Bocca di Lupo

Soho

If every dinner in Soho were as enjoyable as one at Bocca di Lupo (literally ‘the mouth of the wolf’), we’d head there as frequently as we did in the Eighties. It may have opened in 2008, but Jacob Kenedy and Victor Hugo’s Archer Street homage to Italy harks back to an era of bygone glamour, when business lunches flowed languorously into the aperitivo hour. Perch at the marble-topped bar by the open kitchen, hail a suave waiter for a Myrto Collins or Marsala Spritz and let the magic begin. The recently refreshed menu is a dialogue between Italy’s 20 distinct culinary regions, with each of them determined to shout loudly enough to ensnare your attention. Anything that can be made in-house is made in-house, and the rest is flown in from Italy. Tagliatelle scattered with earthy ovolo mushrooms from Trentino goes head to head with plump pillows of ravioli from Emilia-Romagna. Lazio’s classic lamb sweetbreads – perfectly crisp and dressed with sage butter – attempt to outshine olives overflowing with minced pork, a flavoursome taste of Ascoli Piceno. Gelati from Gelupo are an outstanding way to round things off: the only difficulty is deciding between ‘the amazing milk-free espresso gelato’ and blood orange granita with almonds and mint. Kenedy honed his cooking at Moro and San Francisco’s Boulevard and his team demonstrate a confident restraint that allows the ingredients to shine, and shine they do. This is a dining experience to savour.