Copita W1
Marina O'Loughlin, Metro (Rating: 4/5 stars)
It looks like “another tapas-y, small plates joint in Soho”, but Marina finds herself “coming back... time and again” to this haven of “informality and bustle”. It matters not that “you can frequently be eating with someone’s elbow in your back” (“Have you ever eaten in a busy tapas bar in Spain?’”). It’s just “bloody excellent”, from the “fragrant sherry”, to the “smartly chosen” wines, to food that’s “sophisticated, creative, not hidebound by any notions of authenticity – and totally works”.
Ombra
Marina O'Loughlin, Metro (Rating: 2/5 stars)
“The lasting impression... is the deep scoring on my backside” at this somewhat “studenty” hang out “in a grungy, scene-y street... by Regent’s Canal”. “This is the least comfortable place [Marina has] eaten in for years” with lighting “so your date looks recently exhumed” and serving “a random collection of Italy’s greatest hits” raised to an “enthusiastically amateurish” level. This said, “service is lovely and its arty Hackney [crowd] seems to adore [it]” giving it a buzz “slicker [joints] would kill for”.
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