EMMA BARTHOLOMEW is impressed by elegant Italian dining at Wolf in Stoke Newington
When Hackney is saturated with concrete-clad, metal-pipe-exposed bang-on-trend haunts, it’s refreshing to come somewhere rather elegant.
Set to a soft soundtrack of mellow samba, there’s a sleek Scandi feel at Wolf, with wooden style furniture, and a whole wall of cacti and succulents in hanging baskets. It’s no surprise it’s been nominated for a design award.
And it would be no surprise if the food at the diner in Stoke Newington Road followed suit.
Wolf is all about going back to the roots of Italian cooking with regional dishes, seasonal ingredients and sophisticated serves.
It’s a far cry from the dishes traditionally found on Italian menus like spag bol or pepperoni pizza.
I found my starter of the finest squidgiest burrata with an anchovy dressing exquisite (£9). My son went for spaghetti with a butter sauce and a grating of parmesan – which I thought could be rather dull. But the pasta was out of this world, and as he scraped his plate clean with the home made bread, I could see he was longing for more.
His twin brother tried the fritto misto – a mixture of fish and vegetables fried in a light tempura batter, which was served with aioli and lemon (£12). Again – it was outstanding.
The Samphire on the fish course was again cooked in a tempura batter, giving it a lovely crispy texture next to the soft fish agretti.
A venison ragu with papardelle (£16) was generous with the meat, and – sorry to become boring here – but this was pretty damn good too.
A creamy and perfectly cooked polenta offset the richness of the beef rib.
The chef had even worked their magic on the the veg accompaniment, and the potatoes were crispy with a tinge of rosemary.
Four friends set up the restaurant, and its name Wolf came from its previous pop-up incarnation.
With another branch already planned for Bloomsbury it’s sure to become a firm favourite.
Wolf, 110 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7NY
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