Marcella is the laid-back sister to Peckham’s Artusi, quickly gaining a reputation in Deptford for food that is simple, seasonal, and deeply satisfying. Just a few steps from Deptford Station, it is a place where the chalkboard menu echoes the market and the mood of the new haunt, and where the season and appetite shapes what arrives at the table.
This is Italian cooking stripped back to its true essence – the kind that resonates with Mediterranean ex-pats and devoted Italophiles alike.
The restaurant itself is unfussy and intimate, its pale wood interiors, chalkboards, and stripped-back design creating the feel of a neighbourhood dining room with a backdrop of the sizzling sounds of a family kitchen. Run by chefs Jack Beer and Paolo Lancini, the kitchen takes pride in sourcing from trusted small-scale suppliers in both Italy and Britain, making sure that only the best reaches the plates of its patrons.
The warm and welcoming atmosphere lends itself well to the dining style of Marcella, which encourages dishes to be shared, wines to be poured, and meals to be celebrated as occasions rather than just food. Marcella has become a local staple, but its reach is widening, drawing visitors across London in search of honest food, including the likes of columnist and food critic Grace Dent who described the restaurant’s pasta as ‘heavenly’.
A Sunday set menu offers three courses for just £29, while weekday pasta dinners might bring violino pumpkin ravioli with chestnut and sage, or pipe all’amatriciana in small and large sizes depending on what is flourishing this season.
Starters serve up comforting flavours, offering purple sprouting broccoli with taramasalata, or perfectly cooked mutton chops with winter tomato salad. For mains, cuts of meat and fish are served with seasonal pairings, with pork loin plated with salsa verde or cod paired with oyster mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes. Seafood is a particular strength at Marcella, with its freshness shining though, often needing little more than a drizzle of oil or squeeze of lemon. The team has also perfected the art of the traditional desserts, with rich stracciatella gelato or lighter poached pears with mascarpone the perfect touches to complete the meal.
The spirit here is one of home cooking at its highest level, with dishes rooted in the heritage of the restaurant’s founders and that carry the cultural heart of simple but hearty Italian dining. Polished yet familiar, Marcella does a stellar job at merging the soul of the Med and the modern spirit of South London spirit, into an experience that leaves its mark through substance rather than show.
Marcella can be found at 165A Deptford High St, London SE8 3NU. Book your table right here.
Dining and Cooking