The windows of Dalla, Hackney's newest Italian restaurant, glow with a warming ambience, enveloping passers-by in a welcoming embrace of classic Italian family values and hospitality.
The restaurant came to fruition after the collaboration between chef Mitchell Damota, Gianmarco Leone, and Gennaro Leone – known for his intricately curated design studio Spazio Leone. Working closely with designer Oscar Piccolo, the trio wanted to create a setting that is intimate yet familiar, a place to be welcomed with friendly recognition followed by a simple: 'Would you like the usual?'
Dalla, a new Italian eatery, has arrived in Hackney
The interior has a leading role in creating the cosy atmosphere after Leone spent a sun-kissed summer in Napoli researching Italian design to curate a space of timeless interior furnishings. Touches of personal detailing are shown through unique pieces placed around the room – a Riccardo Dalisi-designed prototype cafetiere, made to celebrate 100 years of Alessi, sits comfortably in the corner, copper encrusted lamps perch on tables, coupled with an archive of books with lovingly broken spines.
Further details reflect Leone's impeccable eye for sourcing pieces. Gracing the room a Stilnovo chandelier, found at a Milanese palazzo, casts its light on diners, while smaller details are hidden throughout the restaurant from the Luigi Caccia Dominioni brass door handles to the bathroom mirror attributed to Gio Ponti.
A hearty place to drop by once (or twice) a week, Dalla's menu is as carefully curated as its interior. Focusing on seasonal cooking, frostier winters welcome a plate of warming dishes from Northern Italy, utilising Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano for traditional Tortellini, washed down with a selection of red wines, while summers will provide fresh fish and vegetables from the South, all sourced from local suppliers.
Dalla's foundations are built on local spirit and warmth mirroring that of Italy, welcoming guests with generosity and a large helping of pasta. Although a newly welcomed restaurant to this address, there is nothing brash or shiny in its essence- instead details are subtle, a treasure trove of design discovery from the menu to interior, that makes you feel at ease.
-
This clever café-cum-playroom in Poznań makes space for everyoneDesigned by Poland’s Cudo Studio, Sunday proposes a warm, dynamic take on the family café
-
Irys is an app designed by photographers for photographers. We take it for a test runIrys celebrates the art and quality of photography, along with the joy of discovery. We discuss the nature of online creativity and the artlessness of social media with founder Alan Schaller
-
Pantone chose white as colour of the year: resistance to plurality, or quiet emblem of hope?The Pantone Colour of the Year 2026 – Cloud Dancer white – was met with both intrigue and horror from the design community. We speak to four design professionals who weigh in on this year's candid hue
-
Sir Devonshire Square is a new kind of hotel for the City of LondonA Dutch hospitality group makes its London debut with a design-forward hotel offering a lighter, more playful take on the City’s usual formality
-
This sculptural London seafood restaurant was shaped by ‘the emotions of the sea’In Hanover Square, Mazarine pairs a bold, pearlescent interior with modern coastal cuisine led by ‘bistronomy’ pioneer chef Thierry Laborde
-
Montcalm Mayfair opens a new chapter for a once-overlooked London hotelA thoughtful reinvention brings craftsmanship, character and an unexpected sense of warmth to a London hotel that was never previously on the radar
-
Follow the white rabbit to London’s first Korean matcha houseTokkia, which translates to ‘Hey bunny’ in Korean, was designed by Stephenson-Edwards studio to feel like a modern burrow. Take a look inside
-
Poon’s returns in majestic form at Somerset HouseHome-style Chinese cooking refined through generations of the Poon family craft
-
One of London’s favourite coffee shops just opened in Harvey NicholsKuro Coffee’s latest outpost brings its Japanese-inspired design to the London department store
-
Enjoy a Kyoto-inspired menu with London attitude at this new restaurantAki London offers a serene counterpoint to Oxford Circus, where stately interiors and elevated Japanese cooking cross paths
-
Lee Broom reimagines the Christmas tree at Mandarin Oriental MayfairThe London hotel unveils an inventive take on the festive tradition – with absolutely no needles
