After thawing out fireside aided by a glass of red at the Chiltern Firehouse on a particularly rainy April evening, we headed round the corner to seek refuge at Santo Mare restaurant on George Street.
Santo’s new London home is the second outpost of Andrea Reitano’s charming Italian seafood restaurant in Porto Cervo, with a third due to open in New York. Tucked away in Marylebone, it’s a Mediterranean sanctuary whose opening couldn’t have been more timely.
Credit: Lucy Richards Photography
As soon as you arrive the grey, London streets outside become a distant memory as you’re happily transported to a tranquil fishing village on the Italian coast. It is at once elegant, thanks to the pristine white table cloths and slick bar stocked with crisp Italian whites, Aperol and Campari, and comfortingly authentic – the gently peeling wallpaper evoking the warm embrace of an Italian trattoria. The décor pays homage to its star ingredient, the local seafood caught every day in the Tyrrhenian Sea by Santo’s boats, as the fresh fish counter takes centre stage.
Credit: Lucy Richards Photography
Amidst London’s competitive and increasingly complex fiddly fine-dining scene, Santo’s ethos is simple and a breath of fresh air, a welcome respite from small plates and tasting menus. The premise – to celebrate authentic, Italian seafood and let the ingredients sing – all with a touch of class.
And that’s exactly what they do. We’re just tucking in to our bread basket, fresh focaccia that’s still warm from the oven, when a waiter commences in plucking basil leaves from a plant set on our table and stirring them into olive oil, rounded off with a hearty pinch of salt. It tastes as heavenly and as decadent as it sounds.
Credit: Lucy Richards Photography
Starters come in the form of a raw fish menu, hot dishes such as seabass balls or chicory and squid, and a range of salads. As firm sushi aficionados, we opt for a langoustine carpaccio and yellowfin tuna carpaccio. Given the rustic surroundings, you’d be excused for assuming the dishes would follow suit. They were anything but – both are simple yet refined, beautifully presented and of course, achingly fresh.
Credit: Lucy Richards Photography
After being closely tempted by the callings of pasta, namely a seafood risotto or gnocchi with red shrimp, we decide to stick to Santo’s prized ingredient: seafood, straight up, no frills. A tuna steak was simple but impeccable, seared and fiercely peppery, served with fresh salad and a hefty chunk of lemon. The mixed seafood grill was truly Santo on a plate: langoustines, scampi, calamari and catch of the day, a thick and intensely buttery fillet of halibut. Proper seafood, cooked with love and showcased at its very best.
Credit: Lucy Richards Photography
As with any good Italian, their dessert menu is not to be missed. Ricotta and pear cheese cake, pistachio ice cream, meringue and fresh fruit all flirt with our taste buds. Having decided to up sticks and leave the rat race for a simple Italian life over the course of our meal, we kick things into gear with a classical tiramisu. At Santo Mare they know that everyone loves a show and given the decadent basil performance only a few courses earlier, we expected nothing less for the grand finale. Our waiter whips up the traditional dessert at our table whisking cream, eggs and espresso together, before adding a hearty glug of Marsala and dusting with chunks rich dark chocolate. It’s indulgent and comforting, yet light – and an absolute joy.
In an increasingly saturated market where seafood lovers in the city get their hit in a whole raft of spots, whether propping up the oyster bar at Bentley’s or sipping cocktails over But Santo is different. It’s a little piece of the Mediterranean in the city, a touch of warmth, freshness and authenticity when we need it most. Santo strikes the balance between at a quaint, neighbourhood bistro and an effortlessly elegant fine-dining destination. It’s true, the seafood is the star of the show, but Santo Mare is truly the perfect stage.
To book and find out more, visit: www.santomare.com/london-restaurant
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