White Lotus star's new restaurant gets mixed reviews as diners claim food was 'disappointing' and they were 'rushed out the door' after finishing
White Lotus star Theo James's new London restaurant has received mixed reviews from diners who have complained the food is 'disappointing' and they were 'rushed out the door' to make space for more customers.
James, who has reportedly lost out on being named the next James Bond, recently opened an Italian eatery, Lupa, in Highbury Park, north London.
The actor teamed up with Ed Templeton, the co-founder of Carousel on Charlotte Street, and chef Naz Hassan, who used to be head chef at Pidgin in Hackney, to launch Lupa.
The spot, which serves a menu of Rome-inspired dishes, opened in June.
But customers have hit out at the restaurant over its strict dining policies, which include being given just one hour and 30 minutes to order, eat, pay and leave.
Others have also said the food doesn't live up to the hype and lacks flavour.
Zohras Rose claimed: 'Was a little disappointed with the food which I felt lacked a bit of flavour.
'Tried a variety of dishes and they just didn't hit the spot for me.
White Lotus star Theo James's (pictured at Wimbledon on Sunday) new London restaurant has been hit by backlash from diners who have complained the food is 'disappointing'
Lupa is being run by (from left) Ed Templeton, Naz Hassan and White Lotus star Theo James
'Service was good, though one-and-a-half hours for a sitting is quite rushed and we were offered dessert when we only have 10 mins left.'
Chrystelle Foulon said: 'The atmosphere at the restaurant was lovely, nicely designed and pleasant to enjoy a meal. The service was good.'
But she claimed: 'However, the food was a little bit disappointing versus the reviews.
'The pasta lacked flavour and included two small pieces of meat. The revisited tiramisu came with a cream that was bland to my taste.
'Also, but frequent in London - the one-and-a-half hour dining limit.
'Being told we had 10 minutes left along with the bill being brought without being asked if we wanted anything else, felt rushed.'
Other customers disagree and have left glowing reviews.
Kartik Sudhakar said: 'We came to Lupa for lunch, the food was excellent and the vibe is super relaxed.'
Alexandre Laforce-Reynolds said: 'Delicious from the focaccia all the way to the tiramisu. Great ambience and lovely staff. Go eat.'
Alan Dion said: 'Absolutely fantastic new restaurant. Great food, great service and great value. Loved it.'
The building at 73 Highbury Park in Islington previously housed the Highbury Arts Club
Speaking ahead of the restaurant opening, Mr Templeton said: 'Theo and I are both Highbury locals and share an ambition to open an enduring neighbourhood classic.
'It's taken eighteen months to make it happen, but we knew it was a special corner of Highbury from the start. We just needed a special chef who could help us bring the Roman dream to life.
'Working together with Naz, we've conceived a menu that's casual, fun and delicious. We want people to enjoy it in its entirety, making sure they save room for the homemade dolci.
'Lupa is the kind of place we've always wanted to have on our doorstep. There are certain Roman dishes that people know but much is still largely to be discovered.'
The building at 73 Highbury Park previously housed the Highbury Arts Club, a tapas restaurant which also hosted wine tastings, art exhibitions and yoga classes.
Other actors to have opened restaurants in London include Mark Wahlberg, who opened Wahlburgers in Covent Garden in 2019 before it closed a year later.
Machete actor Danny Trejo meanwhile opened the first UK branch of his Trejo's Tacos restaurant in November 2023 on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.
Lupa has been approached for a comment.
