Bocca di Lupo — Restaurant in London

This is a real little gem of a place, tucked away just off of Shaftesbury Avenue. Took my girlfriend here for her birthday (she was the one who actually recommended it as she'd read Grace Dent's review and thought it sounded worth a try). It did not disappoint.

The focus here is on Italian 'small plates', and the waiter recommended we order 2-3 plates per person (although it's worth pointing out that a lot of the menu items also have a 'large' option as well). We went for the cured veal with lemon, bagna càuda, pappardelle with venison, oven-baked scallops and roasted mallard. This was more than enough for both of us but with my first bite of the pappardelle I was already wishing I'd gone for the large option, because it was absolutely sensational.

The bagna càuda was the star of the show. It was the first time either of us had tried this dish, and we were both blown away by the velveteen texture and the complexity of flavours; slightly bitter at first but swiftly giving way to a rich, sumptuous umami from the anchovies.

I personally enjoyed the veal with lemon but my girlfriend said that was her least favourite out of everything we ate, but not taking anything away from it. The scallops were three small but delicious nuggets of awesomeness. At £17 for the trio they needed to be great, and they certainly did not disappoint in terms of flavour. And then there was the roasted mallard, which was a thing of beauty. We paired the whole thing with a bottle of Valpolicella which was perfect.

We finished with a hazelnut gelato and chocolate marzipan ball, both were delightful. The gelato was a must, considering they make all their own ice cream on-site and also run the gelateria 'Gelupo' across the street.

Overall I cannot fault Bocca Di Lupo in the slightest. The staff were great, the food was sublime from start to finish. One tiny drawback is that because of its small size it can feel a little bit claustrophobic especially when busy, but once you taste what they have to offer you...

We got an assortment of fritti, the lardo bruschetta, the ricotta bruschetta, the duck ragu, and the pheasant.

Starting positive, I LOVED the ricotta bruschetta. Genuinely one of the best things I've ever eaten. I believe it had lemon zest and olive oil in the ricotta - absolutely delicious. Such a pleasant floral, subtle flavor.

I did not care for the lardo bruschetta - the pork fat and honey flavor combination didn't sit well with me - but my boyfriend really enjoyed it. The same verdict on the duck ragu - I was a bit confused on why there was no tomato in this, and thought, while tasty, it was exceptionally fatty and rich. My boyfriend enjoyed it though, and it was his dish (as was the lardo).

My main was the pheasant, which I really didn't enjoy. It was quite overcooked - to the point where it was difficult to cut. The flavor was good, but not remarkable - it tasted like a good roast chicken. The confit leg was better, but still tasted off - I'm not sure if it was overcooked or underseasoned. The polenta I also thought wasn't cooked very well - it was very wet and the corn was still very tough. That seemed undercooked to me. That dish just wasn't very nice to eat. I didn't finish it.

The fritti I thought were hit or miss - the salted cod was delicious. Very crispy and nice. The anchovy/sage I thought was overcooked- it was difficult to taste the anchovy. The bocconcini we both thought would have been better not fried - it just sort of took away from the flavor of the cheese and the cheese was too wet to be fried really. The arancino I really enjoyed- the saffron flavor was really nice and the texture was good.

I would have liked to stay for dessert and try the coffee, but I have back problems and the chairs were incredibly uncomfortable, so we unfortunately had to leave early. I will also note that it was extremely loud in the restaurant - it was very difficult to hear my partner and made the meal less pleasant...

Why this place is an institution is easy to understand after dining here.

Imagine....you are celebrating an anniversary and planned out a day of 4 different Italian joints around the city for the day and this is spot number 3. So you walk in and inform them of your reservation and they reply that you've booked the wrong day. fml. haha. But the host immediately and kindly made some adjustments to the seating chart and squeezed us in the dining room.

Service was incredible and charming. We explained how much we were eating the whole day and that we would just grab a few plates and drinks and our server completely understood and gave us no pressure to try upsell or push us to order more. The cocktails were great, and I definitely recommend the artichoke fizz. Good way to start the meal. They also brought us 2 glasses of bubbly for our anniversary which was a nice surprise.

Food was a bit hit and miss. The squid bolgonese was a bit dry and under seasoned. The pansotti on the other hand was outstanding and comparable to the pansotti we were eating in Liguria a few months back. The courgette and chili was really well executed as well. Nice and snappy with a slight hint of chili and garlic. The rhum baba was not up to scrap. The baba was dry and not fully saturated in rhum and simple syrup. The focaccia/olives and oil they drop on the table was great. Chewy and salty.

Atmosphere is really comfy and homey. The layout and flow really makes everything around you fade away. A great place for celebrating or catching up with friends.

Overall, everything was outstanding other than the 2 dishes. Considering how everything else was so smooth and seamless it is easy to give the kitchen the benefit of the doubt that maybe they have some post-covid issues. Definitely a place...