"Ombra is that person in your friendship group who looks great with curtain bangs and owns a set of slate grey linen napkins. They have curated a perfect playlist of Italo jazz and can drink red wine without staining their lips or teeth. And like a true overachiever, this little corner spot in Hackney isn’t just great to look at, it serves tasty Italian food too. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch This is no old-school, red sauce Italian spot. Ombra sits somewhere between gritty and glamorous. Empty wine bottles find a new life as vases for dried flowers, candles flicker on tables, and the dark, concrete floors give the dining room a moody feel at night. If some restaurants encourage hunkering down in a full tracksuit, or going glam in a brand new outfit, Ombra takes you just as you are—but plants the seed of “maybe I could pull off curtain bangs”. Bottles of wine with cool labels are ferried to small groups and date night jitters look like they’re washing away as the first round of mezcal Negronis hit tables. Just know that the service can be laissez-faire, so this is a linger-over-your-gnocchi spot. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch When Ombra’s dishes hit, they’re excellent, but there are some misses. Stick to the signature hulking pork loin on the bone, braised beef shin ragu, and saucer-like gnocco fritto and you’ll have a great time. The menu changes seasonally but thankfully, the tiramisu is a stalwart. It’s one of the best in London, with a thick cream top that runs as deep as our love for Ombra. Food Rundown Dishes vary depending on the season, but there’s usually a gnocco fritto in the cicchetti section of the menu, great pasta dishes, and meat and fish options. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Gnocco Fritto And House Cured Pancetta Not since the sherbert-filled glory days of flying saucers have puffy disks been so fun. These are a must-order. The ones we had came draped with peppery slices of pancetta—see-through thin and pleasing salty. Whatever the topping, the dough is always light and chewy. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Cauliflower Mushroom, Cordiceps, ‘Nduja And Eggyolk A tangle of good-looking mushrooms—that don’t taste of all that much—get given a much-needed flavour boost from the rich, runny egg yolk and spicy ‘nduja. It’s fine, but we wouldn’t reorder it. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Parmesan Braised Pork Crostino File this dish under ‘excellent thing on toast’ for a rainy, cold day. The pork is fall-apart soft and rich, the bread is nicely charred and holds up nicely under the weight of all that salty, fatty meat. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Potato Gnocchi, Braised Beef Shin Ragu Like your friend with Honest Toil olive oil in their kitchen, these guys really know their way around a ragu. The beef is so cooked down it’s practically indistinguishable from the thick sauce, which clings to the pillowy potato gnocchi. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Aged Pork Loin On The Bone, Grape Mustard The dish that lets you live out any Fred Flintstone fantasies. It’s a massive plate of perfectly cooked pork, with plenty of flavoursome fatty bits. Ideal for sharing, for leftovers, or for very, very hungry carnivores. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Pollock, Piattone Beans & Pineapple Weed ‘Beurre Blanc’ Compared to the pasta and aged pork, this was underwhelming. The fish was tasty but under-seasoned, the greens fresh but over-seasoned, and the pineapple weed buerre blanc didn't live up to its intriguing description. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Tiramisu The tiramisu at Ombra is one of the best in London. We would describe the ratio here as cream-forward, but it’s got enough bitter chocolate scattered on top and coffee flavour to combat the thick dairy layer. It’s a hulking slice, but we still don’t like to share it." - Sinéad Cranna
