Last Saturday was ladies night, and decked out in our best frocks my friends and I headed to rue Oberkampf. We made a pit stop at Le Kitch for a cheeky ‘Shrek’ aperitif – this house cocktail is essentially a mojito smoothie, and the blend of fresh mint and lime creates a shade of green evocative of the Disney ogre. By 9.30 we moved on to our dinner reservation at Osteria dell’anima, a truly authentic Italian restaurant just 20 doors away. This place is the carbon copy of a southern Italian nonna’s dining room – both in size and hospitality.
With a quick glance at the wine list and very little discussion, we kicked off with a bottle of Prosecco. It was the dinner menu that deserved our full attention as words like squid-ink spaghetti and crema di ricotta jumped off the page. We ordered 3 different mains – the obvious strategy being to sample as much as possible – and we were far from disappointed: Pappardelle dell’Osteria, Tagliatellini and one enormous slice of Lasagne.
At this point I should mention that the Osteria’s unique appeal is their hand-made pasta, which is rolled, stretched and sliced right before your very eyes! The lasagne, made with veal, pork and beef, was bursting with flavour, as was the Tagliatellini dish cooked with ricotta, tomato and huge cloves of roasted garlic…heaven! My thick pappardelle pasta was quite special too, coated in a rich Gorgonzola sauce and thin slices of mushroom and speck (Italian ham).
Pappardelle dell'Osteria
Each dish arrived with a small block of Parmesan, a mini grater and a warm “Buon Appetito” from the waitress. I’m sad to admit that we had no room for desert but the owner treated us to a glass of chilled Limoncello as we chatted with our neighbour – a loyal patron who had been one of the first customers at the restaurant’s opening in 2004. With high spirits and very satiated appetites, we strolled towards Parmentier and spent the rest of the evening knocking back Kamikaze shots in bar UFO.
Where?
Le Kitch – 10 rue Oberkampf 75011 Paris * Métro - Oberkampf
UFO Bar – 49 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud 75011 Paris * Métro - Parmentier
L’Osteria Dell’Anima – 37 rue Oberkampf 75011 Paris * Métro - Oberkampf
How much?
3 main courses & 1 bottle of Prosecco: €62
What’s playing today?
Too insistent by The Dø
