First earmarked for a February launch, Alice Staple and Dickie Bielenberg will open Maremma, their debut neighbourhood Tuscan restaurant on London's Brixton Water Lane next month.
Staple will be cooking her simple and regional dishes, taking inspiration from Maremma’s unspoilt coastal region in southern Tuscany.
The menu, that Staple created with restaurant’s head chef Dominique Goltinger, champions the area’s produce, such as salumi, seafood, olive groves and vineyards.
The menu is divided into four sections; Antipasti, Primi, Secondi & Dolci, and alongside the Tuscan classics, La bistecca alla Fiorentina and Wild boar prosciutto, visitors can take their pick from Tortelli Maremmani, spinach and ricotta tortelli and Acquacotta, a traditional Tuscan soup meaning ‘cooked water’ served with a poached hen’s egg.
For lighter snacks, guests can also dine from the Spuntini menu and choose from focaccia, leccino olives or seasonal arancini, which will also be available with a classic Italian cocktail Wednesday to Saturday to toast aperitivo hour, from 5.30pm.
Maremma’s concise wine menu has been cherry picked by Staple and Bielenberg, Brixton residents for almost fifty years, who split their time between south London and Campiglia Marittima, in the Maremma. Whilst in Italy, they have sourced the best Tuscan bottles from small producers, all of which will be available for the first time in the UK.
The region’s mountainous and coastal terroirs are perfect for wine growing, with wines from Bolgheri, Val di Cornia and the Island of Elba in particular showcasing the best of what the Maremma has to offer.