Trullo

300-302 St Paul's Rd

Highbury, London

N1 2LH

+44 20 7226 2733

(nearest tube station: Highbury & Islington)

BY NEAL MARTIN | JULY 10, 2026

The Food:

Mozzarella di bufala with slow-cooked peppers and Olasagasti anchovies

Chopped Dexter beef with crispy caper dressing and egg yolk

Pappardelle with beef shin ragu

Mussel and clam tagliatelle

Westcombe ricotta-stuffed courgette flower with new-season borlotti and piattone beans

Tiramisu

The Wine:

2013 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Ovello          95

Is Trullo London's best Italian restaurant? Many would argue there is no need for a question mark. Proof lies in the fact that Trullo has thrived since Chef Tim Siadatan, a Jamie Oliver protégé, and business partner Jordan Frieda opened the doors in June 2010. A sister restaurant, Trattoria Burro, recently debuted to ecstatic reviews.

I met a friend for lunch at the original, my first visit in well over a decade, and found Trullo bustling, a quartet of ululating babies plus a wedding party in full swing, bridal veils and all. Current Chef Ed Grace's menu delivers what is billed as "authentic Italian cuisine." Dishes are unfussy and subtle in flavour, their deliciousness almost latent insofar that you only realise how much you loved the food as you're mopping the last morsels from your plate. Think River Café without the startling bill and celebrity-watching. Trullo also has a serious wine list. We will get to that later.

Trullo has a distinctive, old-school, navy-blue façade, with large windows looking onto the busy Highbury roundabout and flooding the interior with light. Inside, bare wooden floors and chairs that would not look out of place in a country church hall. Tables are covered with sheets of white paper rather than pristine, ironed cloths. When crowded, which is most days, there can be quite a din. The staff is young and hip, but polite and knowledgeable about the dishes and ingredients.

Mozzarella di bufala with slow-cooked peppers and Olasagasti anchovies.

We order two antipasti. The mozzarella di bufala with slow-cooked peppers and Olasagasti anchovies is outstanding. The "mozz" ( not the former singer of The Smiths) has just the right consistency, the peppers sweet and melting, the wild-caught Cantabrian anchovies lending a tangy salinity. Utterly irresistible. I could have eaten it three times over. I did not.

Chopped Dexter beef with crispy caper dressing and egg yolk.

The chopped Dexter beef with crispy caper dressing and egg yolk is equally compelling. The beef is of the quality you find in Japan, the caper dressing imparting a natural salinity. The runny egg yolk demands that I mop the plate clean with the sourdough.

Pappardelle with beef shin ragu.

The pasta here is prepared and rolled fresh each morning. The pappardelle with beef shin ragu is not too rich, the pasta perfectly al dente. I am even more smitten with the mussel and clam tagliatelle, so perfectly seasoned, nimble yet full of flavour.

Westcombe ricotta-stuffed courgette flower with new-season borlotti and piattone beans.

The highlight is the Westcombe ricotta-stuffed courgette flower, which comes with new-season borlotti and piattone beans. The ricotta has a lovely creaminess that, coupled with the gently flavoured beans, makes a perfect background foil for the red wine.

Tiramisu.

You might not know this, but there is an ancient bylaw that I have just made up that commands that every meal must finish with tiramisu. Thank goodness we share. I could not have eaten an entire slab — working our way from either side, it is impossible to finish off, lest I consume my annual ration of calories. This is oozing, boozy tiramisu, and I might have preferred mine a little lighter.

Anyone who loves Italian wine should make a beeline for Trullo. It boasts a thoughtful and comprehensive list covering most of Italy, with a smattering of blue chips for bigger spenders, though nothing outrageous. You could say it is an "authentic list" to match the "authentic cuisine," which is why Trullo has long been a popular haunt of the wine trade. The restaurant is also refreshingly open to corkage, though given the reasonable mark-ups and the current parlous state of hospitality, do order at least one bottle from the list.

My dining companion knows more about Italian wine than I do, and I leave them to choose. They came up trumps with the 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello from Produttori del Barbaresco. Showing modest signs of age, the 2013 has a sublime, slightly Chambolle-like bouquet with dark, brambly fruit, truffle and oregano, beautifully defined and poised. The palate is smooth and lithe, nicely pitched in terms of acidity, layered with dark berry fruit and hints of bay leaf and thyme. This has reached its plateau of maturity but shows no signs of that plateau ending. Also, given the list price, this is an outstanding value.

Trullo is the kind of Italian restaurant whose charms you can easily overlook. I am remiss for not returning for so many years. It is not a show-off, and it foments a neighbourhood vibe that is increasingly rare. There is a steadfastness to the standard of cuisine that underlies why Trullo has outlasted many others. It is an oasis of reasonably priced, high-quality fare that will not let you down, and a rotating seasonal menu that will tempt you back. Coupled with a wine list you can really dive into without breaking the bank, Trullo is a must for any Italian food or wine lover.

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