Is Osteria Vibratio flirting with me? There’s the dreamy candlelight, the fish bowl glasses of red wine, and the distinct feeling of amore in the air. And that’s all before our white-jacketed waiter stylishly scrapes pangrattato crumbs from the starched tablecloth then begins bashing out a little light jazz on an upright piano. Frankly, I feel a little flushed.
Like Noble Rot with a bawdier sense of humour, Osteria Vibrato might just be your new favourite restaurant. Though this riotous Italian has only been open for a few weeks, I already feel like I’ve been here a million times, thanks to an old-school appeal that matches the studied vintage buzz of Trisha’s across the road and Bar Italia a few streets over.
Osteria Vibrato might just be your new favourite restaurant
This pre-Lizzy Line energy is surely down to the restaurant’s driving force, Charlie Mellor, who, a decade ago, opened Hackney Road’s Laughing Heart, a small plates wine bar named after a rousing Charles Bukowski poem, with a 2am licence and a deeply devious energy. Of course, Hackney is now overrun with small plates wine bars, so Charlie’s done the only thing he could; bring his uproarious brand of hospitality to Soho.
Minimal but elegant, Osteria Vibrato looks like it’s been airlifted from the back streets of Milan, with a tiled mosaic floor, half-panelled wood walls, shiny pewter candlesticks and a covert little bar at the back for sinister assignations. As we enter on Greek Street, a pair of happy and well-watered men burst forth and carouse into the night. Inside it’s just as boisterous.
But enough of the immaculate vibe. What of the food? That too, is wonderful. The menu is in Italian on one side and English on the other, so you can pretend to be sophisticated and European without ever having to break your cover and resort to Google Translate. Like a proper Italian restaurant, there’s a cover charge which pays for some crispy, salty mother-in-law's tongue flatbread and a dainty bowl of piquant olives. The rest of the menu skips around Italy with impunity; we have sweet Sicilian red prawns with lemon and hunky gratinated mussels from Puglia, beastly things with bite and verve. Shaved artichokes with Pecorino Romano is a classic lifted from the River Cafe playbook and masterfully simple. Alas, the Ligurian saltcod with potatoes is sold out, but that just gives us another reason to return.
Now feeling deeply Italian, we plump for a pair of pastas for our main (though I will be returning for the veal alla castellana with fontina and prosciutto after seeing it delivered dramatically to the next table). Tagliatelle with white courtyard ragu is light and complex, while rigatoni all gricia with artichokes gives us a butch and salty hit from formidable wedges of guanciale. A simple fennel gratin on the side makes for an angelic antidote to this fortress of carbs.
Lots of new restaurants are delicious, but rarely are they this fun.
The vibe Heroically convivial, old school-style Italian in the heart of Soho.
The food Classics from all over Italy, with perfect pasta courses and fish-forward mains.
The drink Bold and sumptuous Italian wine of course, as well as a lengthy list of trad cocktails.
Time Out tip Do your best to convince your waiter to play piano. You won’t be disappointed.