Il Guscio Highbury is a neighbourhood Italian restaurant at 231 Blackstock Road. Its extensive menu brings together pizza, pasta, seafood and meat dishes, with a particular Sardinian influence visible in several ingredients and recipes. The informal dining room suits both a quick pizza and a longer meal shared around the table.
Starters include fried calamari with courgette, aubergine parmigiana, burrata with avocado and tomato, and king prawns in a spicy tomato sauce. Baby octopus, whitebait and mixed fried fish give seafood a strong presence, while Sardinian crisp bread with cured meats and pecorino introduces the island’s flavours.
The pasta selection covers spaghetti carbonara, tagliatelle with ragù, ricotta and spinach ravioli, seafood linguine and penne with prawns and courgette. Malloreddus alla Campidanese adds a distinctly Sardinian choice, and meat lasagne, mushroom risotto and penne arrabbiata provide familiar dishes with different levels of richness.
Pizzas range from Margherita and Napoli to Calabrese with spicy nduja, Bufalina with buffalo mozzarella and the house Guscio pizza with sausage, aubergine and pecorino. Grilled sea bass, Sicilian swordfish, chicken Milanese, veal and steak broaden the main courses, while tiramisu and other Italian desserts complete the meal.
Address: 231 Blackstock Road, Highbury, London N5 2LL, United Kingdom
Il Guscio Highbury Menu
Antipasti – Starters
Pane e Olive
Mixed marinated olives and homemade bread
Bruschetta Classica
Toasted homemade bread topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and extra virgin olive oil
Burrata Tricolore
Creamy burrata mozzarella served with cherry tomatoes, avocado, rocket and extra virgin olive oil
Antipasto all’Italiana
Selection of cured meats, grilled vegetables and Italian cheeses
Calamari e Zucchine Fritti
Deep fried squid and courgettes with tartar sauce
Gamberoni alla Griglia
Grilled king prawns with garlic, chilli, cherry tomatoes and white wine sauce
Caponata Siciliana
Traditional Sicilian aubergine stew with capers, olives, celery and tomato sauce
Zuppa del Giorno
Homemade soup of the day
Insalate – Salads
Insalata Mista
Mixed seasonal salad
Insalata di Rucola e Parmigiano
Rocket salad with cherry tomatoes and shaved parmesan
Insalata Cesare
Classic Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan and Caesar dressing
Le Paste – Pastas
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti with free range egg yolk, pancetta, pecorino cheese and black pepper
Spaghetti alla Bolognese
Spaghetti with traditional slow cooked beef ragu
Penne al Pesto e Burrata
Penne pasta with homemade basil pesto and burrata mozzarella
Penne Gamberi e Zucchine
Penne with king prawns, courgettes, cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilli and white wine
Linguine ai Sapori di Mare
Seafood linguine with mixed shellfish, garlic, cherry tomatoes, white wine and parsley
Ravioli Aragosta
Lobster ravioli served with prawns, tomato and cream sauce
Lasagna al Forno
Homemade baked lasagne with beef ragu, bechamel and parmesan
Gnocchi al Gorgonzola
Potato gnocchi with creamy gorgonzola cheese sauce and walnuts
Risotti – Risottos
Risotto ai Funghi Porcini
Carnaroli rice with porcini mushrooms, parmesan and truffle oil
Risotto ai Frutti di Mare
Seafood risotto with mixed shellfish, garlic, cherry tomatoes and parsley
Le Pizze – Pizzas
Margherita
Tomato, mozzarella and basil
Diavola
Tomato, mozzarella and spicy salami
Quattro Formaggi
Tomato, mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan and goat cheese
Prosciutto e Funghi
Tomato, mozzarella, ham and mushrooms
Vegetariana
Tomato, mozzarella and mixed grilled vegetables
Calzone
Folded pizza with tomato, mozzarella, ham and mushrooms
Secondi – Main Courses
Pollo alla Milanese
Breaded chicken breast escalope served with rocket and cherry tomatoes
Scaloppine ai Funghi
Pan fried veal escalope in mushrooms and white wine sauce
Filetto di Manzo alla Griglia
Grilled beef fillet served with rocket, cherry tomatoes and parmesan shavings
Filetto di Spigola alla Griglia
Grilled sea bass fillet
Salmone alla Griglia
Grilled salmon fillet with lemon and herbs
Agnello al Rosmarino
Roast lamb cutlets with rosemary and red wine sauce
Contorni – Sides
Patate Fritte
French fries
Verdure Grigliate
Mixed grilled vegetables
Spinaci Saltati
Sauteed spinach with garlic and olive oil
Dolci – Desserts
Tiramisu della Casa
Homemade tiramisu
Panna Cotta
Vanilla panna cotta with berry coulis
Torta al Cioccolato
Warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream