Launching in Highbury in London in late June, Lupa will be led in the kitchen by head chef Naz Hassan, previously head chef at Pidgin and Crispin, and will focus ‘on the beauty and simplicity of traditional Roman osterias with a distinct London flare’.
Highbury locals Templeton and James, whose acting credentials include The Divergence Series and the second series of The White Lotus, have named their restaurant after the she-wolf of Rome. With just 28 covers, Lupa will be a buzzy neighbourhood restaurant that will be open for dinner only on Wednesdays to Sundays and lunch on the weekend.
Lupa’s succinct menu is described by Templeton as being ‘casual, fun and delicious’ and will feature a regularly changing roster of seasonal specials with an emphasis on regional specialities from Rome and the surrounding Lazio region.
To start, antipasti for the table to share will pay homage to Rome’s love affair with the friggitrice (deep-fat fryer) with fior’ di zucca stuffed with anchovy and burrata and served with a courgette dip; and supplì al telefono – Rome’s answer to Sicilian arancino, so named for the telephone-cord-like strings of mozzarella cheese that appear when broken in two.
Primi will honour the canon of Roman pastasciutta with three classic dishes at the heart of the menu – carbonara, bucatini all’amatriciana; and cacio e pepe while dishes on the secondi section will include slow-roasted porchetta stuffed with chicken liver, fennel seeds and chilli; lamb cutlets from the grill; and the Roman signature carciofi alla romana – artichoke hearts, stuffed with herbs and braised in white wine, olive oil and garlic.
A short selection of dolci will round off the menu with dishes created by pastry chef Alessandro Boscolo ad will include tiramisù and bignè di San Giuseppe – sweet fritters of choux pastry piped with pastry cream.
On Sundays, the menu will be devoted to larger weekend specials, like lasagne al forno, patate alla romana (a rustic Roman dauphinoise) and cream-filled maritozzi brioche buns.
The team will also serve thick-cut Porchetta sandwiches to take away on Arsenal match days.
The accompanying drinks list will focus on aperitivo-style cocktails and spritzes and approachable Italian wines from independent winemakers. A ‘considered’ range of amaros will also be available.
Lupa’s design will have familiar osteria cues ‘filtered through a London lens’ with original architectural features like the Victorian joinery above the floor to ceiling windows and the original hand-painted shoe shop sign outside retained and elements such as bistro-style curtains, lime washed walls, bespoke carpentry, and bold artwork.
“Theo and I are both Highbury locals and share an ambition to open an enduring neighbourhood classic,” says Templeton.
“It’s taken 18 months to make it happen, but we knew it was a special corner of Highbury from the start. We just needed a special chef who could help us bring the Roman dream to life.
“Lupa is the kind of place we’ve always wanted to have on our doorstep. There are certain Roman dishes that people know but much is still largely to be discovered.”