Maresco in Soho: “The place to go for edible sunshine this winter”
Soho’s new restaurant Maresco offers the best of two very different worlds: the delicious flavours of Spain and the exceptional seafood of Scotland. Although they may not sound like an obvious pairing, this tapas restaurant came into being after its Glaswegian owner, Stephen Lironi, discovered best quality Scottish seafood leaves the UK and is exported to Spain. Maresco highjacks these ingredients and brings them to London to be paired with the best Spanish produce and an impressive selection of low-intervention wines and sherries to really make the food sing. The resulting menu is fresh and comforting, with a real taste of sunshine.
Perhaps a reflection of its contrasting influences, Maresco also offers a couple of distinct dining experiences. If, like us, you want to be at the centre of the action, you can choose the bar overlooking the intimate kitchen. Or, for something a little cosier, tables are also available downstairs. With aperitifs in hand – a Pisco Sour and an incredible, spicy Vermouth – we settle onto the surprisingly comfortable stools in the former area and nibble on olives as a chef masterfully prepares our first dish right in front of us: it’s dinner and a show.
We start our culinary adventure with fresh Little Loch Broom oysters, which have been hand-selected from an iced display at one end of the kitchen. The chef expertly shucks them, before topping them with a zingy, green gazpacho, curls of cucumber and rich fish eggs. The combination is so fresh you can almost hear waves crashing as you eat – a welcome reminder of summer on a gloomy November evening.
Pan con Tomate comes next, a celebration of Catalonian tomatoes with an accompanying plate of Boquerones (marinated anchovies), which have been given extra pizazz with a sprinkling of vinegar and a crunchy garlic crumb. The following Croquetas Menorquinas melt in the mouth, with a remarkably thin, crisp shell; today’s special of meaty Lochimber Hake also arrives, drenched in a thick shellfish sauce (en Salsa Marinera), with clams on the side. Everything is light and moreish.
The two larger fish courses we experience next are undoubtedly the stars of this menu, expertly paired with a glass of Cellar Pardas Rupestris 2021, a brisk Catalonian white wine made from the grape used to create cava. Fideuà with Langoustine – a paella made with noodles – arrives hot from the oven in a shallow, rectangular pan, topped with a langoustine we watched the chef prepare only minutes before. The dish gets more delicious as you eat it. It has a rich, shellfish flavour, without being heavy, and the langoustine tail is sweet and soft. But the Txistorra de Mar that follows is particularly special: spiced sausages made of mackerel and monkfish sit atop talo (mini corn tortillas) with spicy yogurt and shavings of radish and onion. This is a fusion that really makes you stop and think. If we hadn’t eaten so much already, we would have ordered a second portion.
For the savoury finale, we’re furnished with beautifully presented Highland Venison with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree and Grape Mustard, this time complemented by a smooth red, César Márquez Parajes 2020 from Castille y León. Cooked over hot embers, the venison is smokey and plump, the richness nicely counterbalanced by fruity mustard. If we have temporarily forgotten about the Scottish connection, this is a sharp reminder. A contrast to the previous offerings, the robust flavours make it more of a stand-alone course than a mix-and-match tapas plate, but it is delicious nonetheless.
The meal is sweetly rounded off with a helping of Crema Catalana Ice Cream; served as a quenelle with a lemony biscuit crumb and salted tuille. Maresco’s dessert menu is limited to just four tasty options – the savoury dishes really are the focus – but the impressive menu of sherries, sweet wines and liquors that accompanies it is definitely worth exploring. We end the evening by sampling PX, El Maestro Sierra sweet sherry, which is punchy and rich, and an exceptional glass of Ariyanas Naturalmente Dulce 2019 moscatel dessert wine. We leave happy and satisfied.
With a fresh and thoughtful menu, Maresco is the place to go for some edible sunshine this winter.
★★★★★
Felicity Souter
Photos: Matthew Pull
To book a table at Maresco, 45 Berwick Street London W1F 8SF, call 020 7439 8483 or visit their website here.
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