UPDATE: Osteria Wolf stopped being a full restaurant service during the pandemic and then, post-pandemic, they focused solely on the catering side of their business. Unfortunately, in February 2023, they announced that they are selling the restaurant. Nonetheless, I’ll leave this review here, for nostalgia’s sake.
Location: London, England
Cuisine: British Seasonal
Since my trip to Rome and Naples last year, I’ve been constantly seeking real, fresh, authentic Italian food. I wondered whether somewhere besides Italy could achieve this. After searching far and wide in central London, I ran across a beautiful Italian restaurant right in my own neighbourhood of Stoke Newington. Osteria Wolf is so far the best Italian restaurant I’ve been to in all of London. Let me tell you why.
We started off with the foccacia, a true test of Italian bread. It was deliciously fluffy and salty. We also had the salad, which changes weekly depending on what produce is available. The first time we visited Wolf we had a salad of various types of tomatoes, basil, capers and parmesan.
Our first main plate was the Aubergine Parmagiana. Wow, what a treat. It changes slightly from week to week, but regardless it is a fantastic dish. With its ripe tomatoes, delicate parmesan, and perfectly roasted aubergine holding the whole thing together, the flavours are outstanding. For me, this was the start of the show. We also tried the burrata, a perfect example of one of the most beautiful starter dishes.
Onto the main dishes! I didn’t want to just try pasta, so we ordered the risotto. It was a beautifully creamy and simple dish, and that crunchy parmesan hit the spot.
Victor had a decadent pasta dish: the Paccheri with 12 Hour Riding Reserve Beef Shin Ragu. Quite a mouthful, no? Victor described it for me and he said that it was a perfect balance of flavours.
Even though I was so stuffed, I had to try the dessert. It was a creatively interpreted panna cotta complete with strawberries, oats, blackened sesame seeds and all sorts of other things I could’ve quite recognise. If you’re not quite sure what panna cotta is, it’s an Italian dessert made with sweetened cream. It kind of looks like flan, but has its own unique flavour.
The decor of Osteria Wolf is lovely to be surrounded by. The room is filled with mid-century furniture and olive-green panelling. If you read earlier reviews of Wolf, you might be put off by the inexperienced service however I have now been twice and it just gets better and better.
All in all, Wolf is a delightful experience and I promise you that every single dish is delicious. The flavours are present, yet subtle, and the food leaves you wanting to come back sometime very soon.
Want to find other amazing London restaurants? Check out my other posts!
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