Established in 2011, Ombra is an Italian restaurant in Bethnal Green, where the menu changes regularly to focus on seasonal, organic produce, rare breed meat and handmade pasta. The kitchen is closed on Monday and Tuesday, but the rest of the week you can expect a topnotch selection of antipasti, pasta, secondi and more, all served with traditional aperitivos and Italian wines.
Toast to a great meal before you with the Crémant de limoux or classic Campari Spritz, and decide between the chef's menu (which is to be enjoyed by the whole table), or pick your own dishes off the menu. To begin, try a range of snacks, like the mussels in moscato d’alessandria and fennel pollen, gnocco fritto and house cured pancetta or beef tartare with hazelnut.
Starters include chicory with gorgonzola dolce and pear, perfectly cooked Cornish crab with burnt mandarine and pickled girolles, or cauliflower mushroom tossed with Calabrian chilli and egg yolk. In true Italian fashion, the primi options include a spaghetti and squid ragu, along with saffron and pigeon risotto, before secondi of Cornish turbot tranche and Sicilian red prawns, or aged pork loin on the bone. There's not a particularly long list of sides to choose from – you won’t find greasy garlic bread here. Order bitter leaves, poached and fried ratte potato or braised cavolo nero. Polish off a superb meal with creamy tiramisu, the chestnut and roasted quince semifreddo or panna cotta with poached pears.
When it comes to the wine list, there's plenty of choice. Ombra prides itself in its extensive wine collection, showcasing low-intervention and natural Italian wines, although you might find the odd bottle from further afield. Opt for red, white, rose, orange or sparkling, with a selection of skin contact bottles and much rarer and speciality offerings. If you're visiting with a large group then why not share a larger bottle, and order a 1.5 litre magnum for the table?