Capilungo partners with chef Claudio Tripodi for summer residency celebrating southern Italian cuisine

Restaurant Capilungo, a family-run Puglian café and bakery located in Covent Garden, will launch a new residency in partnership with Italian chef Claudio Tripodi from Thursday, 8^th May 2025. The collaboration will see Tripodi work alongside Gianluca Capilungo and his team to transform the venue’s downstairs restaurant, offering an evolving menu inspired by the cuisine and culinary traditions of Southern Italy.

Capilungo, a purveyor of Puglian baked goods and café fare in Covent Garden, aims to expand its gastronomic offering with this summer partnership. Claudio Tripodi hails from Novara, Italy, and arrived in London in 2010. Claudio has gone on to work in some of the city’s most acclaimed kitchens, including the Baglioni Hotel, Babbo Restaurant, Royal Ascot Racecourse, OXO Tower, and Soho House, allowing him to hone his skills and develop a style which combines Italian flair and flavours with modern British techniques and ingredients. Together with the Capilungo team, they will present a selection of dishes from Southern Italy, celebrating bold traditions, refined techniques, and the vibrant flavours of Puglia and beyond.

Menu highlights includeL Burrata di Stagione served with sweet peas, mint oil and lemon zest; Pici Carbonara di Mare, pici pasta in a silky egg yolk sauce, enriched with smoked salmon and topped with roe caviar; and Mezzi Rigatoni Arrabbiata with Duck Confit & Negroamaro Jus, prepared with tender duck confit and Puglia’s native red wine Negroamaro.

Alongside the residency, Capilungo will continue to serve its day-time brunch menu: dishes draw inspiration from Lecce and the surrounding Pugliano countryside and are rich in ingredients made by local products, such as the Capocollo di Martina Franca ham on the Eggs Benedict, and the fresh ricotta and stracciatella cheese produced by one of Luca’s neighbouring farms.

The upstairs café has bright and natural light streaming through the glass front, whereas heading downstairs, the restaurant and bar delivers more of a sophisticated and intimate, yet cosy and warm feel. Rich and earthy tones welcome diners in and provide the perfect setting for an Italian feast. The walls are adorned with bespoke artwork by Italian artist Stefania Spedicato.

Food Desk

For further information and reservations, visit Capilungo’s website here.