Leo's Clapton

It would be unfair not to start our review by talking about how absolutely drop-dead beautiful Leo’s is. On a nice summer’s day, light drifts in from Chatsworth Road, illuminating Leo’s vintage Italian wall posters and casting long shadows across the restaurant’s smart tiled floors and wood panelled walls. Keep walking, past a bar stacked with aperitivo tipples, and you’ll find a stupendous double-height room at the back, bathed in light from the overhead skylights. In the corner, Peppe Belvedere and team are busy in an open kitchen, smoking green beans over an open grill and sending out sourdough, fat radishes with parsley cream and generous plates of salami.

Aside from a handful of snacks and pasta dishes, the majority of the menu centres around the grill. Today’s menu is pretty fish heavy, with john dory, grey mullet and turbot all available off the coals. We can’t resist a trio of grilled sardines, resplendent in their shiny silver coats, sitting in a pool of herbaceous bagnet vert - an Italian salsa verde. It’s a simple thing executed to perfection, with that olive oil and caper-heavy sauce bringing brightness to the sardine’s fattiness.

Simplicity is a constant theme at Leo’s. Beautiful golden nuggets of fried skate, draped with a single anchovy, have the essence of a posh chip shop. We love the ingenuity of fresh seafood and raw scallops in a zippy tomato dressing, which is pleasantly cooling on a sweltering day. A pot roasted lamb shoulder with orzo is a tough proposition to turn down for a main course, and once again it is flawlessly executed. The lamb is tender but not drying, and the orzo is baked in a wide pan giving the edges a slight crisp.

By this point we fear we may have overindulged, but brilliant staff are on hand with takeaway boxes. Consider also an excellent wine and aperitivo list and Leo’s really does seem to have all bases covered. By 7:30pm the restaurant is practically full - no mean feat given its size - but we can absolutely see why.

Leo's is an Italian cafe, bar and restaurant in Clapton, serving as a cafe in the mornings and a more sophisticated neighbourhood restaurant in the evenings. Before Leo's, this site was Jim's Cafe - a legendary Sixties Italian cafe and biker-themed greasy spoon. You can still catch glimpses of Jim's Cafe in the retro Italian style of Leo's.

The creative minds behind Leo's are Julian Porter and Lauren Johns, who have made their mark on the city's brunch scene at Juliet's Quality Foods in Tooting. Teaming up with chef Giuseppe Belvedere - once of P. Franco, Bright and Brawn - they have crafted something distinct in Clapton.
Leo's embodies the atmosphere of an Italian bar and restaurant, designed to capture the essence of a vintage canteen. The space features wooden paneled walls adorned with retro posters, complemented by mid-century chairs sporting olive leather upholstery and mustard-colored tables. Details like empty wine bottles perched on ledged wooden panels give that extra retro touch.

This spot is designed to satisfy your cravings throughout the day. Whether you're starting your morning with an espresso, newspaper, and a light bite (spuntino), grabbing a quick lunch, or winding down with a cozy evening meal prepared over a wood hearth in the dining room, Leo's Clapton has you covered. Everything is served from the open kitchen, which creates a sense of intimacy.

Chef Belvedere brings to the table his Sardinian roots, whipping up some modern Mediterranean dishes cooked over a wood fire. Indulge in grilled asparagus topped with prosciutto served with a 60-month aged Parmesan sauce, agnolotti stuffed with braised rabbit, and grilled lamb saddle with tomato salad and mint sauce during the evenings and café staples and espresso during the day.

As for drinks, Leo's Clapton offers an extensive selection of low-intervention Italian wines. Or you can choose from a range of beer options, both on tap and by the bottle. And if you're thirsty for something stronger, they also serve up negronis and G&Ts.