Latest opening: Bellazul
What: Located on Marylebone’s Blandford Street, Bellazul is a neighbourhood Mediterranean restaurant and bar that has taken the place of Italian restaurant Il Baretto.
Who: The kitchen is led by head chef Simone Serafini, who has a strong pedigree having previously been head chef at Cecconi’s, Cacciari’s and Mayfair private members club 5 Hertford Street.
The food: Serafini has created a menu that takes in the flavours of Italy, Greece and its islands and Morocco. Bellazul’s is an expansive offer, with a wide range if dishes from the counter that includes charcuterie and cheese and tapas options such as smoked burrata; mincemeat arancini; aubergine parmiginia; meatballs; baba ganoush; and calamari fritti. There is also a good selection of pastas and soup as well as a selection of seven pizzas and a further four flatbreads that include seafood options such as tuna tartare with yellow tomatoes and stracciatella; and smoked burrata with smoked salmon. There’s also a seasonally-changing sharing plates section that currently includes Moroccan lamb tagine with bread; grilled T-bone steak; whole grilled seabass; and a whole grilled roast beer black poulet noir. Portion sizes are hearty, with its charcuterie boards easily being suitable for three or more people.
To drink: Wines have been chosen from across the Mediterranean and are well priced, especially considering the restaurant’s location, but it is Bellazul’s cocktail list that is the most eye catching. Creations include the Bellazul Martini made with focaccia infused gin, basil and tomato water, burnt garlic and homemade curacao syrup; and the Retro@43 that mixes bourbon, clarified milk punch, smoked vanilla syrup and orange bitters.
The vibe: Split over two floors, the restaurant is unpretentious with a smallish bright ground floor dining room that has a marble counter area and high table seating and then a main restaurant below. The upstairs colour palette is bright yellows and blues or different hues and the wooden tables have coloured salt and pepper grinders and a selection of oils and vinegars that gives the space a local, independent feel.
And another thing: The restaurant’s name is not to be confused with that of premium ingredients supplier Belazul, whose name is a a medley of French, Italian and Spanish words which mean ‘beautiful blue’.
43 Blandford Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7HF
www.bellazul.co.uk
