It takes a brave person to open a new restaurant right now, but then Maresco is a tried and tested concept. Building on the success of Bar Esteban in Crouch End, and then Stoke Newington’s Escocesa, the Scottish seafood-tapas concept now has a central London postcode, and we’re here for it.
A Scottish/Spanish mash-up may not sound like the most obvious cuisine (it’s certainly not a category on Deliveroo), however, it makes a lot of sense when you get the back story. It turns out Scotland was shipping the majority of their catch to Spain as there simply wasn’t the domestic market for it. Not happy with that information, Maresco’s owner, Stephen, decided to create a restaurant that would champion this fantastic produce. And we’re so glad he did.
Maresco is all romantic counter seating, perfect for canoodling couples, and friendly staff whisk coats and bags away to avoid it feeling cramped. You have two choices — look inwards to watch the action in the kitchen, or people watch the vibrant Soho crowds whizzing by outside. There’s also a more formal dining room downstairs which might be more appropriate for larger groups.
The wine list is exclusively Spanish, naturally, and mainly low-intervention, but before you delve into that, a beautifully garnished glass of vermouth is the best aperitif.
There’s a daily changing specials board revolving around the latest catches, but food-wise you really can’t go wrong. We tucked into fresh oysters, drizzled with gazpacho, vibrant razor clams topped with salsa, and croquetas stuffed with the paprika-rich spicy sausage sobrasada.
More substantial dishes include the halibut on squid ink black rice (don’t worry, it’s not burnt), which arrives in a mini pan, perfect for two. And the charcoal-roasted cauliflower, with mojo verde and a sprinkle of pomegranate.
If you’re just in the mood for a quick pit stop, there’s also cheese and charcuterie boards. And while the crema catalana ice cream was perfectly pleasant, the real treat was the rich, PX sherry — the perfect punctuation to a meal that made us feel like we were on holiday.
We look forward to returning and reckon this dinky Spanish seafood restaurant is set to be a Soho gem. Get in quick, while you can.
