This newest restaurant opening by Black Sheep Restaurants takes us on a journey to the south of Italy
Ask people who know me, and they’ll tell you that I don’t go to Italian restaurants. Seeing as I’m from Italy myself, and that after living abroad for over a decade, I have come to be quite wary of what’s referred to as Italian food outside of my native country. Blame the too many overly cheesy carbonaras out there, or the soggy bruschettas drowning in bad olive oil. More often than not, when I do try a new pizzeria or aspiring Italian trattoria, I just think: “My mum can make this better.”
There are exceptions, of course, and Osteria Marzia is one. A Black Sheep Restaurants’ concept—and those guys certainly know what they’re doing when it comes to opening noteworthy dining venues—this spot is where you’ll now find me whenever I am hankering for good Italian fare—fish to be precise, since this is the restaurant’s forte.
Osteria Marzia pays homage to southern Italy’s coastal culinary traditions—think Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia and Sardinia—with a small menu that could only be described in one way: proper. That’s not surprising when running the kitchen is Italian chef Luca Marinelli, who trained under esteemed chef Mauro Uliassi and was formerly at Isono and Buenos Aires Polo Club. But before getting to that, it’s the design that might first swoon you over.
Conceived by local design firm Substance, a seaside-theme runs throughout the airy dining area, taking patrons to the shores of the boot-shaped country. There are ocean inspired tiles decorating the bar, buoy-like lanterns hanging from the double-height ceiling, dishware from Positano and a moon-like orb towering over the space, wrapped up in a fisherman’s net. The staff are in nautical outfits too, with striped shirts and white trousers, boat shoes and navy blazers. It’s the sort of trattoria 2.0 that falls into the zeitgeist of recent times: trendy, appealing, and expensive in look and feel.
That, truth be told, had me skeptical at first. “Neat, yes,” I thought, “but is it to distract from the food?” Then the bread basket arrived. Impeccably charred slices of crusty dough, served with luxuriously good butter and anchovies. The whole thing disappeared within seconds. (If you think waxing lyrical over complimentary bread is silly, well, I guess you aren’t Italian.)
