address: 36 Brixton Water Lane, London SW2 1PE

https://www.maremmarestaurant.com/

Closed Monday and Tuesday and only open at lunchtime on Sunday – see website for details

Maremma is a place to go for a celebration as it is not cheap. We had a COVID-filled family Christmas, so when we emerged from quarantine we felt we deserved a celebration. Also, we knew it was the end of the Christmas period because we finished off the last pieces of the Terry’s Chocolate Orange. We have reviewed Maremma before (see here, here and HERE) but just as a reminder, it is all about Tuscan food. The short very Italian menu includes antipasti, primi, secondi and contourni (vegetables) and then cheese and desserts. The menu changes regularly and there are also specials – luckily we were with friends, so able to roam the menu. Spoiler alert – we enjoyed everything and ignored vegan January.

For starters we ordered spaghetti, venison carpaccio (a special), pigeon salad, and wild sea bass carpaccio. The spaghetti was no ordinary spaghetti but spaghetti alla chitarra, garlic, bottarga (literally guitar spaghetti with dried mullet). The egg pasta is square shaped and thicker than spaghetti that comes dried or in tins. The two carpaccios came with a little rocket for a small dose of pepper and the venison also had a dollop of very tasty sauce (unknown as it was a special). The pigeon salad came with radicchio, pomegranate, hazelnuts and looked substantial as did the spaghetti. But it was empty plates all round and our photos show that we were very keen to get stuck in.

For the main course we had a blowout with – Cacciucco maremmano (Tuscan fish stew with cuttlefish, prawns, mussels & grey mullet), a couple of portions of the rabbit (braised rabbit leg, taggiasche olives, and lardo) and finally pasta with a wild boar ragout. The rabbit looked a bit lonely so we ordered crispy potatoes and aioli. Everything was scrumptious and again there were empty plates. No one (and we are a picky bunch) had any complaints and the rabbit scored the most compliments.

We couldn’t decide whether to have dessert – we were pretty full so it was two espressos, an affogato and a portion of blood orange ice cream – sorry gelato – with a shortbread biscuit and plenty of spoons. The ice cream was smooth but the blood orange could have had a bit more flavour – it tends to be lost in cold food so it needs bumping up a bit. Coffee was of course jolting but we did order a bottle of reasonably-priced red wine (they have unreasonable ones!).

We enjoyed the company, the ambiance – we sat near the door but it wasn’t cold. It did get a bit loud towards the end of the evening but that depends on your neighbours, and one group was clearly having a great time. We enjoyed everything put in front of us and our companions are not easy to please. They are opening another branch in Clapham, so this one might be easier to book. The bill for four came to £236 (£59 per head) which included the “reasonably priced” red wine at £48. This was a treat and we were very full when we left. On Thursday and Friday they have lunch for £15 including wine, so perhaps that is the entry to this restaurant.

address: 36 Brixton Water Lane, London SW2 1PE

https://www.maremmarestaurant.com/

We visited Maremma in a brief flurry of going out to dinner earlier this year. We have reviewed it before (see here and here) but just as a reminder, it is all about Tuscan food. They have a short very Italian menu with antipasti, primi, secondi and contourni (vegetables) and then cheese and desserts. We found these photographs on a phone we hardly use, and are stretching our memory to work out what each of them was. The menu changes regularly, so it wouldn’t be that much help, so we are just providing you with some notes. We do remember that it was all good.

As you can see we ordered pasta with seafood, pasta with a ragout and tortellini – all scrumptious. Note that we dived into some of the dishes before remembering our duty to our readers to take photographs. The first photograph after the pasta is a bit baffling – possibly an Italian gaspacho, but I know we ate it all! We did also try for some beef and vegetables, followed by desserts.

We all had a good time, but now have lost the bill. Our advice is to try this place as a treat, as it is expensive especially with cocktails, but the food has never disappointed us.

36 Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 1PE

Tel no: 020 3186 4011

email: info@maremmarestaurant.com

Internet: https://www.maremmarestaurant.com/

This local Italian (Tuscan) restaurant opened not so long ago and we reviewed a visit here. It is difficult to book, probably because we saw it had a rave review in the TAP in-flight magazine, back in those heady days when air travel was acceptable. Now you don’t have to wait, as they do takeaways. But from here it gets complicated and we suggest you go to their website to check, in case it’s changed. Continue reading →

36 Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 1PE

Tel no: 020 3186 4011

email: info@maremmarestaurant.com

Internet: https://www.maremmarestaurant.com/

This is a new joint in town, near to Naughty Piglets and Hottananny in an area that seems to have had a peppered history of restaurants opening and closing. But this one seemed to be booming after just a couple of weeks of a soft launch. By booming we need to stress – book in advance. We went at lunchtime on Saturday and were lucky to find a perch. Maremma is on a corner, where the Montego Inn used to be, so has lots of light, but of course, there is only so much room for a bar and tables. They have squeezed in additional seating with bar style counter seats that are fine, as long as there are only two in the party. Downstairs offers more traditional style dining with tables and chairs. Bare tables and tops but linen napkins, so you know this place will be expensive.

The name Maremma is chosen after an unspoilt region of Tuscany and the restaurant offers regional and seasonal specialties, including fresh pasta.  There are starters (vegetarian and meat options), primi (mainly pasta) and secundi (larger plates). We chose a starter and primi and were so stuffed we couldn’t even consider the desserts. Our starters were octopus and fava puree and beef battuta (like beef tartar). The octopus was nice and charred mostly, although the fat end was a little chewy, and the beef needed a little salt which came in a small pot.

Next we had the squid risotto and a regional specialty of a chickpea pancake with three different kinds of artichoke. The risotto was brilliant – with plenty of seafood and the addition of the lemon zest a particular joy. The chickpea pancake was “interesting” and most was eaten. The garlic chips were really tasty but the artichoke hearts came with some very hard leaves making it impossible to cut and most was left on the side (a complaint to the waitress produced no response from the kitchen, but it is early days). We added a bread selection – the foccacia was very good and a side dish of spinach.

Water came straight away and there was a choice of still or sparkling.We washed everything down with a carafe of Tuscan wine (375ml or half a bottle). There was a good choice at very reasonable cost. Our bill for two people came to £86.08 including service. They helpfully divide the bill to show what each guest should pay on the bill, which prevents the rush to the phone calculator. It was expensive for lunch but we would return for dinner. The food was good but we are not raving about it until we have tasted more.