Italy - a country that has given us espressos, gelato and, most importantly, pizza and pasta. And while our favourite stodgy food is a huge part of the country’s culinary heritage, it's only the tip of the iceberg, something which more and more London restaurants are keen to demonstrate, including Osteria in the Barbican. The Searcys venue has brought a taste of traditional Italy to the City and I went along to try it out.
Venue and Atmosphere
Located on the second floor of the Barbican, Osteria restaurant is in sharp contrast with the Brutalist architecture of the rest of the building. While the arts centre is all about minimalism and hard lines, Osteria is more muted browns and low lighting. Tucked away in a corner of the gigantic building, the restaurant was relatively quiet when we entered, with a few couples dotted on little wooden tables.
Taking influences from the Italian countryside, a rustic wooden table laden with olives, oils and bread was in the centre of the room. Next to it, there was a traditional meat slicer and halving the room in true Searcys style, a towering wine rack. With views over the red-brick St Giles-of-Cripplegate Church and the canal, it's worth getting a table by the window.
The bar area of Osteria in the Barbican; 'Amore bibo' means 'I drink with love'.
Food and Drink
If there’s one thing I learnt from eight months in Italy, it’s that eating is taken seriously. None of this sit down and scoff; evenings last hours as plates of pastas, meats and cheese are paraded out for you to gorge over. Osteria have honoured the great Italian adoration of food with a menu of antipasti, meat, fish and risottos. Dorset Crab Ravioli (£13) was three fat pasta parcels stuffed with fresh meat and covered in a mascarpone sauce that was plate-lickingly good. Cornish Mackeral Crudo (£7.50) was a fresh, sea-salty plate of raw fish flavoured with poached quince.
For mains, the waitress recommended the grilled rib of Scottish Beef Tagliata, rocket and parmesan (£24) which came medium rare, and was a big hunk of tender meat, chopped and dusted in salt. We ordered roasted Jerusalem artichokes (£5) which were buttery-tender, while zucchini fries (£4.50) were moreish slathers of fried courgette. Do as Italians do and leave appropriately stuffed by ordering pudding. Warm pear and almond tart with spiced gelato (£6.50) was a on a crumbling biscuit base topped with fat chunks of strewed fruit while coffee and walnut cake with mascarpone (£6.50) was surprisingly crunchy.
The menu at Osteria focuses on seasonal and fresh produce, cooked in a traditional way.
Summary
Yes, there’s nothing quite like pizza crusts in garlic mayo but for a real Italian experience Osteria is a great choice. With an intimate and relaxed setting, the venue is perfect for a date or pre-theatre dinner.
