Last Updated on October 13, 2026
La Divina serves up a warm Mediterranean welcome
4.0 out of 5.0 starsAs soon as I walk through the door of La Divina, an Italian restaurant on Upper Street, Islington, I’m given a warm Mediterranean welcome by Enzo, the owner. This is the kind of thing I love about small independent family-run restaurants, and I know it bodes well for the food too.
La Divina is an Italian restaurant on Upper Street, Islington, equidistant between Angel on the Northern line and Highbury & Islington on the Victoria line, making it incredibly accessible, even for someone like me who lives in deepest south London.
Unlike other restaurants nearby, which are all about minimalism, La Divina is maximalist. The decor is colourful and robust. From the ceiling hang 1970s Italian scooter helmets and vintage Italian film posters adorn the walls. This is all about la dolce vita.
We chose our wine, the Montepulciano, ripe, full-bodied and exceptionally smooth. The wine list offers only Italian wines from across the country, something Enzo is proud of. Likewise, the chef, though he’s Romanian, was brought up in Italy, cutting his teeth in the kitchens of Rome before arriving in the UK. Enzo is Turkish and grew up in the Islington neighbourhood and has spent his life working in hospitality.
La Divina’s food menu is ample, full of classic Italian dishes. And they’ve thought of everything. If you’re heading to the Almeida, there’s a handy theatre menu; if you’re making your way to the football, yes, there’s a football menu; and if you’re vegetarian or vegan, they’ve thought of that too!
As soon as I opened the menu, my eyes were drawn to the impepata di cozze, mussels in white wine. It’s one of my favourite Italian starters and I always find it hard to resist. It reminds me of a holiday in Rome, staying in Trastevere and dining in a small neighbourhood trattoria called Enzo. The mussels arrived as they should, sweet, plump and juicy, with plenty of white wine sauce to soak up with the accompanying toasted bread.
It turned out to be seafood starters all round. Sam decided on the king prawns sautéed in chilli, garlic, butter and lemon. There’s no need to worry about peeling the shells off these juicy prawns; that’s been done for you. All you need to do is plunge in your fork and eat, which we happily did.
For my main course, I went straight for secondi, choosing the saltimbocca alla Romana, veal wrapped in Parma ham, cooked with sage and served with a generous portion of vegetables. It was like having a Sunday lunch served up on a Wednesday night, hearty helpings for an autumnal evening. The veal was moist and tender, and the saltiness of the Parma ham complemented the sage.
Sam, who loves pasta, wanted another autumnal warmer, and the house special, the classic lasagne, fitted the bill. A sign of a good Italian restaurant has to be its lasagne. If it arrives and it’s obvious it’s been reheated in the microwave, send it back! We didn’t have to send the La Divina lasagne back. It arrived piping hot, the sauce still bubbling, which is always a good sign. Sam had to wait a minute biting into firm layers of pasta, béchamel and ragù. And be warned, portions are generous!
After such hearty mains, we had to pause before contemplating desserts. All the desserts are homemade and mouthwatering. I do love an affogato; it doubles up as my dessert and coffee. It’s a personal favourite: good-quality vanilla ice cream drowning in a strong espresso is perfection for me. Sam, without hesitation, plumped for the tiramisu, delightfully light and creamy, laced with enough coffee and liqueur to get us back home to South London happy and satisfied.
La Divina Italian Restaurant,
134 Upper Street,
London,
N1 1QP
Telephone: 02086164149
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