La Lupa in West End is an intimate Italian eatery that is so much more than just another pizza parlour. Not to say that the pizza isn't truly excellent – it is – and for the chefs and pizzaiolas here, quality comes from the ground up. It's the team's choice of organic stone milled flour of tipo 1 sourced from Italy, rather than shelf stable but nutritionally void tipo 00 flour, that is the foundation of their dough and what sets the bar for quality across the entire menu.
The dough is patiently allowed to mature and prove over many hours before being topped with ribbons of Prosciutto di Parma, bagna cauda (anchovy dressing), burrata and basil, resulting in a light, crunchy pie that won't leave you feeling bloated and blah.
A generous selection of antipasti includes traditional starters like vitello tonnato (thinly slices veal, tuna mayonnaise dressing, capers and bonito powder), carciofi alla Romana (baked artichokes with whipped ricotta and bottarga) and the usual suspects of cured salumi. Don't go past the pickled anchovies with basil and zucchini as an elegant starter before moving on to the extensive of rosse and bianchi pizzas.