MALDON has a new fish restaurant, which the owners have named after their own son.

Dante’s Brasserie has opened at the King’s Head Centre on the high street, and will offer a wide range of different fish and vegan dishes.

The business is owned by married couple Mario, 34, and Charlotte, 31, who moved to the town in December last year.

They have named the restaurant after their son Dante, who was born shortly after arriving in Maldon.

The restaurant will be serving fish which is in season, with all food being sourced from Maldon and the surrounding areas, with companies such as Lambton and Jackson Salmon, Blackwater Seafood, Mac&Me Coffee Roasters in Writtle and Grape Passions in Witham.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Dante's has capacity for 36 to 40 covers

Mario has been running restaurants for the past 18 years, including top fish restaurants in London.

He said: “It’s something I’ve wanted for a while now, I’ve worked in some of the UK’s best restaurants, and moving to a coastal town I really wanted to open up a nice, friendly relaxed fish restaurant.

“We really like Maldon as a coastal town, it has some lovely businesses and restaurants and we’d like to make our mark with serving varieties of fish.”

The restaurant, which opened on September 14, has already employed three people, with the final aim of having four back of house and four front of house.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Restaurant owners Mario and Charlotte, with their son Dante, the inspiration for the restaurant's name

They hope to accommodate between 36 to 40 covers, with some dishes changing daily, and others weekly, with some set dishes and vegan options. There is also the option for meat lovers to pre-order any steak they wish.

Charlotte and Mario want to be as environmentally friendly as possible, taking steps such as having no plastic straws to reduce their impact.

Charlotte said: “We’ll be using all locally sourced produce and want to keep it seasonal and have our choices change regularly so that we can offer customers something different. We’ll also be looking at reducing waste and being environmentally friendly.

“It’s been a lot of work and it’s taken time and effort to get here, but we’re really looking forward serving each and every guest.”

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Dante's mackerel with grilled cucumber, pickled radish and mint jelly

Dante’s is open Wednesday to Saturday for lunch from midday to 2.30pm, and opening Tuesday to Saturday evenings from 5pm until late, being open on Sundays from midday until 4pm. It is closed on Mondays.

Visit www.dantesbrasserie.co.uk or call 01621 851214.

All pictures by Devin Ainslie. See www.krop.com/devinainslie