Luigi's Al Fresco review. The permanent pop-up at the Limes Guest House in Maldon

There's a new Italian in town and it's a good one too!

Luigi's Al Fresco arrived at it's new home at The Limes Guesthouse at the top of Market Hill in the summer of 2019 and has been a hit ever since.

Arrival and Parking

If you're popping up for a visit, there is parking in The Limes' car park, but spaces are quite limited, so you might be better off parking in a high street car park and walking down.

Once you arrive at the back of the guesthouse you're greeted by gingham table cloths and a fantastic menu which includes antipasti, pasta and a great selection of pizzas.

The Food

We were so hungry we forgot to take a photo

The food was great - we were running a bit late, so we skipped starters and went straight for mains. We had Ortolana (Mixed Vegetable) and Quattro Formaggi (Four Cheese) and they were both delicious and authentic. The great thing about them was that, unlike your takeaway or shop bought pizzas which have been 'tailored for British tastes', they weren't on heavy dough or bogged down with cheese. They were lovely, light bases with well-balanced mix of tomato, cheese and topping on top. They were genuinely hard to fault - so much so that we forgot to take photos of our meal!


During our meal we sat outside in the courtyard - making the most of the lovely British summer. The atmosphere was lovely, with lots of small groups having conversations dotted around the patios amongst the flowers. Given the proximity to the country's 6th most polluted road, we expected to hear a fair amount of traffic noise, but in fact, sheltered on 3 sides by buildings, you could be in a quiet Italian courtyard on a warm day!

For 2 pizzas and 4 soft drinks, with our 10% discount courtesy of our membership at Blackwater Leisure Centre, the cost came to just over £25 and for an intimate meal for two on a summers evening, in the heart of Maldon, that really was great value. 

We Loved

• The food and the price
• 10% discount as members at Blackwater Leisure Centre
• Intimate atmosphere

We didn't love so much

• Parking is difficult and it's a nightmare pulling back out onto Market Hill
• You probably can't just turn up because seating is limited