Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeks
Designed by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking

Lonsdale Road is Queen’s Park’s best-kept secret. The unassuming North West London thoroughfare, once a stable block for Hackney carriages, is now filled with flavoursome dining options and entertainment. The recent opening of Don’t Tell Dad entices with its seamless day-to-night offering and hazelnut brown-butter croissants, and just minutes away now sits Pyrá, a Greek and Spanish fusion spot led by head chef Mattia Caddeo, formerly sous chef at The Arts Club, Mayfair and Angela Hartnett’s Murano. Because why settle for one cuisine when you can have both Mediterranean favourites?
Wallpaper* dines at Pyrá, London
The mood: a kiss on both cheeks
Designed by the London-based studio House of Dré, Pyrá's interior favours warm, earthy tones that seek to lure guests in with a lived-in charm. The studio's founder, Andreas N. Christodoulou, used texture as a metaphor for the passage of time, selecting materials that would embrace imperfection and tell their own stories as they age. Hence, the choice of terracotta tile flooring, which patinas gracefully. ‘One of my favourite details is the little café curtain under the kitchen pass, hanging from an unlacquered brass rail that will slowly tarnish and develop character over time,' Christodoulou notes.
A rendezvous at Pyrá doesn’t begin and end on the ground floor – an inviting upstairs space features a vinyl, wine and cocktail bar called the Loft, available for private hire and DJ nights. ‘Flooded with natural light, it’s a bright and lofty space designed with flexibility in mind,' says Christodoulou. 'You could host an engagement party one night, then clear the furniture for a yoga class the next.'
The food: sharing is caring...or is it?
If there’s one thing the Greeks and Spaniards know how to do, it’s bringing people together over food. That’s exactly the spirit of Pyrá. The tapas-style sharing menu celebrates the best of Mediterranean cuisine and ingredients. This approach, combined with the warmth of fire-grilled specialities and the masterful use of spices and aromatic herbs, delights the palate – without the cost of a plane ticket.
While house specials include whole sea bass baked in salt crust and a 1kg Galician rib-eye on the bone, you’re more than allowed to indulge in the deconstructed gyros: slow-cooked lamb leg with flatbread, chips, chili dip, tzatziki, onion, and tomato salad. Ask for the cocktail of the day for the ultimate holiday refresher, and don’t skip the crème catalane with blood orange for dessert.
Pyra is located at 6A-8A, Lonsdale Rd, London NW6 6RD; pyralondon.com
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Sofia de la Cruz is the Travel Editor at Wallpaper*. A self-declared flâneuse, she feels most inspired when taking the role of a cultural observer – chronicling the essence of cities and remote corners through their nuances, rituals, and people. Her work lives at the intersection of art, design, and culture, often shaped by conversations with the photographers who capture these worlds through their lens.
-
Florencia Rodriguez on the importance of curiosity, criticism and cultural freedom
Florencia Rodriguez, architect, writer and artistic director of this year’s Chicago Architecture Biennial, comments on the state of the States
-
Jean-Michel Othoniel takes over Avignon for his biggest ever exhibition
Originally approached by Avignon to mark their 25th anniversary as the European Capital of Culture, Jean-Michel Othoniel more than rose to the challenge, installing 270 artworks around the city
-
What is the future for design in Africa? Designer Hicham Lahlou shares possibilities for the continent at large
The Moroccan designer celebrates 30 years of his practice. Here he speaks from his studio in Rabat about his own career and the creative possibilities for design in Morocco and the rest of Africa
-
Industrial chic meets Thai heat at the new incarnation of a beloved London restaurant
Singburi 2.0 brings all the hot and sour thrills of the original haunt in cool Shoreditch surrounds
-
Here’s how Heathrow is reimagining airport chaos as ambient music
Grammy-nominated Jordan Rakei turns travel noise into a meditative soundtrack by sampling everything from baggage belts to jet engines
-
Is this London’s slickest burger joint?
Already proven in Paris, Dumbo’s smash-hit formula of precision, confidence, and simplicity arrives in Shoreditch – and yes, it’s worth the wait
-
Canal is a new west London restaurant with a suntrap terrace
At Canal, the new restaurant at Mason & Fifth’s Westbourne Park hotel, expect modern European breakfast, lunch and dinner from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie
-
This hidden London culinary haven is a refreshing take on the steakhouse
Mr Porter, a new steakhouse, bar and lounge in central London's swish Mayfair, is a hidden haven of strong flavours and minimalist dining
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi Gallery
Designed by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Ready to unplug? Sign up for this digital detox retreat in Cornwall
Offline escape provider Unplugged has partnered with Cabilla Cornwall to offer a phone-free, nature-immersive group experience on Bodmin Moor
-
Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is London’s tastiest (and weirdest) summer tradition
The cult pop-up has returned, transforming a Belgravia corner into a sleek, steel-clad shrine to British pantry nostalgia