar and have Italian tapas!
Great genuinely unusual italien restaurant. The rabbit was gorgeous and simple but a huge portion. Great dessert try the chocolate filled doughnut thing: beautiful! Staff were also very friendly and attentive & the restaurant is well geared up for pre-theatre dinner. Popular so try to book or risk a long wait.
Great apart from the Pud!. Loved the place , the atmosphere, a real buz and thought the food delicious and not overpriced for London, but the puds I found dissappointing.
Great wine list with good choice at all price levels.
Looking forward to going again.
Bocca di Brilliant. Great location down a little side street in Soho, fantastic bar for a quick bite and glass of wine, simple but really tasty food and fantastic friendly service. fantastico
I would say that the food was very good and the service was alright in general but a bit lacking towards the end of the meal. We had to ask for the bill several times before we finally could pay and leave. I will come back and maybe find out how the Bambi taste like.
... the homely food, the menu format, an anchovy menu, ingredients made in-house, excellent service, Jacob also opened Gelupo across the road that provides all the frozen desserts and is widely regarded as the best gelato experience in town
We tried Bocca di Lupo in the heart of Soho and were delighted to sit at the counter of a busy bar and kitchen. The menu selects dishes across various regions of Italy so you can go on a journey from Rome to Tuscany to Venice. How close these small plates actually resemble the cuisine of their noted regions are debatable, but I'm sure that's not the concern for most of us. I know I'm not in Italy, no need to remind me. First, look at these beauties, so shiny I can almost see my face... Next, the fried squid, whole prawns and courgette (zucchini) sticks. Light, crispy and fresh. How can something that's deep fried also taste refreshing? By also frying thin lemon slices...
...the whole Bocca di Lupo experience had been as fantastic as I’d hoped. It has collected many awards and great reviews since its opening in 2008 and I guess this blogger and Italophile has been a bit slow off the mark to get there. But I’m so glad I finally made it – and that it lived up to e
Bocca di Lupo will never disappoint you…I’m pretty sure they make the staff recite this verb every day before work. Whatever Bocca does, turns to food-gold.
For celebrating a special occasion, this is without a doubt the perfect place for that. Sitting at the bar counter watching the chef worked their magic added a fascinating theatrical extravaganza which made this truly memorable.
Bocca di Lupo is amazing! ….and unfortunately, everyone knows it.
Overall, we rather enjoyed Bocca di Lupo, and had a rich and flavorful dinner of authentic Italian food done quite nicely. While a bit of a challenge to get into, I’d probably try my luck sometime at the walk-in seating at the counter.
Bocca Di Lupo spotlights the chef's counter, it's first thing you'll see and the only thing people who pass by the window would notice. Tables are available towards the end, which are much darker and more formal. The counter is more fun for sure, to watch the robata grill work its instant flame magic and the forever busy chefs. But the catch is to smell of smoke for the rest of the evening. The menu seemed confusing at
The carpaccio was delicate and fragrant with rosemary oil. The various fritti romani gave us a real mixture of tastes and flavours.
With ingredients and cooking this good we were really enjoying lunch but the risotto and pasta were so filling (and delicious) we did wonder just how we would cope with the remaining dishes we had ordered…
However, this was all sadly overshadowed by terrible service. We had to ask four times for a jug of water, and twice for the wine, and most of our dishes were forgotten, undoubtedly languishing under heat lamps until our waiter could be bothered to pick them up. We started getting a bit wound up about it, particularly when he started purposefully avoiding eye contact whilst sullenly and wordlessly dropping plates onto our table. I don't want to put anyone off, and I may well go again to give it another try (particularly as our visit was in their first fortnight of business, and it was insanely busy....). Let me know what you think.
For us it was one of our best meals in Soho. We loved how the menu detailed which region the dish came from – it was like taking a mini-gastronomic tour of Italy but still get home in 10 minute
There are still places thank heaven that value good food and good service and Bocca di Lupo is one of them. They rescued what threatened to be a dire Monday lunchtime. Two minutes earlier we'd been forced to abandon ship at Spuntino where the apathy of the staff left us sitting at the bar with no food and no drink, and us growing more and more frustrated. The minute we walked through the door at Bocca di Lupo however, we were greeted with genuine warmth and it instantly made the world of difference to our mood. Time to enjoy our second attempt at lunch. The first difficulty at Bocca di Lupo is deciding what to eat, plates can be small or large and there's a choice of around 30 dishes (excluding desserts where there are another 14 options). There is also a menu of 'one dish meals' for those in more of a hurry and everything sounded good. While deciding, the kitchen kindly offered a plate of 'nettle and borage pansotti with walnut sauce'. It was excellent, pasta just right, excellent use
I really like Bocca di Lupo. Proper, clean and interesting Italian food. Can't wait for the next visit…
Back for more Italian cuisine in Bocca di Lupo
Now I have history with fried. Show me a tapas bar, a fine dining restaurant or a street-side snack joint and I'll gravitate toward the section in batter. BDL is a perfect case in point. A menu spanning the best parts of Italy available on a small plate. It could very well be the older, grown up brother that Polpo doesn't have or a distant cousin for similarly light and upmarket Barrafina.
Bocca di Lupo is great - relatively new (at least to me) and certainly "hot" at the moment (but don't let that put you off).
I'll be back to Bocca di Lupo, hopefully soon. And the gelato is just one of the many more things I'll be looking to wolf down. I reckon next time I'll try and get a seat at the bar, so I can watch the kitchen in action.
When I told friends that I was being taken for dinner at Bocca di Lupo , so many of them asked if it was a date that I actually started to question whether it was. Call me na ï f, but it had never occurred to me that Philip, the handsome, single lawyer who I'd met at a party and who'd offered to take me out had any motive ulterior to wanting the pleasure of my company. It would seem however that, in the couple of years since it opened on Archer Street - an unremarkable Soho back-alley - this smart, buzzing Italian has developed a reputation as much for being a popular and impressive date destination as for its exceptionally good food. On the strength of my (purely Platonic ) experience, I can see why - on both counts. Bocca di Lupo's striking red brick frontage, with the name picked out in bold relief, has the look of having always been there despite being barely two years old. The restaurant behind it has the same feeling; it's a classy interior, with a long marble-topped bar over-lo
I must have been one of the few people so far not to have eaten at Bocca Di Lupo. I followed its opening and the hurrah it created and the rush to eat there with interest. Yes it really was and still is in vogue. Maybe a little too much, as some of the re
Food should be joyful and therapeutic, celebratory and satisfying. Above all, food should be all about pleasure. Clearly, anyone blogging under the Greedy Diva pseudonym subscribes to a healthy "live to eat" philosophy. I will never understand those contr
Most reasonably priced italian restaurant with most diverse menu.
Dinner at Bocca di Lupo is well above par, with flavours ranging from the clean and eclectic salad of shaved radish, celeriac & pecorino salad with pomegranets and truffle oil to the delightfully fresh and sweet crudita di mare (raw sea bream, red prawn,
After a long hard day at work, all I yearned for was a cold gin and tonic and some friendly banter. I couldn't face the realisation that had I gone home, all I would have ended up doing is watch crap tv and order a takeaway. A few messages later, and the
Ex Moro head Chef Jacob Kennedy has gone Pan Italian and is producing very well turned out Italian Regional classics (small and larger plates for most dishes).
Yep, that's right. Things are getting pretty serious. But I didn't go to Bocca di Lupo just to impress anyone who happens upon this entry (although you are impressed, right?). I went there for a special night with my inamorata, a native of il Bel Paese an
Charmaine from tasty treats! and I visited Italian eaterie Bocca di Lupo back in January, not long after it opened. For some reason, we ordered from their One Dish Meals menu rather than trying various small-sized plates of food. I’ve regretted this ever
I had been meaning to take The Girl to Bocca di Lupo for ages, and typically had done zilch all about it. Until recently, Bocca di Lupo was currently the number one London foodie destination on the Urban Spoon hot list. I managed to get a table at a decen
Bocca di Lupo is in a part of Soho where most commercial operations have, shall we say, an established business model. Its manager is splendidly named Victor Hugo, and from the big windows looking out on the road you can see addled women tra
Bocca di Lupo is Italian, and the latest breakout sensation to join the London eating ranks. I’m extremely late to the partay (dude, it’s booked out all the time) while critics and foodies alike have formed what appears to be a united front to sing songs
Is there any other country whose cuisine is so inconsistently represented as Italy? Up until not so long ago I was safe in the knowledge that there was nowhere worth visiting unless you paid through the nose - places like Aspley's in the Lanesborough, or
Sure a meal here’s not cheap (and hence why it was only a special occasion that warranted a visit) but it’s excellent. Don’t expect to rock up and get a table though – bookings are recommended at least a week or two in advance. Thank you for a fabulous birthday dinner, Blai!
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Much raved about Italian restaurant in Soho. Went for dinner on Thursday last week. Only managed to get reservations at the bar counter so we decided to make do with it anyways. We were greeted by very friendly staff and handed the menu right away. For starters we ordered Mussels with chili oil (fantastic!), a platter of cured meats consisting of wild boar, some sort of jerky like meat, and sopressata (this one didn't really appeal to my palette). We also ordered a small portion of the Arrosticini which is the lamb skewers on chili bruschetta (good flavor but the lamb was rather chewy). For the mains, we ordered one large portion of the tortellini stuffed with veal and pork, and a roast pork and foie gras sausage that was served with a little risotto. Both these dishes were good, but the sausage was par excellence. Everything on the menu seemed delicious and the dishes that were being taken to neighbouring tables/ those seated at the bar looked absolutely stunning. Of course no meal is complete without dessert, so we ordered for a Cassata. The cassata was the best I ever had - tutti frutti on a marzipan layer which topped the cake that was filled with a cream cheese like ice cream and chocolate bits... Superbo! This one is a must try at BDL. We also wanted to try the pistachio gelato but for that we decided to finish up here and walk across the street to Gelupo. All in all a good meal, and I must mention that our waitress was really sweet; she spent a few minutes chatting and laughing with us whenever she came by to check on us.
A gorgeous Italian restaurant in Soho with tapas-style dishes that are great for sharing. We booked on the day (gasp!) so were seated at the bar, which was fine, obviously a bit more casual but still lovely. Highlights included the chickpeas and homemade sausage which was mildly spicy, filling and comforting, the mussels (oh my god - amazing) and the whole John Dory, which has made me search it out on every menu since. Heaven. It's all simple, well made food with fresh, good quality ingredients. Service is great, our welsh waitress was a pleasure and I wish I'd got her name. It was about £70 for 2 including a couple of glasses of wine - so maybe not for everyday but definitely not too bad.
Absolutely amazing, every dish perfectly cooked and dressed. Friendly service and great atmosphere. Suitable for groups. Would recommend. One of my favourite
This place was an excellent experience. Even though i had booked a table beforehand, I was seated at the bar by a friendly staff member and enjoyed the chef performing his stints at the grill and it was quite a sight. The menu was quite interesting and detailed, specifically mentioning the region of particular food items. I loved my food and thoroughly enjoyed it but the star of the evening was the dessert, Sicilian Cassata, which was quite awesome.
This is a favourable option for good value food. The cocktails were just awesome and then was the main course which was equally fantastic. But the most awesome thing about that evening was being seated at the Chef's counter. Everyone was quite enjoying themselves seeing the chefs preparing amazing dishes in front of us. To top all this was the excellent service which made us feel pampered and well looked after. We did go across the street to another joint but here the overall experience was quite good and the bill was quite reasonable as well.
Stumbling upon this bar as we wandered about in the Soho neighbourhood, I must say that we had a pretty decent experience. Apart from a few bumps here and there, our journey through this dining experience was sublime!
If you plan on eating here at the bar, do try the fried squid as the staff serves it with bold tasting orange slices. Fried just to perfection, this calamari was battered in the most luscious way.
Having said so, I would like to add that they have their own version of a frozen candy as dessert. It is called bacio gelato. I must admit that it was truly sumptuous!
Do give it a try!
The restaurant is located in a very lively place and has a nice vibe to it. We went ahead with ordering a few starters, out of which 2 of them were quite good, while the other 2 were not that appetizing. We ordered the roast suckling pig for mains, which was cooked to perfection and was delicious. The dessert was also good, and we ordered a bottle of wine which complimented the food well. Service is nice and overall a good dining experience.
This place serves the best pasta I have had so far in this city. We ordered a large number of dishes like Gnocchi, Calamari et cetera, but my favourites were the ricotta ravioli with butter and sage which was amazingly delicate, the spicy and yummy orechitte and the anchovy and saffron spaghetti. If there was but one disappointment, it was the foie grass sausage, because the entire flavour was lost in the meat of the sausages. But I definitely recommend this place for its yummy pasta.
The place offers Italian cuisine and one of the best places to have Italian food in London. The dishes that we ordered were delicious and absolute bliss. They were very well cooked and were almost perfect in all aspects. The drinks were also amazing and one of the best I've ever had. The desserts were also an absolute delight. The service was commendable with very friendly and attentive staff. Great value for money as well. Will give this place more than 5 stars and definitely going back.
This place offers you with some good Italian food , which is authentic and is full of flavors too. The ingredients that they are using are very good.
I had calamaris and fried mozarellas for the starters and they were so good that i even thought of ordering more , but my friend asked me to control my emotions because I won't be having space for the mains if I do so.
I had crab linguini for the mains and I was so delighted after eating that because it was very tasty.
The service was very good , in fact we were so overwhelmed that while going out we thanked our waiter for such a nice time.
This place is a must go.
Cheers guys!
It is difficult to find a fresh angle to Italian cuisine as it served so perfectly almost everywhere around the world. However, this place sure did justice to my expectations from it. The waiter here was patient and cooperative of our needs. While the main dishes were sensationally divine, what was a bit intuitively saddening was the dessert,. Overall, it was a good experience!
The decor of they this place is lovely and the atmosphere very enjoyable. The service is excellent. The staff is very helpful and friendly. They were only to happy to answer questions concerning the menu. The food was great! The meat was cooked to perfection. The wine listing is commendable.
It is advisable to book on advance here.
Being from an Italian background, i wanted to reminisce about our wonderful food culture.And this was the reason for me to give this restaurant a try.I would say i am not disappointed! The menu contains a variety of dishes, you might want to try. The food is served hot ,fresh and tastes delicious. With the pleasant ambiance, this place might be ideal for all types of people-friends,couples and business associates.
Not having ordered wine, even then our bill was 60 pounds. We sat at the bar and our food arrived efficiently in time. I love watching the chefs prepare our dishes in an open kitchen of sorts. This diner gives you a joyous experience if you're visiting with friends. A must try!
This place is good value for money. The interiors are simple but nice. The staff is friendly and suggested some good pasta dishes and the wine too. The food is delicious and the place has a welcome feel about it. All in all, a good experience.
On recommendation of one of my friends, I visited this place and it was an excellent choice. The bread served was really amazing and the quality of the food was also top notch. The atmosphere was a lively one and the restaurant was packed. I will be returning to this place again.
The service here was amazing an believe me I would return for that more as opposed to the food. Being my birthday, a complementary glass of Prosecco was given to me. That was a great touch adding to my evening. They also brought me a small candle atop a cake towards the end of the meal, giving it a perfect end. The food however was good, but not exceptional or extraordinary.
We were a big group and decided to dine at this place. All in all it has a good ambiance, prompt service and some really delectable dishes. We ordered some sharers which were really tasty. In mains, i really enjoyed the tripe and the polenta. The prices are reasonable too. Recommended!
We had a great time at this restaurant. We had booked a table 4 weeks in advance, but it was surely worth it. The place offers large and small plates, somewhat like Spanish tapas. We ordered quite a few dishes, and were more than full at the end of the meal. The food is delicious and extremely delightful.
My friends and I had dinner here right before we went to the theater. The food served was clearly legitimately Italian.The staff was friendly, polite and very amicable and served with a pleasant aura around them. I would suggest you to try the ricotta and chocolate balls for dessert which would leave you licking your fingers. Highly recommended!
I love this place, in spite of what some people here have to say. We had to wait little upon arrival, and loved to have seen the buzzing kitchen. The staff is lovely, the food tastes amazing and the whole place is buzzing and alive. I ordered the crab linguine, and was some of the best I have tasted. The person dining next to me also commended his courgette flowers. You should definitely try it out.
This place is one of my favorites! Any negative comments mentioned against it only seems like a competitor unable to stand the quality it offers! This place is marvelous place to be at! The snark comments such as food being tinned oand serving stale, cold and not fresh food are completely ludicrous! Please visit this place and judge for yourself!
The food here is palpable and fantastic. The gripping factor is that of a waitress who is very aggressive. Mend that, and you have a courteous staff at your service. The menu is always fresh every time I visit this place and makes me coming back for more each time. Their pumpkin tortellini, generously buttered with rustic breadcrumbs is the winner!
I had an amazing time at the bar this weekend! The drinks were superb and had a good base. The service was great too with friendly and very attentive staff, always on the look if we needed something! My personal favorites would be the Scallops in butter and thyme! I am waiting to pay this place another visit.
Food is not the primary reason for me to go to this place. Yes it's actually very authentic and carefully executed but essentially it's west end prices for basic Italian food. It is a fun place to be where you can chat for long with your friends. Go now while the balance of artsy vs city type people is just right.
I have enjoyed this place thoroughly. Starting with the quaintness and intimacy of this place, to the styling and detailing of the joint, it is great. The menu is astounding, They have tried to cover almost every region of Italy on their menu. Everything we ordered was delicious and was not a let down. The desserts were good as well. A must try would be the milk free espresso.
It is been ages since I had good Italian , and my clock stopped when my friend told me about this place.
They had some good authentic Italian food . I ordered The rabbit and it was gorgeous and the portions were big enough too.
The staff was also very good , attentive and helpful at the same time.
This place is pretty popular so you might wanna book your table before going or you will end up waiting.
PS for dessert try chocolate filled doughnut. It is amazing.
This place is an Italian restaurant which has an open kitchen, which makes it very theatrical. Excellent and sharply cooked Italian cuisine, whatever I had ordered from the menu was just not a shot in the dark as the waiters guided me perfectly as I explained my expectations. This is a must visit!
The place is enticing, has a very inviting atmosphere, all the buzz about this place is definitely worth it! The thought of their delicious food and with reasonably priced items is very satiating! I found puds disappointing. Great wine list with good choice at all price levels. Looking forward to going again.
Definitely not your typical Italian restaurant. If you love Italian food, but want to explore beyond pizza and pasta this is a place to go, you will not be disappointed.
Better to make reservations and show up, there is a 30 pound fine for cancelling per person.
For food, you will not be disappointed. The menu is not too vast, but has a lot of interesting positions. There is a separate gluten-free menu, which lists all other possible allergens. I had the Grilled homemade spicy sausage & chickpeas, which was a good starter and Risotto with fresh porcini mushrooms which was excellent. I liked the menu because it has options of small and large plates, which is useful as I could order two small things and be perfectly full.
Also worth recommending are the Beef Tarter and the Roast suckling pic with grapes, white wine & bay.
Bocca di Lupo employs that new trendy system of having a number of small 'plates' instead of courses but each plates is an authentic recipe from a region of Sicily, and what's more, each are perfectly done. When you're done, wander across the road to their sister restaurant and have a gelato at Gelato di Lupo (or just next time you're passing, it's that good).
Don't forget to book! You'll be waiting a long time if you risk it and just turn up...
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Bocca di Lupo is amazing!….and unfortunately, everyone knows it.
It really baffles me how hard it to get a reservation at a good restaurant in London – you to book a week or two in advance or join the dreaded ‘no-reservation’ queue where depending on your luck you might find yourself waiting over an hour for table. And then you have the conundrum of should you cut your losses and just leave or do you stubbornly insist that since you spent ages standing in line you might as well go for the long haul. It's such a draining experience, when you finally sit down, eat and then realize you just spent over an hour waiting for a 30 minute dining experience. (Relaise de Venise – I’m looking at you!)
Anyway not too worry, Bocca di Lupo does take reservations and you can get a table if you’re a bit last minute in planning but willing to be flexible in terms of time/day.
The food was sublime. Everything tasted fresh with delicate flavours. We had the raw platter of langoustine, sea bream and scallops ~ 'Crudita di mare' paired with gorgeous pink blood-orange.
The menu is divided in to small and large plates. We chose 3 smaller plates giving us the option to share and try more dishes. We started with inky cuttlefish and troife pasta dish which was the first time I had had troife and I love the combination.
Next was the Orecchiette with ndjua (spicy sausage), onion and tomato. I wasn't expecting much from this dish but really enjoyed the spicy flavours.
My favourite was the Risotto Milanese - possibly the best risotto I have ever had made of saffron and bone-marrow.
For dessert, we shared the profiteroles filled with three types of gelato - pistachio, hazelnut and chestnut. So good! The deserts come from their gelato shop Gelupo which is right next door.
I highly recommend all these dishes but you might not get to try them given how the menu changes everyday depending on their daily produce. It’s lovely to see how committed they to cooking with the best fresh ingredients even if it means changing the dinner menu if something runs out at lunch.
You must try sitting at the chef's counter if it's just the two of you since you feel you're in the thick of things watching chefs cook away. I’m definitely returning for a second visit since I know I’ll probably get to try a whole new set of dishes!
There was older gentleman sitting next to me who was dining by himself. We started chatting and proof of how BdL can win you over, he told me he's been here over 50 times since the restaurant opens! No wonder it's hard to get a reservation when its got such loyal clientele.
I loved Bocca di Lupo and my dining companion, Eli G gave her Italian stamp of approval as well.
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It happened again, a new favourite to add to my list of ever growing 'favourites'. Here at Bocca di Lupo (which appropriately means 'into the mouth of the wolf'), you'll find a different and more authentic take on Italian dining.
Choose from different sized sharing plates which you can mix and match to your heart's and stomach's content before you focus your attention on the delicious and award-winning wine pairings that compliment the dishes and with a large array of both to choose from, you'll be hankering for a return visit to try them all.
Freshly grilled fish will be prepared infront of your drooling lips along with a sublime, creamy duck ragu papardelle to rival the best of it's kind (Trullo, you have some competition)! Our feast also included a pulled pork salad, Pumpkin flowers filled with mozzarella and a plate piled high with beans mixed in a chunky tomato sauce. Am a firm believer in being able to leave a restaurant in at least a semi-upright position instead of having to hire a crane to lift me out of my seat and Bocca Di Lupo have achieved the perfect balance of satisfyingly full but not bursting. The inventive menu is constantly being amended to keep in line with the season or chef preference and everything is prepared with a light simplicity leaving you feeling (almost) guilt-free. Tasty olives too. Glowing bulbs surround the diners who can either sit at the bar and observe the magic or be seated in a more traditional restaurant environment away from the grilling and chopping.
And now for dessert. I couldn't resist the espresso gelato and my companion went for a creamy egg-based short coffee. Both were the sort of choices that send one spiralling into a caffeinated heaven to which I fully intend on finding again soon!
After a cheeky trip to the toilets to check they lived up to the high standards set by the meal we had just inhaled (they did), it was home time.. (well, actually we hopped over to Opium, but I'll let you in on that secret another time)! The restaurant is a busy one and booking is a must as it is no secret to Soho. It's popularity reflects the quality and comfort oozing out into the street from the brightly lit windows and luring unsuspecting diners inside. Here we have something special and I am strongly considering moving into their kitchen.
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Bocca di Lupo isn't just small plates (a peeve), it has small & large versions of everything so you can share in a far more civilised fashion, should the notion take you. And even better for sharing, round tables, just made for sharing!
We order lightly battered and zingy calamari, rosamarina - toast with a chilli fish spread (they're not joking about the spicy element here), blood orange salad and artichocke leaves. The fish spread has a serious zing to it, the artichokes are beyond moorish and the blood orange salad is fresh and zesty and works beautifully with the greasier elements of the calamari and artichoke.
This lot has only whetted the appetite and there are another hefty round of plates to come, this time in the larger portion, masquerading as main portions. The carbohydrates food group of Risotto & Ravioli is silkily, impossibly rich and these are something you really need to share, if you expect to have any space remaining to try anything else. The sea bream is fresh and feels almost like you're having a salad, no mean feat, given the cacophany of flavours dancing around your mouth and the lamb is juicy.
The bone-in sirloin is large enough for the whole table to have sizeable portions of and they've even whisked away the rare portion to cook up a bit more for pregnant lady.
Love love love it.
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‘Ah yes! You must have the sanguinaccio. I’ll give it to you to try and if you don’t like it that’s fine. Please, follow me’.
Not the usual response I get after giving my reservation details in a restaurant. Have I already met this lady? Has she confused me with someone? The sang-which-one-now?
The context of the situation made itself apparent in the short walk to the table; the previous conversation the welcome hinted towards had taken place over Twitter a few weeks back.
Someone had mentioned their dislike for blood-based dishes. I said something along the lines of, ‘What about the pig’s blood and chocolate pâté at Bocca di Lupo - I love blood sausages but I’m not sure I could have it as a dessert’ (I‘d read about the dish in Jay Rayner’s review). The restaurant Twitter account challenged me to try it one day when I visit. It turns out they monitored this and held me to it; I was seated whilst smirking over an impressive example of customer engagement.
Bocca di lupo ("the mouth of the wolf") is a spruced-up Soho trattoria, more stylish and better dressed than one would usually associate with an informal Italian dining experience. It’s too easygoing and friendly to call itself a high-end ristorante, but it certainly looks the part with a front half dominated by an impressive marble bar overlooking an open kitchen for off-the-cuff grazing and home to a busy prosciutto slicer, and the rear occupied by tables and statuesque paintings with the feel of a living room in a stately home.
Established in 2008, it could easily be regarded as a senior representative of the Soho dining scene when compared to the unending list of recent openings within the area. Victor Hugo (what a name) and Head Chef Jacob Kennedy (formerly at Moro) present an almost daily-changing menu of honest and uncomplicated regional Italian cuisine, the sort of food you would like to think your mamma would make if she was Italian. Where they can make ingredients themselves, they do - pasta, gelati, breads, sausages, salame, pickles.
The really clever thing here is the option for tapas-sized or larger portions for almost every offering on the menu. They have recognised many diners prefer to sample a range of dishes rather than being confined to the traditional three that fill a standard meal, perhaps accompanied by a clandestine dip of the fork into your companions plate to try a fourth. It’s a great format that allows for free-wheeling ordering, ‘we’ll start with those and see how we go’.
It's also a restaurant that has an anchovy menu - a side menu of anchovies every which way you could want. Believe it or not, these critters are in the top ten most hated foods of the nation and to these people who don't care for them I say, tu sei pazzo! I can't get enough. The bagna caoda was a very agreeable warm and salty bath of blitzed up fish, garlic and fruity olive oil served with bread and bitter puntarelle, a type of chicory trying to look like asparagus, and a new one for me.
More anchovy sandwiched between large sage leaves, lightly battered and deep fried were both substantial and excellent, like biting into a crisp and savoury ham toastie. A great big dome of creamy burrata (and this was the small portion) with it’s gorgeous fat and milky backside sitting atop a bed of oily roasted vegetables was about as good and soft as fresh burrata can be. Slices of buristo blood sausage made in-house with flecks of vibrant green pistachio was subtle and delicate and served with grilled red peppers.
The long and curled sausage (luganega) of foie gras with its well balanced and powerful but not overwhelming flavour had a touch of sweetness, accompanied by farro with bite and earthy porcini. The venison ragu tagliatelle was pleasing but the sauce could have been richer - I still cleared it.
Caffè alla nocciola read very much like a cà phê trung, a Vietnamese coffee made with condensed milk and egg yolk I had recently seen on television - this Italian version with just coffee, yolk and hazelnut. Like aerated and frothed up Nutella with a shot of strong espresso, there is little about it not to love.
The milk-free espresso gelato (made across the road in Gelupo along with the rest of the frozen desserts) is the result of the chef putting a batch of caffè allo zabaione (coffee with just the egg yolk - also on the menu as a beverage) into an ice cream machine; the end product an intense hit of frozen voluptuous coffee. It made best friends with the light and delicate ‘Grandpa’s balls’ of deep-fried ricotta and chocolate.
And the pig’s blood and chocolate pâté? It was fine. Actually, good. It’s really just set chocolate spread with a slightly grainy texture and a detectable layer of unfamiliar flavour that would be hard to identify if you weren’t informed.
Our waitress was utterly charming. The table next to us was the only to remain empty for most of our visit - it was reserved and waiting for a WWII veteran who visits every Saturday lunchtime without fail. Frail but smartly turned out, he revelled in her attention as she seated herself next to him on the leather banquette to take his order. They didn’t charge him for dessert, rightly so.
This lady also informed us about a recent visit by Alan Carr who had the ‘Grandpa’s balls’; when she asked how they were he replied with ‘melting in my mouth like usual darling’. Good waitress banter - I really should have noted her name.
With a frequently changing menu full of things I want to eat, a sprightly atmosphere, wonderful service and the opportunity to pop-in unannounced and prop up the bar with a small dish or three, I suspect it's not the last they've seen of me.
Liked lots: the homely food, the menu format, an anchovy menu, ingredients made in-house, excellent service, Jacob also opened Gelupo across the road that provides all the frozen desserts and is widely regarded as the best gelato experience in town
Liked less: the paintings at the back aren’t my cup of tea, but who the hell cares
Good for: spontaneous dining plans at the chef’s counter, welcoming service, social media interaction, getting to know the staff
My rating: 4/5
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Perhaps one of the most raved about restaurants since it opened has been Bocca Di Lupo. Critics and bloggers have been talking about its heavenly dishes, and others accusing it of being over hyped. Personally it’s a bit of both after my experience at the restaurant. Bocca Di Lupo focuses on Italy cuisine from across all of the countries regions. It’s all very simple, stripped back with a focus on high quality ingredients, which with some careful cooking, speak for themselves.
We struggled to get a reservation at Bocca Di Lupo, but after some grovelling, the reservations assistant squeezed us in at the bar, which we weren't to happy about. After a few elbow nudges I discovered we actually had the best seat in the house, right in front of the grill and a great chance to see all the cooking and chaos between the chefs. It was great fun.
After ordering a delicious glass of Valpolicella and went straight in to our meal with some light nibbles. Fritti romani, which can be ordered singular, were all very simple, but a highlight to our meal. Deep fried sage leaves filled with anchovy were extremely moorish. Deep fried olives stuffed with minced pork and veal were even more addictive and buffalo mozzarella bocconcini was a messy ball of heaven. If you weren't quite up to an Italian feast, then wine and nibbles here couldn't get any better.
When it comes to making, and cooking pasta Bocca Di Lupo have it perfected. Any pasta dish containing sage is always lifted to some heavenly state. It has such an amazing smell and flavour it can transform even the most humble dishes. Here it was in the form of ravioli stuffed with ricotta and drizzled with a sage butter. The pasta was cooked unbelievably well, and was soft but also had a nice bite.
Romanesco cauliflower as a side was a very wise choice indeed. Served cold (which i wasn’t expecting) it was soft, crumbly, well flavoured and covered in lashings of top quality shaved parmesan cheese. This dish was deceptively good and something which for lunch, is both healthy(ish), light and absolutely delicious. I love that Bocca Di Luppo change their menu practically every week, the only downside is if you love a dish, it’s gone - at least for a while anyway.
The food is all about sharing here, talking with your friends (or loved ones), and drinking delicious wines. While eating all these Italian inspired dishes you can quickly forget which country you’re still in - the food does have a charming, rustic edge to it. BYO wine is common in most restaurants, but here they have BYO truffle (during truffle season) - a fantastic idea, just not a cheap one.
Hungry? Read more - http://www.londonfoodaholic.co.uk/2014/02/bocca-di-lupo-soho-review.html
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This was a Saturday night dinner on a whim. Having missed my flight because of tight planning and delayed connections I suddenly had one extra night in London. Somehow I felt for having Italian and the name Bocca Di Lupo (mouth of the wolf) popped up in my mind. Making dinner plans on a late Saturday afternoon for the very same evening is risky business in London if you aim for a popular place. Naturally the restaurant was fully booked when I called but the receptionist told me they usually keep a few seats on the bar for walk-ins early in the evening. Without hesitation we went there at seven knowing that there are plenty of options in Soho if the plan would fail.
Upon entering you feel the buzz around the long bar with people eating and waiting for tables. Further in is an open kitchen. We were seated fairly quickly at the bar to join the other diners.
We started the meal with a selection of cold cuts. I can’t remember exactly what they all were but I remember the middle one was a type of blood sausage with pistachio which was my favourite.
My friend had a plate of juicy grilled chicken from the Easter menu. I had Peposo Toscana, ox cheeks braised in tomato and (a lot of) black pepper. The ox cheeks were very flavourful and had a sharp sting from the black pepper which went very well with the spicy Italian wine we had that I forgot the name of. The pepper was however a bit too much towards the end. It’s a kind of dish I would prefer to share before the palate gets tired of the flavours, especially if there is one dominant ingredient (in this case the black pepper). Nevertheless a very nice dish but be prepared for a lot of black pepper!
It was a very busy Saturday night at Bocca Di Lupo. The atmosphere around the bar was cheerful. I sometimes prefer sitting in front of the chef/bartender and see the action rather than in front of diners, especially on a weekend. I would say that the food was very good and the service was alright in general but a bit lacking towards the end of the meal. We had to ask for the bill several times before we finally could pay and leave. I will come back and maybe find out how the Bambi taste like.
For full review and photos: http://driftingepicure.com/2013/04/11/bocca-di-lupo-review
After 10 years in london this is without a doubt the best Italian food I've had. The service was excellent, atmosphere perfect.... I recommend it!!!!!
Mushroom tagliatelle. You'll never miss! Great ambience, great service.
Regional, mouth-watering Italian food. Clever choice of portion size, the finest ingredients, and a creative menu. What's not to like ?
The best Italian food I have had in London. Imaginative menu and fantastic quality ingredients. A true high-end dining experience in a classy but non-fussy setting. I've also sat at the 'bar' for a more informal experience, also great as you can watch the food being prepared.
Brilliant menu. Perfect for a lover of all things Italian. Regional cuisine that doesn't disappoint x
highly recommend. There is a great atmosphere in this restaurant. food was amazingly delicious. service excellent no faults found at all. Definitely going to book again when in the area.
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Living in Australia, we think we are the centre of Asia and everything we do is on a scale with the rest of the world. My realization which will hit with full effect on my return is that Australia and to a finer point Melbourne - are sleepy little towns when compared to many cities of the world. We in Melbourne think we have so much going on during the year that we are spoilt for choice. We have/are not. A few weeks in London have cemented that fact.
In Melbourne we have things going on at all times of the year that make us feel like we constantly need to go out and experience it all. In London there may well be 20 things going on every single day that you will not find out about until you hear or read about them the very next day and then start kicking yourself as to how you indeed missed Pete Doherty of The Libertines playing a free secret gig right across the road from where you live. Yes, I did go to many of his secret gigs in London but there were many times where he would just show up and put on a show before disappearing back into the London darkness. That is what I love about London.
Another thing I love but was unable to indulge in this time around is visiting the brilliant restaurant Bocca Di Lupo. I have mentioned this restaurant in previous blog posts and was gutted to find I could not fit it into the schedule. In light of that, should you find yourself in Soho make your way here like your life depended on it.
It was the venue of choice for my last birthday in London and the fit out inside blew my mind once again when I entered to take a photo while they were closed. Boca Di Lupo shines with its small, medium and large fresh tapas plates. And if you can get a seat overlooking the kitchen, throw any chance of conversation out the window and watch the maestros in action.
This restaurant is the new star of the moment. It has a modern trattoria with its large bar where you have a drink. The rooms, ground floor and basement get quickly crowed.
Even if it gets easily noisy, it is a very nice place in the heart of Soho, but I felt like I was between New York and Frisco in the heart of Little Italy.
Run by Jacob Kennedy (the author of fantastic cookbooks such as The Geometry of Pasta), Bocca Di Lupo is possibly the best Italian restaurant in London. Boasting a fantastic array of regional dishes - the crab and blood orange salad was a particular highlight - the restaurant's particular virtue is that it offers you the option of large or small for any item on the menu, giving you the chance to sample at least three dishes in a single sitting: when the selection on offer is this exquisite, that's a great advantage. The decor is crisp yet fancy, although it can be a little cramped: casual diners can perch at the bar and sample a more limited menu with a glass of wine. Not to be missed.
Background:
Bocca di Lupo is an authentic Italian restaurant known for its small and large-plate Italian dining.
Ambience:
The compact restaurant is cosy and intimate, perfect for a memorable dining experience.
Service:
The service at Bocca di Lupo is highly regarded, with friendly and engaging waitstaff.
Food:
The food at Bocca di Lupo is described as simple yet delicious. The flavours are authentic, and the ingredients are high quality, resulting in delicious and satisfying meals.
Overall:
A must-visit restaurant for lovers of Italian cuisine.
Bocca di Lupo is one of the best restaurants in London and definitely my favourite. The food is outstanding - i ate last night small plates of perfection! The wine was glorious and the staff were just lovely. I would urge you to go and try everything!
Fantastic restaurant! Loved all of it. Amazing food, service and wine. I loved this little amuse bouche from the chef , polenta with pepper on it, very fresh and tasty. We had burrata, calamari and zucchine to start , spaghetti with crab and risotto. To finish it all off a beautiful cannolo. Highly recommend! Grazie!
Probably the best seafood I have ever had in London (and also in Italy) and this was a private event in their private room downstairs. Great service as well, thank you Bocca di Lupo. I will be back for sure.
We don’t tend to “do” Italians in London due to close relatives fortunately living in the Garfagnana region in Italy!
However, when we do Bocca di Lupo is our mainstay. Tending to opt with antipasti and the pastas, then dabbling in a secondi or two
👌🏻Make sure to get the wet polenta & egg if available on the menu.
Bocca di Lupo’s sister venue, Gelupo, is opposite is the dolce isn’t up to scratch.
Love their atmosphere, it’s not too much luxury but open and welcoming. Their service was nice and friendly. Also the location is perfect. We ordered butter pasta and cheek ragu pasta which were delicious. We felt the pasta was really handmade. And for dessert, we had cannolis which was crunchy and nutty. We had a good birthday dinner, thanks!!
An absolutely incredible dining experience.
I can’t really thing on any other restaurant in London with this quality of Italian food… definitely worth the money
Buzzy Italian restaurant with great food. It's quite compact and squeezes a lot of diners into a fairly compact space, not so much that it feels crowded, more that it contributes for that buzzy atmosphere. It's also blends smart with informal.
Service and food are both great too.
Went to this lovely restaurant again last night, haven't been for a few years because of Covid and not living in London. Brilliant and as good as I remember. I had to stop my friend from ordering everything on the menu. I don't think there is anything you wouldn't enjoy. Good bread olives and wine too. Treat yourselves, the staff are great and make you feel part of the restaurants 'family'. All a wonderful experience.
Excellent pre theatre menu for £20.
Tasty fried aubergine and very tasty puttanesca.Finish with doughnut and espresso.
Then perhaps indulge a hazelnut ice cream.
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