Bocca di Lupo (Italian) revisited – London
Sep 21st, 2009 by admin
Background:
Charmaine from tasty treats! and I visited Italian eaterie Bocca di Lupo back in January, not long after it opened. For some reason, we ordered from their One Dish Meals menu rather than trying various small-sized plates of food. I’ve regretted this ever since, so when Caitlin from Vinoteca and her partner wanted to eat there, a plan was set for dinner. Since my first visit, many friends and food bloggers have eaten at Bocca di Lupo and most have had positive experiences, so I was keen to try some of the other dishes.
Tip:
If you like kitchen action, then the chef’s counter is the place to be. It’s very long, but only a few of the seats directly face the kitchen, while the rest face the bar, so bear this in mind when you book. I sat right in front of the second chef David Cook as Jacob Kennedy wasn’t there, so I could see all the finished dishes being handed over (there was an impressive dish of foccacia with spleen & lungs simmered in lard and smoked ricotta) which helped us to identify what to order.
Menu:
The menu features dishes from various Italian regions, as well as some Bocca di Lupo specials (marked BDL). Most are available in small or large portions and the idea is to share them, tapas-style, with your dining companions.
What we ordered:
To share:
- shaved radish, celeriac & pecorino salad with pomegranates & truffle oil – BDL (£5.00 small) – I don’t really like ordering salads in restaurants for some reason, but this was an excellent choice with great texture (Caitlin!). The recipe for this is in the September issue of Olive magazine, so I’ll be making it soon
- Fritti Romani – buffalo mozzarella bocconcini (£2.50 each) and artichoke a la Guidia, fried crispy – Roma (£4.00) – the former was as you would imagine, crispy on the outside and wonderfully moist inside. The artichoke I didn’t like so much, as it was really quite oily
- grilled squid with gremolata – Liguria (£7.00 small) – one of my favourite dishes of the meal, this was a most generous portion considering I’d ordered the small one. Such a simple dish and yet so perfect. I would definitely have this on my next visit
- Alberto’s father’s sausage (pork, beef, cloves, cinnamon & nutmeg) – Lombardia (£6.50) – I didn’t like this so much possibly because it arrived after we had eaten our ‘mains’ and I was too full. It was one of the most ordered dishes of the evening from 6.40 to 10.00pm (my eagle eyes didn’t miss much) and yet I wasn’t so sure about it. Sausage fans would most likely approve of the rough texture, but I’ll have to try this again when I’m hungry
- black risotto of cuttlefish & its ink – Veneto (£8.00 small) – another stunner, and also substantial given that it was a small size. Remember to smile at your friends afterwards!
‘Mains’:
- sea bream baked in salt – Liguria (£16.00 large, no small size available) – another of the outstanding dishes of the evening. It was fun watching the chef stuff the bream with fennel, cover a dish with sea salt, place the fish on top and layer more handfuls of salt over it before sticking it in the oven. It was so fresh and succulent, I could almost imagine being by the seaside and eating it. Certainly a must-order dish
- tagliatelle with pigeon & pork ragù – Veneto (£7.00 small) – this was Caitlin’s main and she heartily approved of it
- spaghettini with lobster, mussels & ginger – BDL (£11.00 small) – my main and such an excellent choice it was too. Again, I have to say that it was a very large portion given that I’d ordered the small. The lobster chunks were plentiful and generous, as were the mussels, while the ginger gave the dish a slightly spicy kick. This is something I would certainly recommend to anyone, even though one might not regard it as strictly Italian (it’s a Bocca di Lupo special)
Desserts:
I’m afraid I can’t comment on the desserts with any authority because I couldn’t eat another bite by the time they arrived. In fact, I couldn’t even bring myself to choose any of them! I had also started the meal with an upset stomach from lunch, so by the time I’d eaten all of the above, I was really struggling. I had bites of the first two, and would say that the brioche was better than the cassata. When I return for my next meal, I’d like to try the sanguinaccio.
- brioche ’sandwich’ of hazelnut, pistachio & chestnut gelati – Napoli (£7.00)
- Cassata Siciliana – ricotta, orange & chocolate layered with sponge cake & marzipan – Sicilia (£6.50)
- Sanguinaccio – sweet paté of pig’s blood & chocolate with sourdough bread – Abruzzo (£6.00)
The verdict:
Overall, we had an excellent meal and managed to try a good number of the many dishes on offer. I can’t wait to try some of the others when I go back, but I’d also order a few of these dishes again – grilled squid, black risotto, spaghettini with lobster & mussels and the sea bream. If the next visit is as good as this one, I’ll add Bocca di Lupo to my London favourites list. With regards to the wine list, Caitlin and her partner are best qualified to comment on the various wines that they tried, but there was much nodding and beaming going on next to me. The atmosphere at dinner on a Friday evening was buzzy and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I think it’s best to sit at the chef’s counter or in front of the bar. The bar stools are padded and pretty comfortable for a few hours.
The entire set of Bocca di Lupo photos on Flickr can be viewed here.
All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide
Contact details:
Bocca di Lupo
12 Archer Street
London W1D 7BB
Tel: 020 7734 2223
www.boccadilupo.com
Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide
That spaghettini with lobster sounds great, so I hope it’s on the menu the next time I visit. As for the desserts – the pig’s blood dessert I tried tasted overwhelmingly of orange zest. Very eh. I’ll be curious to hear what you think of it the next time you go.
Hi there,
Glad you had a better time on your 2nd visit. We thought it was good on our 1st visit (but had some serious issues with a few of the dishes). Totally agree that the portion size on some of the ’small’ plates is very generous. I generally liked the atmosphere and decor and am eager to try it out again. I think if you order wisely, it can be pretty good value for money too.
All the best,
LF
Strange not seeing marks out of ten but definitely the right decision. All you need to know is whether a restaurant is worth visiting (yes), what dishes to try (the spaghettini with lobster, mussels & ginger, the sea bream and the grilled squid for me) and what to avoid (risotto – as I don’t like it).
An American in London – I really liked the spaghettini with lobster (perhaps because I love Chinese lobster noodles with ginger and spring onion!). I’ll let you know about the pig’s blood pudding if I do get to try it next time…
Laissez Fare – you’re right, it doesn’t have to be expensive, and I’m pretty good at ordering carefully (without being too stingy!)
Mr Noodles – you don’t like risotto?? Maybe you haven’t had good versions? I love it…
Helen Yuet Ling
Italian food isn’t really my thing, but this sounds good. Prices seem pretty reasonable too like you mentioned.
I am glad it was better. We went there twice a few months back, once for lunch and once for dinner. What impressed me both times was the wait staff (being PC): Relaxed and accommodating unlike some places where they are either snooty or else totally ignorant of what is going on in the kitchen.
The Cockroach Catcher
LOL at “remember to smile at your friends afterwards”. It would be hilarious to get a group smile photo after everyone had tried some!
Hello Helen, I have been eagerly awaiting your review of our dinner at BDL. I would say that you summed up the evening perfectly, it really was an overall very enjoyable night! I have a feeling I may not have let you have a taste of my pork & pigeon ragu! If I didn’t I am very sorry, but it was so delicious! I agree about the portions being generous, I was very pleased with that, if/when I go back I will stick with the small portions again. I think all of our main dishes – lobster spaghettini, pork & pigeon ragu, and Ross’ salt baked fish were the winners of the night for me. Also, the service was good, our waiter was incredibly patient (I take forever to choose a wine!) and friendly. We must go for a meal again, hopefully you will be feeling 100% and be able to help us with the wine!
Caitlin
Is that the sea bream in the first photo? Amazing! I would gladly feast on that platter alone and be content for a week . . .
OhhhhHHHHHHH!!
I MUST get ther recipe for that fish!
How do you think they make it? Loks like it is baked with the skin and scales on, then, that is removed before eating and drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice?
Wild Boar – you must be the first person to not love Italian food! What’s not to like??!
Am Ang Zhang – you’re right, the wait staff are really good and very patient. I never felt rushed.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella – good idea! Group photo next time. Not quite a ‘date’ dish, I’d say, although you could bond over it…
Caitlin – thanks! No, I did try a bite, but didn’t want to comment on it based on just a bite, but I know you really liked it. And Ross’ choice of sea bream was excellent. Every time I look at the photo, I want to eat it straight away!
Tangled Noodle – yes, that’s the one. Worth every penny!
Chee – baked with the skin on (not sure about the scales though), but if you Google any recipe for fish baked in salt, that will do it. Let me know how yours turns out!
Helen Yuet Ling
I did a double take when I saw your post. We’ll be in London shortly and we were just checking out this restaurant’s website as a possible venue to dine!
The black risotto looks very tempting. Will just have to wash it down with copious glasses of wine!
Gourmantic – great! If you have enough time in London and can fit it in, you should go (ask to sit at the chef’s counter for the action). Have a look at my favourites list under Food & Travel – London as well if you need more tips. Looking forward to going through your archive of food & travel posts…
Helen Yuet Ling
I went there today and had a great time there.
Admittedly the food isn’t the same as I had in Italy but that was the freshest I have had.. It was simply perfect… I saw squids after squids being cooked tonight.
Daily special was pan fried scallop and that was fantastic! The best scallop I’ve had — sweet, juicy and exceptionally fresh…
However, I was a bit disappointed by the lobster spaghettini.. The pork tortellini was better than the lobster spaghetti.
The service was very good.
Overall, it was a great experience. To me, if the food tastes good, the service is good and I had a good time, then I love this restaurant even if the food isn’t traditionally Italian
Andrew
Andrew – glad you had a good time and shame about the lobster spaghettini. Mine was superb.
Helen Yuet Ling