Bocca di Lupo

Jacob Kenedy opened Bocca di Lupo on Archer Street in 2008, and it has held its corner of Soho ever since. The kitchen cooks across all twenty regions of Italy rather than settling into one, and the long, low-lit room is built around a marble counter where guests sit to watch the pass. The wine list is poured entirely from Italian growers, many of them working grapes indigenous to their own region.

Private events take place in the Private Dining Room at the back, recently redone with Italian terrazzo panelling, hand-painted murals by the artist Stewart Helm and a reclaimed teak table by designer Martino Gamper. It seats up to 32 around a single table, or holds 45 standing for a reception, and comes with its own chef in an adjacent kitchen and a sommelier to walk the Italian list. Events are run by Rosie and a dedicated team who build each evening around the occasion.

The room suits an intimate dinner, a birthday or a family celebration rather than a late party, and it stays self-contained and private throughout, with its own sound system for background music.