Osteria Antica Bologna on Northcote Road: what to order and when to go
A Northcote Road Italian since 1990: go for the weekday set lunch, order the wild boar ragù, and book ahead for dinner.
By Clapham London Editorial
Book ahead for dinner and weekends, and go on a weekday lunch if you want the set menu and a calmer room. Osteria Antica Bologna is at 23 Northcote Road, SW11 1NG, near Clapham Junction station, and listings put it on the Battersea side of Clapham. OpenTable says it has been a favourite of Northcote Road since 1990.
What it is
It is a small, casual Italian with a simple, rustic dining room. A 2023 review on the Edible Reading blog describes a burgundy and orange awning with a “DAL 1990” sign, a dusky pink banquette along one side, and a restaurant that was here before Northcote Road became fancy and well-to-do. The Visit Clapham Junction directory mentions rustic wood-panelled walls.
Chef Marzio Zacchi runs the kitchen. The directory says the menu changes often with seasonal produce and daily specials, and OpenTable says Zacchi grew up in Biella in Piemonte. The wine list is all Italian, with Barolo at one end and Pecorino from the Marches at the other.
What to order
Start with the wild boar ragù. It is picked out in OpenTable’s review summary, and a Hardens reviewer calls the boar “to die for”. The zucchini fries (zucchine fritte) get the same billing on OpenTable.
Other dishes that come up in Tripadvisor reviews:
- Fritto misto, with calamari, whitebait and a tempura prawn
- Pappardelle with chicken livers, when it is a special
- Stuffed artichoke flowers, also a special
- Pan-fried cod on Puy lentils
- Steak tartare and lamb
- Pear tart to finish
Starters on an older menu leaned Sicilian and Marchigiano: arancine, panelle (chickpea fritters) and fried stuffed olives, olive all’ascolana. Because of the daily specials and seasonal changes, check what is on the day you go.
Prices
OpenTable lists a band of £26 to £40 a head. Hardens gives a set lunch of £18 for two courses and £21.50 for three. Its typical à la carte prices are £13.50 for a starter, £23.50 for a main and £7 for a pudding, with a bottle of wine at £27 and service at 12.5%. Hardens sums up a full three courses with half a bottle of wine, coffee and service at roughly £67 to £69. One OpenTable summary calls it “a little overpriced”, while Hardens calls the prices reasonable by London standards. Menus and prices change, so check the current menu before you go.
Opening hours and when to go
As listed on OpenTable:
- Lunch: Tuesday to Friday 12:00 to 14:30, Saturday and Sunday 12:00 to 15:30
- Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday from 18:00, with last orders around 21:30 to 22:00 depending on the listing
- Closed Monday and Sunday evening
That means Sunday is lunch only, 12:00 to 15:30. Bank holidays are not listed, and guests mention Easter and Mother’s Day specials, so ring ahead on those days.
It fills quickly. One Tripadvisor reviewer saw it at full capacity within an hour on a Wednesday evening, and another found Northcote Road lively on a Friday, with the restaurant moving their booking earlier. Reviewers also say space is tight, with a front area and a rear corridor. A weekday lunch is the easiest way in, and there is some outside seating.
Booking
Book through OpenTable or phone 020 7978 4771. The restaurant takes Amex, Mastercard and Visa, according to Tripadvisor. For a quick look at the prices and reviews, the Hardens entry is a useful read.
Getting there
Clapham Junction station is the closest rail stop, and parking is on the street. After your meal, the simplest plan is a walk along Northcote Road, where the flower stall and the street life are part of the draw.
For the background, the Edible Reading review is a warm account of it as a neighbourhood restaurant, including a waiter taking plates out to the flower-stall staff in the street.
