I have to admit, Pimlico is one of those pockets of London I tend to forget about when it comes to food. Not that it’s forgettable of course - Cambridge Street Kitchen is an old favourite - it’s just not the postcode that automatically springs to my mind when seeking a new gastronomic endeavour.
The opening of Omar’s Place earlier this year however has certainly put paid to that. Mere moments from Victoria station, the restaurant and bar is a spoonful of Mediterranean glamour for SW1. With a menu created by Mallorcan-born chef Vicente Fortea, the offering comprises contemporary tapas inspired by coastal towns of the Med.
Start your meal with a Pimlico Bellini, a dangerously delicious combo of pomegranate juice, limoncello, grenadine and prosecco - summer in a glass. The food doesn’t disappoint. Melt-in-the-mouth Iberian ham, cured for 36 months, is served heaped with ribbons of tangy Manchego. A creamy burrata dissolved at the first touch, accompanied by perfectly ripe heritage tomatoes, a pesto Genovese and pine nuts; not a trace of it was left on the plate. Juicy, sizzling seared prawns arrived with lashings of shaved garlic and decent dose of chilli - essentially the starters were sensational.
My chargrilled tentacle of octopus was served simply drizzled with paprika oil, slightly rubbery in parts but a true taste of the Mediterranean, particularly when accompanied by crispy rosemary potatoes. Turbot had the option of coming chargrilled or fried Andalusian style; opting for the former, the feedback from across the table was that the simply chargrilling left it a little bland and it needed a bit more seasoning to lift the flavour, though the chargrilled baby gem lettuce accompanying was a tasty side since recreated at home. We shared a chocolate mousse for pudding and good job too; with Valrhona chocolate, nuts, praline and cocoa crisps it’s a seriously rich sweet treat and not for the fainthearted.
While the mains perhaps needed a little work (maybe we made the wrong choices…) the starters stood out as the hero dishes. This is one upmarket tapas menu that deserves another sampling.
