There’s a certain skill attached to opening a restaurant less than three months ago, yet making it feel as if it’s been there forever. Osteria Vibrato does just that. It fits perfectly into the Soho zeitgeist and is a classic in the making.
Italian food is certainly having a moment in London. Far from the spaghetti Bolognese or Quattro Stagione pizza of your reviewer’s youth, Italy’s culinary diversity is now being embraced. For a country that spans almost ten degrees of latitude, what the people of Piemonte eat is very different to those in Palermo. Regionalism is in full force at Osteria Vibrato. The provenance of each dish is referenced on the daily-changing menu – we travelled through Sicily and Sardinia as well as to Barolo and beyond. Even better, there is a different olive oil to pair with almost every dish – a unique and thoughtful touch.
If this is an osteria, in the Italian sense of the word, then Vibrato wins in creating effortlessly a casual yet unpretentious restaurant. Comfort food is served up in a cool dining space. There’s oak panelling on the walls, accompanied by an eclectic selection of small art works. The floor tiles would not look out of place in Milan. And, there’s a piano in the corner. Apparently, it is played sometimes, for the owner hails from a musical background. Perhaps the clue is in the restaurant’s name.
There was certainly a harmony attached to all the dishes we sampled. An opening plate of salty ‘mother-in-law's tongue’ flatbread and a dainty bowl of olives set the standard high. I opted for grilled asparagus – very much in season – topped with pecorino cheese and finished with a Sardinian olive oil to begin. My dining comrade took the red prawns, one of the venue’s most popular dishes. If starters were good, then mains were truly excellent. My tajarin pasta – first sampled in Piemonte last November – is a new dish on Vibrato’s menu. It deserves to stay. Imagine luscious layers of pasta mixed with chicken liver and sage. A decadent piece of veal topped with grilled fontina cheese comprised our other main. With around ten opening options and a similar number of next dishes, there is no shortage of choice.
The wine list is lengthy and deserves perusal. Somewhat disingenuously the most expensive wines are shown first, but there are some relative bargains to be had, including the lovely 2021 Barbaresco we enjoyed. If one were to quibble, then service was erratic. I endured a long wait for my aperitif, yet we were somewhat hassled to choose our food. The dishes then arrived with almost indecent haste. By the meal’s end, however, we comfortably lingered, finishing the wine. To see guests leave happy and willing to return is something to which every venue should aspire.