Dining At: Maresco – Spanish Tapas with Scottish Flair

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Spanish tapas made from Scottish seafood is the name of the game at Maresco. We headed to Soho to check it out.

Tucked away on Berwick Street, Maresco has been on our radar for quite some time since it opened last year. 

This intimate spot is the third London endeavour by Stephen Lironi, following his huge success with Bar Esteban in Crouch End and Stoke Newington’s Escocesa. As huge fans of both, we had to head down to check out whether Maresco lived up to its older siblings’ success. 

What’s so special about Maresco? Well, it’s a gorgeous Spanish-inspired tapas bar serving up Scottish seafood. 

In theory, it’s a match made in heaven. But you’ll have to keep reading to find out what we thought.

Maresco – The Full Review 

The Food 

On the proviso of sharing around 5/6 plates between two people, we kicked things off as anyone chowing down on a picky dinner should: With a bread basket and a cheese board. 

This one was filled with Manchego, La Peral, and Monte Enebro. As well as some tasty crackers and sweet chutney.

What can we say? It was an excellent cheese board as far as cheese boards go – personally, we aren’t huge fans of blue cheeses but these were nice. And Manchego is always a winner. 

This was swiftly followed by Patatas Bravas – except regular cubed potatoes were swapped for miniature baked potatoes, covered in generous lashings of aioli and romesco sauce, of course. We gobbled those up in record time.

Then came the Presa Iberica with vegetable escalivada and wild mushrooms. What that translates to is tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork served on a bed of equally delish veggies. 

We won’t lie, we were very excited about what came next – Croquetas Menorquinas. 

This was, without a doubt, the best thing we ate. Indulgent little balls of ham and cheese in a tangy and slightly spicy sauce, deep fried. We’re still thinking about them now.

At this point we had a devastating realisation: We hadn’t quite put the Scottish seafood to the test. So, with this in mind, we had to go all out. 

Our final tapas dish was an indulgent Fideua with Langoustines – a paella-type dish served with mini octopus and a whopping great langoustine perched on top. 

Again, it was divine. Octopus is always a risk; it can all-too-easily feel like you’re chewing on rubber – but these were marvellous and soft. The dish was very fishy (but that’s a given), the langoustines were tender and meaty, and the fideua was cooked to perfection. 

The Drink

After a quick glance at the cocktail menu, we knew we were in for a good night. 

We spent the evening floating between a ridiculously brilliant Pisco Sour and a Pink Lady (Aperol, Rives gin, pink grapefruit liqueur, fresh lime juice, and Aguafaba), which was super sweet and oh-so-drinkable. 

And, as expected from a Spanish joint, the sherry menu was extensive (and detailed – it quite literally told you what to drink and when). Though the wine menu was equally tempting, with a hefty selection of red and white available.

The Look 

The first thing you’ll notice when stepping into Maresco is the open kitchen. The second? A huge neon sign adorning the exposed brick wall. 

Despite this, the decor is pretty understated, which is great because the food speaks for itself.

The restaurant sits over two levels, both of which are small and intimate. We loved the open kitchen upstairs (there’s something pretty satisfying about trying to figure out who’s cooking your dish), as well as being able to people-watch through Maresco’s huge windows.

Final Thoughts 

Dining at Maresco was a real delight. London is awash with excellent Spanish tapas joints, but the addition of solely Scottish seafood was a stroke of genius. The service was attentive and each dish was genuinely toothsome.

Maresco – Practical Information and Map 

Price: ££

Address: 45 Berwick St, London W1F 8SF

Website