
Il Guscio Highbury
Advertisements
Quick info
About Il Guscio Highbury
Il Guscio Highbury is an Italian restaurant at 231 Blackstock Rd in London, a short walk from the Emirates Stadium. Pizza is a regular order here, and the house pizza takes the restaurant's own name, il Guscio. The starters include a parmigiana, and the menu continues with dessert and wine. Meals can finish with a glass of limoncello. Inside, brick shows through the plaster on the walls. The restaurant opens daily.
Advertisements
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention pizza, limoncello, lasagne and live acoustic music.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention pizza, limoncello, lasagne and live acoustic music.
Customer Review Summary
Pizza is what reviewers single out most, from a truffle pizza one calls a favorite to the house pizza shared between two, a pepperoni described as super tasty and a margherita a grandson orders every visit. Close behind is the owner, described as warm, welcoming and helpful, with one diner saying it feels like stepping into a home rather than a restaurant. Others praise the lasagne, a parmigiana starter, pasta, dessert and Sardinian beer, and call the food authentic and delicious. The atmosphere is described as lively, especially after Arsenal matches, with one reviewer enjoying live acoustic music and another saying Friday pizza night feels like being anywhere in Italy. Servers are called friendly and attentive. The one criticism comes from a reviewer who notes service can slow when the place gets crowded. One regular always accepts the owner's limoncello at the end of the meal, and another party was handed a whole free panettone by the manager as a Christmas gift.
Customer Review Summary
Pizza is what reviewers single out most, from a truffle pizza one calls a favorite to the house pizza shared between two, a pepperoni described as super tasty and a margherita a grandson orders every visit. Close behind is the owner, described as warm, welcoming and helpful, with one diner saying it feels like stepping into a home rather than a restaurant. Others praise the lasagne, a parmigiana starter, pasta, dessert and Sardinian beer, and call the food authentic and delicious. The atmosphere is described as lively, especially after Arsenal matches, with one reviewer enjoying live acoustic music and another saying Friday pizza night feels like being anywhere in Italy. Servers are called friendly and attentive. The one criticism comes from a reviewer who notes service can slow when the place gets crowded. One regular always accepts the owner's limoncello at the end of the meal, and another party was handed a whole free panettone by the manager as a Christmas gift.
Featured reviews
- Joanna Thornton
“We have been visiting this place since we moved here in 2015. We come about 3 x /month, which is because we love the food, and also because Carlos has promised me he will name a pizza after me if I order it for long enough. I'm writing this review to document that promise. It's a great pizza. The kids always have the lasagne. My partner dabbles across the menu. We both ALWAYS take Carlos up on the limoncello that makes paying the bill even easier.”
- Gabriela Slusarz
“Delicious authentic food, special praise to our brilliant, attentive server Carlos who guided us through the menu, and all requests we had !! Definitely recommend”
- Wayne Bellhouse
“What a lovely little restaurant, amazing pizza, great Sardinian beer and fantastic service. Great time with great people. Well done to the owner!”
- Raihiem Singh
“Came for the food and football. Best restaurant I’ve been to. Made my day this place has. Couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend the final day. You guys do a great job thank you for putting up with us all best place on earth!! COYG. (Got a pepperoni pizza was super tasty)”
- Pikachu
“Dropped in for a quick coffee but ended up trying a couple of extra items from the menu. The place has a relaxed and slightly modern feel, with enough seating to accommodate small groups as well as individuals. It’s also a decent spot if you need to sit with a laptop for a while. The coffee was well made, with a smooth taste and good temperature, which is not always guaranteed these days. I also tried a pastry, and it was fresh without being overly sweet. Staff were polite and efficient, even during a busy period. One small downside is that service can slow down a bit when it gets crowded, but that’s somewhat expected. Overall, it’s a reliable café that focuses on consistency rather than trying to stand out too much, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“Brick is exposed through plaster at this lively neighbourhood destination for Italian cooking.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible car park · Wheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible seating
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
Location
Italian restaurants near Il Guscio Highbury
- Little Sardegna4.64160.1 mi
truffle pasta, homemade tiramisu, ragu
- La Pasta4.14490.9 mi£10–20
pizza, quick service before gigs, dry overcooked dishes
- La Rosetta N164.91,2021.1 mi£20–30
thin crispy roman pizza, gnocchi, limoncello shots
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Il Guscio Highbury | 4.6427 | — | — | pizza, limoncello, lasagne |
| Little Sardegna | 4.6416 | 0.1 mi | — | truffle pasta, homemade tiramisu, ragu |
| La Pasta | 4.1449 | 0.9 mi | £10–20 | pizza, quick service before gigs, dry overcooked dishes |
| La Rosetta N16 | 4.91,202 | 1.1 mi | £20–30 | thin crispy roman pizza, gnocchi, limoncello shots |
The 3 nearest italian restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
Similar Italian restaurants nearby
More to explore in London

60 places
Italian restaurants in London
Photo: Ave Mario · 4.8 · 30,607 Google reviews
See all 60 italian restaurants in London
4.5 · Bun House ChinatownChinese restaurants
95 places
4.7 · Bleecker Burger SohoHamburger restaurants
21 places
4.7 · Dishoom Covent GardenIndian restaurants
41 places
4.5 · Hot Stone LondonJapanese restaurants
37 places
4.7 · Coco Grill & LoungeMediterranean restaurants
20 places
4.8 · Pizza Pilgrims WaterlooPizza restaurants
49 places







