The windows of Dalla, Hackney's newest Italian restaurant, glow with a warming ambience, enveloping passers-by in a welcoming embrace of classic Italian family values and hospitality.
The restaurant came to fruition after the collaboration between chef Mitchell Damota, Gianmarco Leone, and Gennaro Leone – known for his intricately curated design studio Spazio Leone. Working closely with designer Oscar Piccolo, the trio wanted to create a setting that is intimate yet familiar, a place to be welcomed with friendly recognition followed by a simple: 'Would you like the usual?'
Dalla, a new Italian eatery, has arrived in Hackney
The interior has a leading role in creating the cosy atmosphere after Leone spent a sun-kissed summer in Napoli researching Italian design to curate a space of timeless interior furnishings. Touches of personal detailing are shown through unique pieces placed around the room – a Riccardo Dalisi-designed prototype cafetiere, made to celebrate 100 years of Alessi, sits comfortably in the corner, copper encrusted lamps perch on tables, coupled with an archive of books with lovingly broken spines.
Further details reflect Leone's impeccable eye for sourcing pieces. Gracing the room a Stilnovo chandelier, found at a Milanese palazzo, casts its light on diners, while smaller details are hidden throughout the restaurant from the Luigi Caccia Dominioni brass door handles to the bathroom mirror attributed to Gio Ponti.
A hearty place to drop by once (or twice) a week, Dalla's menu is as carefully curated as its interior. Focusing on seasonal cooking, frostier winters welcome a plate of warming dishes from Northern Italy, utilising Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano for traditional Tortellini, washed down with a selection of red wines, while summers will provide fresh fish and vegetables from the South, all sourced from local suppliers.
Dalla's foundations are built on local spirit and warmth mirroring that of Italy, welcoming guests with generosity and a large helping of pasta. Although a newly welcomed restaurant to this address, there is nothing brash or shiny in its essence- instead details are subtle, a treasure trove of design discovery from the menu to interior, that makes you feel at ease.
-
How Ichio Matsuzawa designed the almost-invisible bar defining Art Week Tokyo 2025During the art fair’s latest instalment, Wallpaper* met the Japanese architect to explore architecture as sensation, not structure
-
The story behind rebellious New York fashion label-cum-art collective, Women’s History MuseumMattie Barringer and Amanda McGowan’s multidisciplinary label has been challenging fashion’s status quo for the past decade. As they open a new exhibition at Amant, Brooklyn, the pair sit down with Wallpaper* to discuss their provocative approach
-
Mark+Fold Turns 10 with first Shoreditch pop-upBritish stationery brand Mark+Fold celebrates ten years in business with a Brick Lane pop-up featuring new products, small-batch editions and conversations with creatives
-
Chef Matt Abé steps out solo with Bonheur in MayfairA former fine-dining institution is transformed through a study of light, tone and materiality, courtesy of Russell Sage Studio
-
Dining at Motorino: the 'young and playful' London restaurant with all the right ingredientsThe newest restaurant from Stevie Parle and Luke Ahearne is sleek in design and menu, finds Ben McCormack
-
Has London entered a pizza-naissance?Neapolitan roots, New York swagger, London soul
-
Nela is London's new stage for open-fire gastronomyA beloved Amsterdam import brings live-fire elegance to The Whiteley’s grand revival
-
New London restaurant Lagana drizzles Shoreditch with extra olive oilPachamama Group’s latest spot turns the namesake Greek bread into a philosophy, pairing childlike creativity with generous, unfussy cooking
-
Tobi Masa lands at The Chancery RosewoodChef Masa Takayama’s debut London restaurant transforms modernist geometry into a space of ritual calm and culinary purity
-
London’s smash burger obsession goes haute with Supernova MayfairNew York designer Sarita Posada taps into 1970s nostalgia and cinematic restraint for the group’s third outpost in the British capital
-
Peek inside Uchronia’s celadon green suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde ParkThe Paris-based studio teamed up with Pantone to transform a suite at the storied hotel into an aquatic dreamscape. Here’s how to check in
