Last Updated on May 23, 2025
4.5 out of 5.0 starsCovent Garden, vibrant, buzzing and packed with locals and visitors to London, is an unmissable destination in the City. When you’ve finished watching the street artists and buskers, explored the elegant shopping or even just arrived early for a show at the Opera House or Theatre Royal, where do you go for some food? Capilungo is an old favourite of mine, a one-of-a-kind Pugliano café and bakery that stands out for authentic food, excellent service and an unpretentious and affordable menu. It’s just a little further down Long Acre than you might normally go, yet still only 3 minutes from the main Market Square. And now they’ve opened a downstairs restaurant which will offer a full menu every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening, thanks to a residency with Claudio Tripodi.
While much of the cuisine at Capilungo is from Puglia, Claudio himself comes from Novara. With a stellar CV he has worked with the Capilungo team and owner Gianluca Capilungo to create a new menu that includes many specialities from the region together with some innovative dishes that showcase seasonal produce. We went along to try some of the dishes for ourselves and can highly recommend the special menu that has been created.
Starting with a trio of dishes, we particularly loved the artisan burrata served with red chicory, grilled asparagus and a mint and pea velouté. With the best green asparagus in season this was an excellent pairing, the fresh minty velouté cutting through the richness of the burrata, hand pulled and sourced from Adria. Capilungo plan to adapt this dish throughout the summer, so that later it will be served with heirloom tomatoes and basil.
I first tried Capocollo on a visit to Puglia and love this smoky, aromatic cured meat which is made from the top part of the pig’s neck and shoulder. Served with Bella di Cerignola Olives and a fresh salsa verde it was a delightful mouthful of soft, melting meat.
The venison carpaccio with lilliput caper, pickled shallots and rocket was another delightful dish – an elegant start to the supper.
Main courses were equally delicious. We loved the Pici Carbonara di Mare with a classic egg yolk sauce enriched with smoked salmon and topped with salmon roe caviar. Flecked with fresh parsley, this was a rich and comforting dish.
The Mezzi Rigatoni Arabbiata was another fabulous dish pairing a rich and spicy duck ragu with duck confit and negroamaro jus, all served with mezzi rigatoni.
Then, a simple gelato for dessert to round off the evening, together with some excellent coffee.
We also enjoyed a selection of wines from the Capilungo wine list. If you are looking for something different, there’s a fabulous cocktail selection on offer, all at reasonable price.
And, we left with a box of Pasticciotto, a Pugliano speciality and what the Capilungo family are best known for in Italy. Baked daily these are an indulgent treat to enjoy fresh from the oven with an espresso. If you prefer savoury to sweet, Capilungo offers an excellent brunch menu which includes dishes that showcase the fine produce of the countryside around Lecce – imagine starting your day with Capocollo di Martina Franca ham on your Eggs Benedict for instance.
Luca Capilungo opened his first (and still runs today) bakery in Lecce and still serves local fresh dishes using produce from the neighbouring farms including fresh ricotta and stracciatella cheese. The family owned bakery there was founded in 1991 – how lucky we are to have a taste of Puglia in London now!
In the meanwhile, if you’d like to try a rather special supperclub, on 30th May 2025 you can experience ‘Sardinia meets Puglia’ at Capilungo – a unique evening of food with selections of dishes from both regions with tickets priced at just £32 per person. Or for more about the daytime offering, check our previous review of Capilungo
Capilungo
76 Long Acre
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 9LB
020 3340 0287
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