A New Culinary Chapter in Hackney
The London dining scene welcomes a major addition this April as actor Theo James, along with Carousel co-founder Ed Templeton and chef Naz Hassan, prepares to open their second Italian restaurant, Ornella. Building on the acclaimed foundation of their Highbury debut, LUPA, the team is pivoting toward the refined culinary traditions of Milan. Located on Wilton Way in London Fields, the restaurant is set to occupy the former site of Fran’s, further cementing this specific street as a burgeoning hotspot for high-end hospitality.
Embracing Milanese Tradition
While LUPA was celebrated for its focus on Roman comfort food, Ornella promises a distinct departure. Chef Naz Hassan, who was raised in Milan, is curating a menu that emphasizes the technical precision and butter-centric richness of Northern Italian cuisine. The anticipated highlights include classic risotto alla Milanese, vitello tonnato, and the meticulously crafted tagliatelle al burro e Parmigiano. The team is also promising an Italian take on the trifle, Zuppa Inglese, for dessert. This expansion is intentionally more ambitious in scale, offering nearly double the covers of their first venue and a dedicated terrace for al fresco dining as the spring weather settles in.
The Strategic Shift
For Theo James and his partners, the transition to Ornella is not merely about scaling their operations but about exploring different facets of Italian regional cooking. “We could have done a second Lupa, and maybe we will one day, but we wanted to do something even more ambitious here,” Ed Templeton noted in recent industry reports. The venue aims to capture the atmosphere of a formal Milanese ristorante, moving away from the neighborhood-casual vibe of their first success. As the London hospitality sector continues to stabilize, the investment into Ornella signals a strong confidence in the city’s appetite for authentic, chef-driven regional concepts.
Beyond the Buzz: A Growing Trend
Ornella arrives during a particularly busy month for London’s restaurant market. It joins an institutional-grade wave of openings, ranging from high-profile pasta expansions to creative repurposing of historic banking halls. The restaurant’s arrival on Wilton Way is particularly notable given its proximity to other high-profile openings like Sally Abé’s Teal, creating a competitive yet vibrant micro-climate for diners in Hackney. With its combination of star power, proven culinary leadership, and a focus on under-represented Northern Italian delicacies, Ornella is positioned to be one of the most significant hospitality launches of the season.
