Ed Templeton of Carousel (left in picture) has linked up with actor and fellow Highbury resident Theo James (right) to launch a Rome-inspired local restaurant called Lupa, after the she wolf who nursed the ancient city’s founders, Romulus and Remus.
The kitchen is led by Naz Hassan (centre), the Bangladeshi-born former head chef at Pidgin who grew up in Milan before settling in London at the age of 19. Naz cemented his credentials with a week cooking last summer at Carousel, Ed’s well-known guest chef restaurant in Fitzrovia.
Ed, who has lived in Rome, said ahead of opening: “Theo and I are both Highbury locals and share an ambition to open an enduring neighbourhood classic. It’s taken 18 months to make it happen, but we knew it was a special corner of Highbury from the start. We just needed a special chef who could help us bring the Roman dream to life.
“Working together with Naz, we’ve conceived a menu that’s casual, fun and delicious. We want people to enjoy it in its entirety, making sure they save room for the homemade dolci. Lupa is the kind of place we’ve always wanted to have on our doorstep. There are certain Roman dishes that people know but much is still largely to be discovered.”
Lupa’s interior was designed by Ed and Theo along with their respective wives, actors Georgia Maguire and Ruth Kearney, and accommodates just 28 diners at “tightly packed” tables.
Dishes include Roman osteria classics like deep-fried stuffed courgette flowers, and on Arsenal match days porchetta sandwiches will be prepared to take away.
