Bocca di Lupo

 My no 1 Italian in London

Ox tongue tonnato with tuna & anchovy sauce

There are restaurants in London that arrive with a great deal of noise, enjoy a few years in the spotlight and then gradually begin to feel like relics of another dining era. Bocca di Lupo is not one of them. Despite having been part of Soho's dining landscape for many years, it still feels remarkably fresh, relevant and genuinely interesting. That is no small achievement in a city where restaurants open and close at an extraordinary pace, and where even successful establishments can begin to feel predictable. Bocca di Lupo has managed to avoid that trap by staying true to its original idea while continually giving diners a reason to come back. The restaurant's focus is Italian food, but importantly, it is Italian food in all its regional variety rather than a generic interpretation of the country's most familiar dishes. The menu moves around Italy, drawing on different traditions, ingredients and styles, with smaller plates sitting alongside more substantial dishes and plenty of opportunities to build a meal according to your appetite.

Sea bream carpaccio, orange & rosemary

Risotto with fresh girolle mushrooms

Spaghetti with sea urchin, butter, lemon & crumbs

Pappardelle with venison stracotto

On my visit, the dish that really stood out was the roasted suckling pig shoulder, which was outstanding. It is the kind of plate that makes a restaurant visit memorable because it takes something relatively simple in concept and executes it with the sort of care that turns it into something considerably more impressive. The pork had the richness and depth you want from slow-roasted meat, with a wonderfully tender texture and enough character to make every mouthful feel substantial without becoming heavy. There was a satisfying contrast between the beautifully cooked meat and the more savoury, concentrated flavours around it, creating a dish that was both comforting and properly refined. Bocca di Lupo's pasta dishes are just as good as anywhere else in London, and that is saying something given the strength of the city's Italian dining scene. The pasta has the combination of texture, sauce and seasoning that separates a genuinely good plate from one that merely ticks the right boxes. There is a sense of restraint to the cooking too. Italian food rarely benefits from unnecessary complication, and the best dishes allow good ingredients to do much of the work. Bocca di Lupo understands that. The result is pasta that feels deeply satisfying rather than overly constructed. It is also worth remembering that the restaurant's regional approach means you aren't simply getting the same handful of Italian classics you might find elsewhere.

Baked scallops, lemon & thyme butter

Sautéed garlic clams and mussels

Grilled John Dory with gremolata

Roast suckling pig with muscat grapes, white wine & bay

Ultimately, Bocca di Lupo succeeds because it has figured out something that is surprisingly difficult to achieve: how to become an established London restaurant without becoming an institution that diners visit purely out of habit. It has been around for a while, but there is no sense that it is resting on its reputation. Instead, the changing menu keeps the experience moving, the service remains warm and engaged, and the prices are reasonable enough for a central London restaurant of this quality. Those factors matter because they turn a good meal into somewhere you actually want to return to. You don't have to wait for a special occasion, and you don't have to approach the restaurant as though you're signing up for an elaborate tasting experience. You can simply walk in, order a few plates, have some excellent pasta, perhaps go for one of the larger dishes, and enjoy a very good Italian meal. That accessibility is one of Bocca di Lupo's strongest qualities. 

Food 4/5

What I paid: 
£72 per head

Average cost without drinks and services:
£65

12 Archer St, London W1D 7BB

http://boccadilupo.com/