White Lotus actor Theo James is launching his first restaurant project as he prepares to open an Italian eatery in London next month after 18 months of planning.
The star has teamed up Ed Templeton, co-founder of Carousel, the creative hub and restaurant in Fitzrovia, to create ‘Lupa’ – named after the she-wolf of Rome.
The duo are working on a menu for the restaurant in Islington with Naz Hassan, the former head chef at Pidgin and Crispin, who will be in charge of the kitchen.
Lupa is expected to focus on the ‘beauty and simplicity’ of ‘Roman comfort food’ with inspiration from osterias in the Italian capital which sell simple dishes.
But it will also bring a ‘distinct London flare’ including takeaway porchetta sandwiches on Arsenal matchdays, given it is near the team’s Emirates Stadium.
James and Templeton also worked on the restaurant’s interior with their respective wives – Primeval star Ruth Kearney and Breeders actress Georgia Maguire.
Lupa is being run by (from left) Ed Templeton, Naz Hassan and White Lotus star Theo James
The building at 73 Highbury Park in Islington previously housed the Highbury Arts Club
Lupa is expected to focus on the ‘beauty and simplicity’ of ‘Roman comfort food’
Fiori di zucca (stuffed courgette flowers) and supplì al telefono (mozzarella-filled arancini) will be available, as well as abbachio alla scottadito (grilled lamb cutlets).
Pastas are set to be about £15 a plate, while it will also serve carciofi alla romana (artichoke hearts stuffed with herbs and braised in white wine, olive oil and garlic).
There will be 28 covers with ‘tightly packed’ tables, while drinks will include cocktails, spritzes and Italian wines.
Mr Templeton, who used to live in Rome, told The Standard: ‘Theo and I are both Highbury locals and share an ambition to open an enduring neighbourhood classic.
‘It’s taken 18 months to make it happen, but we knew it was a special corner of Highbury from the start. We just needed a special chef who could help us bring the Roman dream to life.
‘Working together with Naz, we’ve conceived a menu that’s casual, fun and delicious. We want people to enjoy it in its entirety, making sure they save room for the homemade dolci.
Theo James and Ruth Kearney at a Giorgio Armani fashion show in Milan in January 2023
The restaurant is near Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and will serve takeaway food on matchdays
‘Lupa is the kind of place we’ve always wanted to have on our doorstep. There are certain Roman dishes that people know but much is still largely to be discovered’.
The building at 73 Highbury Park previously housed the Highbury Arts Club, a tapas restaurant which also hosted wine tastings, art exhibitions and yoga classes.
Other actors to have opened restaurants in London include Mark Wahlberg, who opened Wahlburgers in Covent Garden in 2019 before it closed a year later.
Machete actor Danny Trejo meanwhile opened the first UK branch of his Trejo’s Tacos restaurant in November 2023 on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.
