Arenella at the Chapel Bar review: simple Italian cooking, deliciously served
Relaxed dining on a sun-soaked London terrace

Named after the region just outside Sicily, the newly-opened Arenella brings refined Italian flavours to a cosy roof terrace at Islington’s Chapel Bar.
The bottomless lunch boasts unlimited Prosecco, Aperol spritz, vino blanco or elderflower spritz all served up by a friendly group of waiters who are always on hand for a speedy top up.
The vino blanco paired nicely with a starter of steamed mussels, fergola and lemon. The mussels were cooked to perfection and combined nicely with al dente fregola pasta and a citrusy sauce. My dining companion opted for a glass of Prosecco and crispy calamari fritti, which came with a similarly tort lemon and garlic mayonnaise.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A main course of nduja tortellini and red pesto followed the mussels. The nduja was delicious if a little less spicy than expected, and was offset well by the tomato and basil pesto. The lemon and ricotta ravioli was also excellent and came with a deliciously buttery sauce and a dusting of parmesan.
No gluttonous lunch would be complete without an unnecessary dessert following a superbly filling two courses. The white chocolate and Campari cannoli was perfect - and about the right size after the filling starter and main course. Meanwhile, the mini chocolate hazelnut donuts, accompanied by a healthy scoop of ice cream, is possibly a little too large - though it was also delightful and disappeared from the bowl post haste.
After three excellent courses, all that is left is to bask in the sunshine over one last refreshing drink, before departing to peruse the nearby Chapel Market. Arenella says that at its heart is a “philosophy of simple southern Italian cooking” and on this count, it certainly delivers.
£35 all in for the starter, main and bottomless drinks. Desserts cost £6 each on top; thechapelbar.co.uk
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
'The program long ago ceased to be temporary help'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Critics' choice: Variations on family values
Feature French cuisine gets a Vietnamese twist, a one-man Turkish kitchen, and a family-run Italian restaurant
-
Horse around across the globe with these liberating horse-centric activities
The Week Recommends These graceful animals make any experience better
-
Wine-tasting in Tuscany
The Week Recommends From biodynamic vineyards to historic cellars, the picturesque region is a wine lover's dream
-
7 tranquil hotels worth the (sometimes extreme) trek
The Week Recommends Find serenity off the beaten path
-
6 stellar noctourism adventures
The Week Recommends After the sun sets, the fun begins
-
6 hotels with amenities that blow the usual gifts out of the water
The Week Recommends You can have a butler walk your dog and a guitar sent to your room. But you cannot have your guitar walked.
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
-
These 8 restaurants bring spring to your table
The Week Recommends An array of cuisines at noteworthy restaurants across the US