This elegant, high-ceilinged environment is a tasteful refit of the Peaches and Cream sex shop.
Catherine and I agree our first cicheti is absolutely delicious, with its harmonious tastes and textures. There is silky salmon and warm crescenza - a smooth, rich cheese - on toasted bread. The crostino is completed with rocket, sundried tomato and olive oil. Hannah decides the eggplant and mascarpone version is similarly good.
The appetisers are complemented by refreshing Aperol and Campari spritzes, just right for the warm evening. Catherine enjoys a nice dry prosecco, the Castelforte Italian sparkling wine matching the many dishes arriving speedily at our table. We make quick work of two lovely pizzettes (mini pizzas) - one with roasted potatoes, rosemary and grana cheese; the other anchovies, mozzarella and oregano.
A friendly Milanese waitress brings us provolone Milanese, served piping hot, the smoked cheese enhanced by deep frying. These salty treats are balanced by my grapefruit juice, and Lurisia Gazzosa's tart edge of Sfusato lemons from the Amalfi coast with Lurisia mineral water.
The kumara gnocchi is toothsome, lavishly drizzled with gorgonzola and studded with pears and walnuts. So far, so good.
Here things dip. Maybe I'm spoiled, having the marvellous Ortega Fish Shack and Bar as my local, but Ombra's seafood isn't up to scratch. The large, fried, whole sardines come with lemon, but are dry and a bit bland. The nero del mare - squid ink seafood risotto - is patchy, the rice a dash gluggy. The clam is tasty, the prawn nice, but the mussel tastes like it had been in the fridge a day longer than optimal. Cartoccio, the day's catch, fails - tarakihi overbaked in foil, it is as dry as Adelaide.
The prawn and capers are okay, the unadvertised field mushroom too heavy.
New Zealand lamb, as delectably fatty as it is, is hard to get wrong. Ombra's lamb cacciatora is cooked with ample lashings of garlic and rosemary. Half-roasted in the oven, finished in the pan, the skin is crispy, the meat juicy.
A side salad of rocket, cashew nut, orange, and red onion is an agreeable accompaniment.
Ombra means shadow. A gent reads the menu to the elderly next table aided by his phone torch. But the inviting, crepuscular atmosphere is not enhanced by the music, such as Coldplay and Eurotrash house.
Dessert scores. The frangelico affogato is the right combination of sweet and slightly bitter, the blueberry panna cotta lightly elevated by basil. Catherine is very happy with her complimentary glass of Negrino dessert wine. Finally, pear, slow poached in red wine and sugar, comes out with gorgonzola gelato, walnut and mint (a bargain for $8).
So the big meal ends as it began, deliciously.
Our meal: $203.50 for cicheti, pizzettes, gnocchi, seafood, lamb, salad, three desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Wine list: A selective mix of red, white and dessert wines, focused on Venice, Italy and New Zealand. Robust cocktail selection. Peroni and Garage Project on tap. Decent non-alcoholic selection, including Moretti Zero Lager and Lurisia Gazzosa.
Verdict: We enjoyed our evening. Ombra's seafood was disappointing, but I will return for its flavoursome, sharply priced offerings, such as the crostino, lamb, and poached pears with gorgonzola gelato. An inviting atmosphere with good service.
