Maruzzella

c. Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, 28 (91-534-7732)

A rather obscure place, both because the place where it is (one would never expect such a restaurant in such a building) and because there is not much natural light. Not so much different from the Paper Moon in both aspects (even if in the PM the natural light aspect depends on the table you get)

Moreover some friends of mine had recommended it as an alternative to the PM, so I guessed that we were on track to another girl-oriented place, with lots of tias buenas and healthy salads. But it is not that way

Food is good. A purist could say that even better than the PM's, from the authentic Italian point of view. But I must say that, for me, the slightly un-Italian character of the PM is one of its main attractives. My partner and me (but specially she) started our lunch the other day by devouring a rather tasty caprese salad (tomato and mozzarella) and a rather vulgar (then again, which isn't in these days that are running) grilled vegetables plate. Then I ordered tagliatelle with scampi, in one of these ultra-cutre moments in which one wants to test the same things that Fernando Point from El Mundo said were remarkable, but just to discover that the cigalas came with all their (dirty) caparazones, so it was a very coñazo plate to eat. My partner enjoyed her carpaccio, according to what she has been saying ever after. For dessert I don't follow the conventional wisdom, that seems to be tiramisu (according to the long silence that follows the waiter's suggestion...) I order pannacotta and this is not bad, but it is not at the same level as the one from PM.

Maruzzella is also not the same thing as the PM in terms of tb's, of course. Even if it is true that the apparent Maitre d' is a rather exuberant woman of peroxidish hair and exotic (Italian?) accent. And that in a table close to ours, two gran hermano fashion victims wanna-be's with extremely adjusted jeans and tatoos on their shoulders were visiting someone called Giorgio from the kitchen. And they ordered coca-cola with red wine to make it even more trendy.

The final impression is that the place is quite alright, although I still prefer PM for the not-so-orthodox Italian material, and the Casa Marco (Gaztambide / Argüelles) for the orthodox one. But in any case this is definitely an option