If you're organising this year's Christmas party, you'll no doubt be looking for a great little spot to impress your friends, family or colleagues. Well, if you're south London based, we've got just the place for you.
Rosmarino is an authentic Italian restaurant which balances generational recipes and methods with a fresh, modern twist. It's an intimate space, bursting with charm, and boasting a 20-person private dining room - so, if you're planning a small-to-medium festive shindig, it could be what you're looking for.
Located just a two-minute walk from Tooting Bec station, Rosmarino is in the heart of this up-and-coming area, close to public transport and easy for your group to get to. Plus, if anyone fancies continuing the night, there's plenty of bars and pubs nearby.
The restaurant is owned by couple, Daria and Giovanni, who have years of hospitality and sommelier experience between them. Daria was born in the seaside town of Civitavecchia, on the south coast of Italy not too far from Rome, while Giovanni's family are originally from Sicily, but moved to Tuscany which is where he grew up. Together, the pair have a wealth of food culture to draw from and say many of their recipes are passed down through family.
As you can imagine, everything is made from scratch, in house and from the freshest ingredients - from the egg pasta to the sourdough pizzas. The wine list is also curated by Giovanni, who gained his sommelier qualifications in Florence, and has selected only his favourite Italian bottles to complement the menu.
Speaking of which, the menu follows a traditional Italian format, beginning with small bites and antipasti, before moving on to pasta, pizza, secondi dishes and dessert. We love the sound of the Apulian creamy burrata served on beetroot purée with toasted pistachios and balsamic caviar to start, as well as slow-cooked cod loin served on Cannellini beans purée with black olives crumbs, crispy capers and chives oil, for mains.