Hello Beautiful Souls, Sometimes you stumble upon a little lunch spot not by design but by pure serendipity, and that’s exactly what happened with POLPO in Chelsea. Nestled in Duke of York Square, just a few steps from the ever-inspiring Saatchi Gallery, we were on the hunt for a quick bite before heading to our next art-filled stop.
I was craving a pizza (when am I not?), and this charming Italian-inspired spot seemed like the closest fix. With a name like Polpo, Italian for octopus, I couldn’t resist ordering the octopus carpaccio as a starter. It was delicately sliced, light, and paired perfectly with the truffle and potato croquette, which were little pockets of comfort.
For our main, we each went for a pizzette, smaller, crispier, and just right for a light lunch. I originally had my eye on the artichoke, black olive, courgette, and chilli pizzette, while my friend chose the coppa and pickled pepper. However, a little hiccup, coppa is cured pork, and my friend doesn’t eat pork, meant we had to switch last minute. I didn’t mind at all. Lunch was a bit of a quick one anyway, and I always love trying something unexpected.
The coppa pizzette had that salty, cured richness and a spicy kick from the peppers, maybe a little too spicy for me. The artichoke version, though, left me slightly underwhelmed. I tend to lean into bold flavours, give me all the truffle, all the cheese, or a meaty base any day (still dreaming of the pies at Happy Face, Pizza Pilgrims, or Pizzaria Cozaio).
Still, POLPO delivered what we needed: a relaxed, easy lunch in a stylish setting, with friendly staff and quick service, ideal when you’re hopping between galleries.
So if you’re wandering around Chelsea, soaking up the art and atmosphere, and find yourself in need of a calm little food stop, POLPO might just be the place to pause. (I might try the Octopus, fava beans and basil next time)
With love,
