Focaccia Cocktails & Scrumptious Seafood: We Took A Trip To The Mediterranean In Marylebone

Hopping off the circle line at Baker Street and walking up past Chiltern Firehouse, the fancy end of London is quiet for a Tuesday night. I’m on my way to meet my friend to dine at the hot new Mediterranean restaurant Bellazul which opened at the beginning of February. It’s the latest endeavour for head chef Simone Serafini, of Cecconi’s Mayfair and 5 Hertford Street fame, and I was incredibly excited to dive in. I’ve eaten at the former before on an unsuccessful date and the food was the star of the show by a mile.

Upon entering the neatly tucked away eatery on Blandford Street I immediately forgot that it was winter in the city, as the interiors were incredibly warm and inviting. We were led downstairs to the main dining area, which was adorned with mirrors, yellow walls featuring blue beading and pastel-coloured velvet chairs. Our joint favourite piece of decor was the Italian lemon tiles on the bathroom floor though.

The focaccia-infused tequila was a standout. 

First on the list of things I was eager to try was a cocktail named 5pm Somewhere (£13). In essence, it was a type of margarita, concocted with focaccia-infused tequila and served in a tall glass boasting a salt air foam. I explained that I don’t like focaccia very much (which was risky, given my environment), but because I love tequila, I was curious to try it. I’m glad I got past focaccia fear as the drink was stunning, tangy and with a lot of depth. My dinner date opted for a fruitier note and sipped on the Bubble Up (£15) which, aesthetically, was giving Barbie on holiday and featured Whitley Neill’s gin with elderflower liqueur.

We began by ordering a few tapas bites, which are made ideally to share but we have quite different palates, so we picked one each. I went for the Yellowfin tuna tartare with avocado and lime (£11) that arrived elegantly stacked, looking like the bars of soap you see in Lush that you wish you could eat, but this time you actually can. It was so soft and citrusy that the fish melted instantly in my mouth. The other dish was the spicy baby chorizo cooked in red wine and honey (£9), which was utterly divine. Sweet and sticky, the cubes of sausage were diced and covered in a ruby-red glaze.

A super spread: there are plenty of tapas-style plates on the menu to share.

When it came to mains, I stuck to seafood and tucked into homemade ravioli stuffed with prawns served with cherry tomato sauce and saffron (£22). Each individually folded pillow of pasta was cooked al dente and complemented by a complex sauce that I could’ve tipped back and drank if I wasn’t such a lady. The malanzane, ricotta and pancetta flatbread (£18) was my friend’s choice, which we discovered probably was designed with sharing in mind as its bubbly crust spanned almost the length of the entire table. It was delicious though, and will be just as good again tomorrow for her lunch. To top it off, we threw in a side of sauteed broccoli with chilli (£7) just for good measure, which was crunchy and moreish.

A bite of the beach in London. 

Approaching the end of the evening, we decided to share a dessert and, within seconds, a circular serving of blueberry cheesecake (£9) arrived, drizzled in a dark, purple sauce and with a biscuity base so solid that it would've gotten a shout out on Bake Off. Our spoons slipped through the whipped topping with ease and we were immediately transported to heaven. It was the dish that ended us though, as we couldn’t eat another bite after and had to sit for a few minutes before saying our goodbyes. 

The DesignMyNight Digest

The Bellazul prices are a little high when it comes to the mains but considering it is slap bang in the middle of Marylebone, they make sense. The restaurant itself I found to be a very friendly place, with the staff always checking in on you, but not a grating amount. Whether I take a date or my mum for a light lunch, I would return, purely for my new favourite cocktail alone.

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