Bocca Di Lupo
Restaurant - Italian in London
12 Archer Street
London
Greater London
W1D 7BB
Contact Numbers
Reviews
Bravo Jacob
Ex Moro head Chef Jacob Kennedy has gone Pan Italian and is producing very well turned out Italian Regional classics (small and larger plates for most dishes) The menu describes each dish in English and the region it originates from.The wine list is very well chosen with many of the great winemakers in Italy represented - however I was disapointed to see they had chosen Umberto Cesari's Sangiovesi di Romagna instead of his superb "Super Emiliano" - Liano a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignion.I need to work my way through the menu but today I had Tuna Tartare which had capers and pine nuts in the dressing followed by a risotto of bone marrow , barolo and radicchio di Treviso. The Tuna was delicate and fresh and a good way to wake the taste buds. I liked the Risotto but I'm yet to have a one in London that is as good as the ones I make myself at home or reach the heights found in good restaurants of all classes in Italy. I suspect there was a lack of flavour in the stock and an element of pre cooked rice so it was not cooked and stirred for 15-20 minutes from scratch.I finished with some excellent well kept Tallegio served with fennel ,grapes and rose hip honey.My guest Subteranean had a lovely procutto crudo of lamb and some scallops with rocket followed by Sanguinaccio - asweet pateÌ of pig's blood chocolate with sourdough bread which was actually very interesting if somewhat rich.We shared some Puntarelle with anchovy with our mains and they were as good as I have eaten in Rome.As I said I look forward to working my way through the menu especially Cotechino with lentils in balsamic vinegar& bitter clementine mostarda Romagna ,Boiled beef with potatoes & salsa verde and Rustic pork & foie gras sausage with farro & porcini.
A User - 05/01/2009 | report this review
Howlingly good.
It's that time of the year and I've been jumping the gun as ever with my plans to compile a list for the best eating experiences in 2008. Once again a bodacious newbie that's impervious to current climes turns up from nowhere and causes myself to reconsider the said list. I don't think I've actually reviewed any esoteric Italian restaurants this year. Apart from a diabolically average and painfully expensive experience at Locanda Locatelli earlier in the year, I've never been at all tickled by the suggestion of ‘let's have Italian today'. Churlish as it may seem, I've always preconceived at the idea of having an Italian meant boring pasta (which I have three times a week chez moi), wet soggy rice pud they call risotto, veal liver plus more veal liver and wait for it horrid tiramisù. I came across Bocca di Lupo from Jan Moir's judicious review at Are You Ready To Order? and subsequently the godlike Fay Maschler's tuppence worth for the ES. What drew me to this place was its offer of a melange of tapas-sized dishes inspired and drawn from the 21 regions of Italy. The location in Soho is fine by me, despite the backwater nature of it. The interior belies the street the restaurant resides, they've obviously budgeted without much constraints for it was pretty posh and very marginally formal in retrospect. Came to lunch with my daughter and suitably propped with a reservation in tow. She suggested that instead of settling down at our allocated table in the now very full dining room we should instead, her words, ‘do a Barrafina' and sit at the marble-topped bar, from where we can watch the chefs at work. It was a brilliant idea as we were able to see and appreciate chef/proprietor Jacob Kenedy and his team knock up lunch for us. The service although friendly, needs more refinement and resolve; it can be achingly slow and difficult to gain any attention from either the black attired waiters or the Maître d'. The food, oh Mama, the food was indeed beautiful and superb. The spot-on seasoned and crispy Fritto di mare of prawns, squid soft-shell crab was to all intents and purposes a universally accessible dish that appeals to everyone and anyone- my daughter has already decided on ordering this wonderful dish all for herself next time. The Fritto Romano of whole fried artichoke and veal sweetbreads was graciously paired, the former was both crispy and flavourful and the latter utterly sublime. The Swordfish 'a la Palermitana', was probably in my mind the least successful of the four mains we tried, the blandness and indifferent texture of the fish had to seek salvation from the extraordinarily good caper and ricotta salata. The highlight of Spaghettini with lobster, mussels & ginger was nothing short of a masterstroke; the beautifully cooked pasta was worthy of its adornment of sweet lobster. For pudding, how could I possibly ignore the Sanguinaccio with its noteworthy or more befittingly barmy inclusion of Pig's blood. This chocolate spread (they call it pâté) sprinkled with pine nuts and candied peel served with sourdough bread was intense and perfectly yummy without any hint of piggyness (although the young female chef labouring in front of us begged to differ) except perhaps a trace of umami noted. My daughter's Sicilian and Piemontese chocolates & petits-fours were altogether a thumbs-up affair but we agreed it should have been for two to share.The yearning to come back is strong, as I've only sampled 6 of the 21 regions offered. The mouth of the wolf has certainly howled more than adequately to put itself on the map.
A User - 10/12/2008 | report this review
Maybe in a while...
(When we went this place had just opened and this should be taken into account when reading this review.)When we heard that Jacob and Victor from Moro were setting up an Italian venture we were desperately keen to try it out. In hindsight we probably should have given it a few weeks to bed in.Service was slow and nervous and by the time we ordered we'd decided not to have the dishes (tapas-sized) in courses as the waiter suggested, but asked for them to arrive all at once. We tried most of the menu between us and it was...good. I suppose my yardstick with small-dish eating is whether I'd order another one, and I'm afraid here there was nothing apart from the home-made sausage that was moreish. Nothing was bad, don't get me wrong, but there just weren't many stand-out moments, and for the price I'd expect a bit better.Halfway through our meal our unfortunate waiter managed to open a bottle of champagne all over a diner on the table next to us, and even more unfortunately it appeared it was her birthday. I'm sure given time this kind of thing won't happen, but I didn't expect basic errors like this to happen in a place with big aspirations.I finished with the petit fours which were pretty forgettable apart from for their marzipan bias. A shame really, and clearly not in line with the other reviewers' experiences, so I hope I'll be back soon and eating my words!
A User - 01/12/2008 | report this review
New Italian in Soho - a gem!
Truly exceptional Italian food - the home-made sausages and salumi are a must. Great value for such refined cooking with a wine list that makes decision making very difficult indeed. Just what Soho has been waiting for.....
A User - 09/11/2008 | report this review
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