REVIEW: BRVTVS in Marlow is delightful Italian fare

Is there anything better than a pizza and cocktail on a sunny day? Maybe it's the chatter of native Italian speakers behind the bar or the unorthodox flavour combinations of BRVTVS, the newest addition to Marlow's culinary scene, but there's something about eating there that temporarily transports you across the Mediterranean. 

It was a 30-degree Sunday, the world moving at a snail's pace, when we arrived at the new Italian restaurant on Spittal Street in Marlow. It was also around 3pm so the dining area was quiet - a wood-panelled, rustic decor, complete with wind-up leather stools, stripped-back brick walling and decorative wine bottles and greenery.

We were waited on first by Danny, and, after his shift ended, Azul, who was responsible for curating the experimentative cocktail menu, priced between £13 and £18 and combining classics such as the Negroni and Aperol Spritz with basil vodka-based tipples Our Great Gatsby and the Pompey Smash.

My friend and I order an Aperol Spritz and a Pompey Smash, both refreshing and generously sized. 

The mains - Carmela Mia and Occhio per Occhio pizzas (£18 and £16 respectively) - were similarly delicious and again substantially portioned.

The Occhio per Occhio in particular was comprised of intriguing ingredients including chilli hair and honey, both making a for an indulgently rich and sweet mouthful. The bases were also gorgeous, just the right amount of doughy and charred from the wood-fired stove.

Though neither of us were cavalier enough with our wallets to splash out on the signature Brutus pizza - clocking in at £69 and including poached quail egg, caviar and gold leaf - the consensus was that our mains felt decadent and filling. Impressively, they managed to be both more experimental and more appetising than your standard stonebake. 

Dessert followed and we chose the Tiramisu (£10) and Affogato (£11), the former of which received high praise from my dining partner who said it was better than the one she'd had in Italy!

The deconstructed Affogato - giving you the option to ration or splurge on espresso and liqeur poured over vanilla ice cream - was complemented by a freshly baked amaretto biscuit and also made for a perfectly light but sophisticated second course.

It sounds cliche but BRVTVS really does feel like a little slice of Italy tucked away in Buckinghamshire. As lovely of a resting stop it is on a Sunday afternoon, it's equally as possible to visualise the restaurant at night - serving elaborate cocktails to jazz instrumentals beneath the dining area's barely conspicuous disco ball.

The chairs and tables assembled under the awning outside also conjure up images of foreign piazzas, and it's easy to imagine wine drunk patrons whiling away the hours on a balmy evening, watching life in Marlow tick by.

For more information about BRVTVS and to view the full menu, click here.