Obika is a new kind of bar - a mozzarella bar.

The Venue
Situated on the second floor of Selfridges (and those directions may come in handy, for it’s not well signposted within the store) Obika has a ready-made cachet that many restaurants would kill for. Diners are surrounded by the glittering facades of Chloe, Roberto Cavallo and other upmarket outlets - whilst waiting to be served you can feast your eyes on displays of shoes and designer clothing. Thirty small square tables are arranged around a central bar, so you have a sense of being both apart from and part of the Selfridges experience.

The Atmosphere
Do not wear your third-best trousers or you will feel distinctly out of place. Lots of chic-looking tourists, particularly Japanese - and Italian, encouragingly, since this is an Italian restauarant. Waiters greet you with a friendly Buongiorno! and are happy to explain the more unusual items on the menu. Service is prompt but you are allowed to eat unhurriedly.

The Food
Obika is an unusual Italian restaurant, deliberately aiming to get away from the stereotypes of pizza and pasta and offer Italian regional foods instead. For starters you are best advised to choose from the mozzarella bar menu - you get a cricket-ball sized chunk of creamy, quivering mozzarella, available in three styles, delicate, stronger and smoked (avoid the smoked, though - it tastes as though it has been dropped in ashes). The other two are fresh and creamy and, as is the way with mozzarella, rather mildly flavoured - but that’s fine because with your cheese you can choose three, five or seven accompanying items, and none of them could be accused of blandness. They include fantastically fresh and flavoursome pomodorini with basil; thin ribbons of rich smoked swordfish, reminiscent of smoked eel; some slightly chewy but highly-flavoured mini venison sausages; perfect proscuttio and several regional varieties of salami. Seven items makes this a sharing platter for two and you’d be unlikely to need a main course; fewer items and it’s a hearty starter.

There’s a choice of six mains, including a daily pasta choice. Highly recommended is the Obika risotto, with radicchio, Burrata cheese and balsamic vinegar reduction; it’s a surprising bright pink in colour and is wonderfully rich, nourishing comfort food. Be warned, though, as it costs about £17.00. A baby gem salad with chicken and mayonnaise does not hit the spot quite so successfully; the chicken and mayo are mushed up together and strewn with parmesan. Though pleasant enough it seems to belong inside a jacket potato.

The Drink
A glass of sparkling, slightly sweet prosecco is a great way to start your lunch. The wine list is all-Italian, with sixteen whites, sixteen reds and a couple of roses; prices range from £16.00 to £35.00 a bottle. Obika also offer a different promotion wine each week. A Morrelino di Scansano is warm, mellow, velvety and not too nap-inducingly strong at 12.5 percent. Obika also do cocktails such as martinis and bellinis, and a wide range of speciality teas and coffees.

The Last Word
Obika serves high-quality regional Italian food. Don’t eat there if you’ve got a cholesterol test coming up, though.

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