RestaurantsLondonIslingtonN5

Harden's says

In Highbury, a small neighbourhood restaurant inspired by the food of Rome (it is named after the ancient city's symbolic she wolf). Founders Ed Templeton (of Carousel in Charlotte Street) and actor Theo James are locals, while ex-Pidgin chef Naz Hassan grew up in Milan.

survey result

Summary

£65
  £££
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Inspired by the comfort food of Rome and Lazio, a neighbourhood spot in Highbury launched in summer 2025 by a ‘dream team’ of locals – Ed Templeton, co-founder of high-flying guest-chef showcase Carousel, and actor Theo James (White Lotus; The Gentleman), with Milan-raised chef Naz Hassan running the kitchen. The dolci are home-made, and thick-cut porchetta sandwiches are served to take away on Arsenal match days.

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Have you eaten at Lupa?

73 Highbury Park, London, N5 1UA

Lupa Restaurant Diner Reviews

Reviews of Lupa Restaurant in N5, London by users of Hardens.com. Also see the editors review of Lupa restaurant.
Surya K
Delicious Roman-inspired Italian food. Real...
Reviewed 4 months, 18 days ago

"Delicious Roman-inspired Italian food. Really enjoyed the Amatriciana."

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What the Newspaper Critics are saying

The Times

Charlotte Ivers beat a path to a new neighbourhood Roman osteria co-owned by Theo James, “the handsome 40-year-old Brit you’ll have seen in The GentlemenThe White LotusThe Time Traveler’s Wife or the Divergent trilogy”. “The famous face behind it clearly hasn’t hurt publicity-wise,” she said – indeed, it seemed to be the main reason she was here, although co-owner Ed Templeton (of Carousel) was mentioned.

“The food is pretty authentic but they’ve made the recipes a bit lighter to appease fragile London palates”, while the tiramisu has “properly bitter” coffee but remains “sweet and comforting”.

The best dish is the porchetta: “It’s remarkable — the sweetest, juiciest meat surrounded by astonishing crackling. Nobody else in London does porchetta this well.” 

Charlotte Ivers - 2025-07-20

Evening Standard

David Ellis visited a new Roman restaurant co-founded by Ed Templeton of Carousel and Theo James, “the irrepressibly handsome White Lotus star” whose involvement has generated generous helpings of hype.

Tut tut, warned David, “a celebrity is not the right reason to visit a restaurant (see: all of Berkeley Square)”. Luna is commendably unflashy, but is a she-wolf (‘lupa’ in Italian) “in sheep’s clothing”. It “appears to have been designed by Pinterest… it is following the herd”.  

The menu is also generic: “with Carousel’s rotating residencies, and James’s extensive travels, you’d think they’d have done something more interesting than spaghetti in tomato sauce”. Familiar would be fine if the execution was excellent – but too many dishes were either severely underpowered, or over-seasoned. “I left not sure if it was good, bad or just indifferent,” David concluded, adding that chef Naz Hassan would “get it right with time, I think”.

David Ellis - 2025-07-27

Evening Standard

David Ellis visited a new Roman restaurant co-founded by Ed Templeton of Carousel and Theo James, “the irrepressibly handsome White Lotus star” whose involvement has generated generous helpings of hype.

Tut tut, warned David, “a celebrity is not the right reason to visit a restaurant (see: all of Berkeley Square)”. Luna is commendably unflashy, but is a she-wolf (‘lupa’ in Italian) “in sheep’s clothing”. It “appears to have been designed by Pinterest… it is following the herd”.  

The menu is also generic: “with Carousel’s rotating residencies, and James’s extensive travels, you’d think they’d have done something more interesting than spaghetti in tomato sauce”. Familiar would be fine if the execution was excellent – but too many dishes were either severely underpowered, or over-seasoned. “I left not sure if it was good, bad or just indifferent,” David concluded, adding that chef Naz Hassan would “get it right with time, I think”.

David Ellis - 2025-07-27

The Daily Telegraph

William Sitwell gave a thumbs-up to this Roman-inspired restaurant from actor Theo James and Carousel founder Ed Templeton, saying “the carbonara was sublime: a heavenly mix” (behind paywall).

William Sitwell - 2025-09-28
73 Highbury Park, London, N5 1UA

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