Local Places: Il Maremmano, Tulse Hill
Where Tuscany meets Tulse Hill - and the result is pure magic
If you've ever found yourself dreaming of a proper Italian evening whilst stuck on the Victoria line, the team at Il Maremmano have created exactly what you need. Il Maremmano on Tulse Hill isn't just another Italian restaurant - it's a love letter to a corner of Tuscany that most of us had never heard of, delivered with the warmth and authenticity that makes South London special.
The Story Behind the Spot
Il Maremmano opened in January 2023 as an extension of restaurant owners Alice Staple and Dickie Bielenberg's love of the Maremma region, the wild coastal area in southern Tuscany known for its wild boar, seafood and vineyards. Dickie, a Brixton resident for almost fifty years, splits his time between south London and his home in Campiglia Marittima, in the Maremma. The duo already run the highly successful Maremma restaurant just around the corner on Brixton Water Lane, but Il Maremmano represents something different entirely.
What Makes It Special
Il Maremmano is an 'apericena bar'. The team describe apericena as "a new take on aperitivo in Italy. Formed by adding the word cena, meaning dinner, onto aperitivo, dishes are more substantial than aperitivo, but more casual than dinner." Think of it as hitting the sweet spot between drinks and nibbles and a proper meal.
This isn't your typical wine bar experience. The terracotta and sage walls and blue bar front draw on the rich, terracotta soil, central to winemaking in the area since the Etruscans, as well as the azure blue Tyrrhenian sea and sage green olive groves that permeate the landscape. The local gig posters are Dickie the owner's personal collection, adding a community feel to this gorgeous bar.
The Food That Tells Stories
What sets Il Maremmano apart is the obsessive attention to provenance. Small plates include crostini with toppings such as chicken liver and truffle, or ricotta and cardoncelli mushrooms. Also on the menu is schiacciate, one of Tuscany's greatest gifts to the world, a glorious flat bread, similar to focaccia, with toppings that change regularly.
The wine list is equally impressive. The Nelly is made with 100% sangiovese grapes, but it's not just its composition that makes it so unique. It's produced on a farm in Italy, aged in urns made with clay from the ground the grapes are grown on which infuses the wine with even more flavour. It's natural, biodynamic and really special; only 1078 bottles were produced last year and it can only be found at Il Maremmano and Maremma in the UK.
Jazz Nights Done Right
Here's where Il Maremmano really shows its understanding of what makes a neighbourhood spot special. Jazz@19 is our live jazz night, bringing you the best of Brixton's jazz scene in an intimate, atmospheric setting. Join us to experience our resident band, The Funk Hunt, for a night of soulful grooves accompanied by great cocktails and Tuscan food and wine.
These aren't just any jazz nights thrown together for the sake of it. The Funk Hunt, their resident band, performs every other Thursday with two sittings available – early doors from 5-8pm for those who like to start their evening properly, or the fashionably late brigade from 8:15-9:30pm. The band delivers two sets (7-8pm and 8:30-9:30pm), ensuring there's entertainment whatever time you arrive.
Why It Matters
Il Maremmano is a gorgeously cosy little space, with countertops and stools orbiting the main bar (perfect if you're leaning more towards the aperitivo part) and a couple of larger tables towards the back (perfect if you're leaning more towards cena). "In my Italian hometown, Grosseto, you wander into town and during the day the small bar in our piazza is open for coffee and cornetti for breakfast and panini and beer for lunch. Come early evening it's full of locals enjoying a spritz and stuzzichini before dinner. It's the hub of the town and is a real community," he shared. "We wanted to create something similar in Brixton, where I've lived for 50 years".
This is exactly what South London needs more of - spaces that understand the art of lingering, of conversation, of making an evening stretch beautifully into something memorable. "The act of apericena is 'eating out in an informal bar environment with a drink in hand'. An art form that Il Maremmano have mastered".
In an area where transient rental populations often struggle to find their footing, Il Maremmano offers something precious: a genuine community space where you can discover not just excellent Tuscan food and wine, but also the kind of warm welcome that makes a neighbourhood feel like home.
Whether you're there for the jazz nights, the carefully curated wines, or simply to experience a slice of authentic Italian hospitality without leaving South London, Il Maremmano proves that the best local heroes are often the ones who bring the world to your doorstep – whilst never forgetting where they are.
Il Maremmano, 19 Tulse Hill, SW2 2TH. Open Thursday-Saturday, 5-11pm. Jazz nights every other Thursday with The Funk Hunt.