Lupo’s, Wynberg, Cape Town: Restaurant Review

The writer of this article comes across as a pretentious, shallow little snob who obviously has no soul.

The traditional Italian meal should consist of a variety of dishes passed around the table amongst the cacophony of noise that an Italian gathering manages to produce. If the writer did not like the idea of an Italian-styled buffet I suggest that he should continue on with eastern-themed resturants.

What the writer fails to mention how incredible the food tastes. Instead, he writes more about his “assistant’s” chicken pie. A rule should be applied at a buffet table whereby ones plate should be no more than half full. The disgusting habit of people piling heaps of food on to a plate so that the sauces mix and hot and cold dishes blend together to form a luke-warm pile of gunk should be reserved for a soup ktchen and nothing else. Each dish at Lupo’s should be savoured and individually appreciated at leisure. From the turkey meatballs in apricot and chilli sauce to the thinly sliced veal with tuna mayonnaise dressing, a meal at Lupo’s will always be a complete dining experience, something that the writers’ ‘assistant’ should research and inform him of what this would entail.

No other Italian resturant offers the same quality of meal nor the ability to fuse other influences into their cuisine. It’s like comparing the Spur to the Famous Butchers Grill. Don’t.

Hmm, let’s parse Calum’s supercilious twaddle.

First - “Shallow little snob.” Takes one to know one, no?

Next - “What the writer fails to mention is how incredible the food tastes.” Far too generous for Lupo’s, I’m afraid. The cuisine there is hearty at best, and horribly misguided at worst.

Soldiering on - “From the turkey meatballs in apricot and chilli sauce to the thinly sliced veal with tuna mayonnaise dressing.” Not much more needs to be said, really. Refer to “horribly misguided”, above, then proceed to toilet for extended retching.

Last - “It’s like comparing the Spur to the Famous Butchers Grill.” Here’s where it all falls apart for Calum. The Famous Butchers Grill? A noxious chain, every bit as bad as the Spur. Do you actually eat there?

Went last night to Lupo’s restaurant, what can I say, it was the worst meal I had in years.
It is a type of buffet self service supposed to be Italian style restaurant.
I will comment on some of the items on the buffet.
Winning first prize for a bad dish was the calamari which was so tough that it was uneatable,when we mentioned this fact to our Indian waitress she just shrugged her shoulders
At no 2 was the suppose to be brocolli salad, I do understand what al-dente should be but these were uneatable uncooked touch and stringy.
At no 3 was the meat balls which tasted very similar to my poodles favorite can.
I could go on and on as most of the dishes were of very low standards.
Apparently this place is very popular, well I am afraid that if Capetonians are happy to accept this type of cuisine there is not much hope to improve our standards.
I believe that this place is also a cooking school, please Mr Escofier make sure that this
type of asbismal cooking does not become contagious

‘It’s not that I have anything against Lupo’s in particular, it’s just that I hold fast to the conviction that only restaurants with an eastern theme - Chinese, Indian, etc. - should offer buffets.’
other ‘green stuff’
Personally I think this is a bizarre opinion to have. I’m not going to comment on the food as it’s been so long eating there that, frankly, I’ve forgotten. However, as someone whom doesn’t eat red meat and loves everything to do with salads and vegetarian food, there is always a large selection available here. Most restaurants offer a totally boring and unimaginative selection (and is one dish considered a selection? LOL) of veggie food (if not Indian). I wish many other restaurants would do the same as Lupo’s. It’s certainly not cheap, but something different to many plain and quite boring choices out there. And we’ve never been disappointed in the past, that I can remember. I had about 3 bowls of the mushroom soup, it was yum!