Lupa

A ‘cute, intimate, candlelit restaurant’ set up by Highbury locals Ed Templeton (founder of Carousel) and A-list actor/musician Theo James, pretty little Lupa is a charming neighbourhood haunt serving up comforting regional specialities prepared from assiduously sourced ingredients. The atmosphere is fun and friendly, service is all-round excellent, but the main attraction is the menu created by chef Naz Hassan (who describes himself as a ‘Bengali kid doing Italian food’). His instinctive talent and obsessive attention to detail defy the apparent simplicity on the plate – everything hits the spot. Hand-rolled bucatini all’amatriciana, the lasagne specials at the weekend or the tiramisu are not to be missed, and they even serve porchetta sandwiches on Arsenal match days. To drink, Italian-themed cocktails and spritzes bolster a short list of artisan Italian regional wines. Given Lupa’s neighbourhood proportions and ironclad local reputation – as one fan noted 'you feel like you're in the backstreets of Rome' – bookings are hard to come by, although one table is always held back for walk-ins.