Carousel co-owner Ed Templeton is one big name behind this new Roman-style restaurant in north London; another is White Lotus star Theo James. The pair became friends after their actor wives met while walking on Highbury Fields during lockdown, and they both agreed they wanted somewhere casual, but of good quality, to eat on their doorstep.
Wallpaper* dines at Lupa, London
The mood: a local osteria worth travelling for
Templeton has designed the window-wrapped corner site himself, with input from his wife Georgia Maguire and James’s wife Ruth Kearney. The original Victorian features of the former shop have been complemented by contemporary fittings, while the snug dimensions of the 28-cover space mean that seating is on benches handcrafted by carpenter Herb Palmer up the road in Walthamstow. Templeton’s friend, ceramist Valentine Benoist, has designed vases to sit atop each candlelit table, while lime-washed walls and terracotta tones reference the Roman theme. Service, meanwhile, is as relaxed as the low-lit vibe.
‘It’s a tiny spot,’ Templeton says. ‘It’s really, really small. The benches felt like the best way to kind of maximise covers and make it as comfortable as possible. And we all liked the idea of having the kind of café with half-curtains that mean all you can see from the outside is the tops of heads and the flicker of candlelight. We’ve gone for an ochre kind of colour outside, which hopefully is reminiscent of the Campo de’ Fiori in Rome. But let’s see how it stands up on a wet November night in Highbury.’
‘We wanted that vibrant feeling of a back street trattoria whilst making it contemporary enough that it wasn’t too traditional; it was about finding that balance between modernity and informality with the use of lighting, art and music,’ adds Ruth Kearney. ‘We want every guest who sits down to immediately feel like they’re in a place that cares about the details.’
The food: when in Rome…
Templeton lived in the Italian capital in his early 20s and has enlisted Milan-raised chef Naz Hassan (Pidgin’s former head chef) to create a menu of crowd-pleasing classics alongside Roman-inspired seasonal specials. Expect a short menu long on big flavours: carbonara or cacio e pepe made with hand-rolled pasta, lamb cutlets crisped up on the grill, and veg-forward dishes such as carciofi alla romana (artichoke hearts stuffed with herbs and braised in white wine, olive oil and garlic). Heading to Arsenal? There’ll be thick-cut porchetta sandwiches to take away on match days.
Lupa is located at 73 Highbury Park, London N5 1UA, UK.
-
Nela is London's new stage for open-fire gastronomyA beloved Amsterdam import brings live-fire elegance to The Whiteley’s grand revival
-
How we host: with Our Place founder, Shiza ShahidWelcome, come on in, and take a seat at Wallpaper*s new series 'How we host' where we dissect the art of entertaining. Here, we speak to Our Place founder Shiza Shahid on what makes the perfect dinner party, from sourcing food in to perfecting the guest list, and yes, Michelle Obama is invited
-
Matteo Thun carves a masterful thermal retreat into the Canadian RockiesBasin Glacial Waters, a project two decades in the making, finally surfaces at Lake Louise, blurring the boundaries between architecture and terrain
-
Nela is London's new stage for open-fire gastronomy
A 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
-
The Chancery Rosewood: A new chapter for London’s modernist iconAfter years behind closed doors, London’s most anticipated hotel opening finally arrives, proving that some things are worth waiting for
-
The Hart Marylebone marks the next chapter in London’s design-led pubsThe trio behind The Pelican and The Hero turn to Marylebone, fusing Victoriana, intimacy and culinary honesty in their most ambitious project yet
-
This 100-year-old private members’ club in London feels young at heartThe Sloane Club unveils a stylish new rebrand and redesign courtesy of Russell Sage Studio
