A cafe by day and wine bar by night, Capilungo brings all the flavours and folkways of Lecce, a gorgeous city in the southern region of Apulia in Italy, to London. The 15-cover restaurant, located on Long Acre in Covent Garden, boasts a huge window filling the space with light. Along with the terracotta tinted walls and an array of greenery, it's the perfect place to stop for a coffee or a cocktail.
The menu, which has been curated by head chef Luca Capilungo, is largely inspired by the pasticciotto and rustico pastries which are unique to Lecce. If you're in the mood for something savoury, a classic rustico made with mozzarella, tomatoes, and puff pastry will definitely hit the spot. If you're after a sweet treat, there are plenty of pasticciotto to choose from, whether you fancy custard or Amarena cherry, pistachio, or chocolate. You could even have one for breakfast, washing it down with a shot of espresso.
Aside from pasticciotto and rustico pastries, there is also a variety of sandwiches to try, whether that's spicy Apulian vegetables, pistachio and mortadella with creamy stracciatella, or smoked burrata with pesto and sundried tomatoes. There are also a number of Sponge Tart Tortinos on offer, which are a firm favourite of the Capilungo family. Perhaps you like the sound of chocolate and ricotta, or pineapple, pinenut and walnut.
As the sun goes down, Capilungo transports into a traditional bar, which you would find across the city of Lecce, offering numerous, Lecce-inspired bar snacks, small plates, cocktails and wine. The menu champions locally sourced produce which is local to Puglia, sourcing burrata and ricotta from Puglian producers.
You can also enjoy its signature Bicicletta cocktail, comprising of Aperol, Dockyard vodka, Amaro Del Capo and apricot, or maybe a glass of Puglian wine.