Unlike religion and sports teams, loyalty to restaurants these days seems to be incredibly ephemeral. But something tells me this may not be the case with Omerta. The first night it opened its doors, I was lucky enough to see, sample and savour what Omerta had to offer.
What initially makes Omerta stand out from the rest is the atmosphere. Simply a buzz with lively chatter and bathed in soft lighting, it exudes a welcoming warmth. Then of course, there is the food itself – a selection of tasting plates promising the type of humble, delicious food one would expect when eating an authentic meal at home in the Abruzzo district of Italy.
Starting out with fat, sumptuous Sicilian olives, these proved the ultimate accompaniment to a glass of wine -18 of which Omerta offer by the glass. The wine which I sampled was in fact made by one of the owners, award winning Sommelier Glen Davis, in conjunction with Nick Farr. Nick's name may ring a bell - his father is internationally renowned wine maker Gary Farr. So its safe to say the Omerta folk certainly know their wines, although they are not the type to go boasting about it. Moving on to the house made pork and fennel sausages, these were simply bursting with the kind of flavour that emphatically set them apart from any sausages I have eaten before. Juicy meatballs, crusty bread and lavish portions of cheese completed a veritable feast of wholesome fare. But for me, the piece de resistance was the bombolini's – feather light puffs of pastry heaven teamed with a silken Italian hot chocolate dipping sauce.
With the food as hearty and genuine as the company at Omerta, the only unanswered question I had at the end of the night was - when are we coming back?
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