Bocca di Lupo

More than 10 years down the line, readers still can’t enough of Bocca di Lupo’s buzzy “sense of fun”, its “outstanding” Italian regional food and its terrific list of all-Italian wines.

The bijou rear dining room is adorned with paintings by owner Jacob Kenedy’s mother Heidi Becker, and it crams in the tables – creating a slightly “chaotic”, “noisy” but thoroughly enjoyable vibe. Alternatively, pull up a stool at the long marble bar and “watch the action” as chefs beaver away in the open kitchen.

The menu may look pan-Italian, but this isn’t your stereotypical jaunt through the regions; instead, the kitchen takes delight in digging out really “authentic” and often obscure specialities, which are mostly served up as small plates. There’s bruschetta topped with slivers of lardo, honey and shaved walnut from Piedmont, plus various fritti romani (sage leaves filled with anchovy, for example) and – for the brave-hearted – an Apulian dish of exquisite tissue-soft tripe braised in a rich tomato sauce with borlotti beans and rosemary.

Other favourites include gutsy Italian sausage served with gnocchi, and proper Sicilian caponata – a sweet pile of sweated peppers, aubergines and celery soaked in sweet-sour agrodolce sauce and topped with breadcrumbs. For dessert, there’s gelati “to die for” (courtesy of Gelupo across the road), not to mention cannoli as good as you’d find on the streets of Palermo.

And to drink, pick from a cocktail list drenched in vermouth or native wines served by the carafe, all dispensed by charming Italian waiters who exude passion about their own region of Il Bel Paese.

Tucked down Archer Street, Bocca di Lupo has been one of Soho’s most-loved Italian restaurants since Jacob Kenedy and Victor Hugo opened it in 2008. Located in buzzy Soho, this restaurant is superbly located in the mecca of foodies, and holds its own, having won many awards and accolades over the years. Nearly two decades later, it continues to wow patrons with its honest, authentic representation of Italian cuisine in the heart of London.

The interior of the restaurant is modest, with a family-run atmosphere that exudes a great passion for service and good food. The room is dressed simply, with an understated palette of muted greys and wood. Its most dramatic feature is a stunning, round glass chandelier that disperses light around the low-key restaurant. The best seats in the house are at the marble chef’s counter, where diners perch on high leather stools facing the open kitchen. Despite the glamorous setting, the place still feels like a family-run trattoria at heart.

The menu works as a culinary tour of Italy, drawing on specialities from all twenty regions. It is rewritten twice a day to keep pace with the seasons. While you cannot expect the same menu every time you go, you will notice that a location is attributed to each dish, so that punters can learn about the regional differences within Italian cuisine.

In true Italian style, the menu offers plenty of courses so guests can dine for hours. Guests can start with a selection of crudi and salumi (raw and cured), which may include tuna tartare, sea urchins and confit tuna, while the fried section offers salted cod cheeks, buffalo mozzarella, and fried squid with prawns, white polenta and lemon slices.

All the pastas are handmade, featuring a variety of shapes and sauces such as orecchiette with fennel sausage or pappardelle with venison stracotto. From the oven, you can order baked langoustines with lemon and thyme butter, or roast grouse with liver bruschetta and girolles.