Maria G's
Kensington, London
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Having trailblazed his way from The Dairy and The Manor in Clapham via Sorella and Darby’s to the Bermondsey Larder, ever-resourceful Robin Gill has moved north of the river for this venture. Cocooned in the surprising surrounds of a spanking-new housing development/retirement complex, Maria G’s is tricky to find, but once there you’ll be swept away by the Art Deco-themed interior. Crescent-shaped green-velvet banquettes, oak floors and an open-to-view kitchen with a marble-topped counter create just the right mood, and there’s even a tranquil piazza outside, complete with olive trees and a herb garden. The restaurant’s name is an oblique reference to Marina del Cantone on the Amalfi Coast, where Gill nurtured his love of Italian cuisine. Forthright ingredients-led cooking is his stock-in-trade and the short menu is a teaser: start with a moreish brown crab arancini stirred into life with fennel and saffron, before tackling a 'terrific' plate of sardine bolognese with squid-ink linguine and pangratatto. The kitchen allows tiptop produce to sing without too much intervention – as in a juicy rump of Launceston Farm lamb paired with smoked aubergine and salsa verde or line-caught mackerel rubbed with puttanesca butter, grilled over coals and served atop softened sweet peppers. For a perfect sweet ending, order flaky cannoli filled with Amalfi lemon cream or a dark chocolate mousse with maraschino-soaked Kentish cherries. To drink, there’s a short list of cocktails and Italian wines.
