It was our last evening in Maastricht and given it’s a Monday everything is closes down here so our dining options were slightly limited. Luckily we heard about an Italian restaurant which had recently won some awards and was locally renowned for having some of the best and freshest seafood around, something which I’m currently obsessed with at the moment.
The restaurant, Mediterraneo visits the local fishmongers every morning to source that days produce, ensuring it gets to you as fresh as can be, and you can really tell the difference. It’s also great that the restaurant owner takes her time to personally greet each table making the evening much more personal. Even the table setting is personal, refined and romantic, every setting is different. Service is impeccable and our waiter described every dish brought to our table, I felt very at home here, especially with my bottle of wine grasped in my hand.
We decided on the set menu, which was around 60 euros a head, not cheap but certainly a good price when you consider their main courses are in the region of 30-40 Euros. Some bread was brought to the table, along with focaccia topped with cherry tomatoes and olive oil, which was lovely. Shortly after we had eaten our weight in bread an appetiser of Italian meats was brought over, the bresaola was excellent. The table had already filled with complimentary items, and we had eaten them all, I figured tonight was going to be sheer indulgence.
The first course that arrived at our table was simply stunning and near faultless. Three huge fresh scallops cooked to perfection, perhaps the best scallops I have ever sampled. They sat on a bed of juicy lentils and the whole thing was finished off with a parmesan disc. The disc was both chewy and crunchy at the same and had a very strong parmesan flavour, it’s not something I would usually think of pairing with scallops but it worked very well. The lightweight crisp spring onions on top were slightly sweet and only added more flavour to the dish. An avocado puree was used to decorate the plate and while aesthetically pleasing did not add any flavour.
The ravioli for our pasta course was once again cooked to perfection. Three large pieces of ravioli stuffed with pumpkin and topped with lots of parmesan and ground nuts. It was all sitting in a bath of sage butter and olive oil. The pumpkin was seasoned very well; the parmesan and nuts gave the dish a few more textures.
We were already so full at this point and were hoping for a small dish, but I don’t think you could call any of the portions small here, especially the next couple. A fillet of pristine white cod fillet drizzled with basil sauce and accompanied by an array of vegetables, some grilled, some boiled all cooked and seasoned well. The best part of the dish was the enormous prawn, sweet, juicy and coated in sesame seeds. The overall dish itself was only good, but the prawn was a showstopper.
The meat course was perhaps the best part of the meal. Two lamb fillets cooked rare and coated in a crunchy minty crumb accompanied by a rich red wine and mint sauce. The dish had the same well cooked vegetables as the fish course and I can’t remember the last time I had lamb this good, it had bundles of flavour. Despite the lambs rareness it was completely warm throughout, most often I’m served a piece of rare lamb then ends up being cold.
For dessert, which we didn’t actually order but was brought to us complimentary was an intense vanilla flavoured panna cotta. It was topped with a berry coulis and some fresh fruit. On the side was a drizzle of chocolate, icing sugar and some crushed pistachios. It was sublime, and presentation was very neat.
Every single dish here is made with real passion, great ingredients and above all fantastic presentation. Service is impeccable as is the restaurant and it’s incredibly cosy and romantic. Apart from being renowned for its fish this restaurant also has one of the best wine lists in the area. But both the wine and food are extremely expensive, so if you’re looking to keep costs down go for the set menu, but make sure you go, it shouldn’t be missed.
8/10
