Stephen Lironi: From Altered Images to London restaurateur

Enjoying an unseasonably warm end to September from his London home, he spoke of his commitment to championing Scottish seafood and what first prompted his shift away from the industry.  

“Stupidity I suppose,” he joked, “as if the music business wasn’t hard enough, I thought I should try to get into something just as intense.” 

“I’ve never really had a job, and instead just tried to pursue what I was interested in which seems to have worked out so far. 

“Around the start of the 00s, MP3 became one of the most searched terms on the internet which signalled the start of music becoming free. 

“At the time I was working mostly as a record producer which meant being paid a percentage of sales for records or CDs. 

“I wasn’t ready to retire but began to think about my other passions in life and where they might take me.” 

With the appeal of the music business starting to wear thin, Lironi began to explore a love for food which had first been triggered by family trips from his childhood home of East Kilbride to Catalonia. 

Vividly recalling the sounds, smells and tastes of the Mediterranean that would go on to inspire the menus at his own restaurants, he eagerly pointed out the similarities between the immersive aspects of a live performance and creating a memorable dining experience. 

Pictured: Altered Images (Image: Getty)

“When I was younger, all I could think about was pop music, or going out to have a good time,” he continued. 

“But when you get older you begin to appreciate good food and wine. 

“Music is all to do with the ears, but the hospitality industry provides another sensory overload for me. 

“I had always liked going out to restaurants because I find them to be quite theatrical and a bit showbusiness. 

“Working long hours in the studio is very similar to working with a team in the kitchen and from the back of house to the front, everyone is trying to put on a performance, making sure the lights, level of music and service is just right. 

“There’s a magic thing called atmosphere that makes all the difference.” 

Loch Duart salmon tartare with ajo blanco (Image: Supplied)

Although he had often toyed with the idea of becoming a restaurateur, the story goes that Mr Lironi, who is married to Altered Images lead singer Clare Grogan, first truly began to consider putting the plan into action when catching up on Scottish news from his Hollywood home in the early 00s. 

He said: “I read an article about the Little Green Shack in Oban, where a fellow on the pier had explained that most of their catch was going over to Spain. 

"It stayed with me.

“When you think about it, Spain appreciates seafood in a different way to Scotland. 

“They see high-quality seafood as a luxury whereas we often stick to simple fish and chips because we have it in abundance. 

“I really hate any sort of mass production, serving things like razor clams from Barra or hand-dived scallops means that we can help to support the industry. 

“Further than that, it helps us to tell a story with our food and gives our customers confidence in our efforts to source the best produce.” 

First came Bar Esteban in 2013, followed a few years later by Escocesa and finally Maresco, a cosy spot in Soho which this year received a rave review from The Guardian’s Grace Dent who praised its tapas dishes, including Loch Broom Oysters and Shetland Mussels for 'singing their love for Scotland like a tipsy Proclaimer'. 

With all three restaurants now well established, we ask whether Mr Lironi would ever be tempted to open a location north of the border, closer to his hometown and the seas which provide his kitchens with a bounty of unrivalled produce. 

He said: “We’re enjoying keeping things on a small scale for now.  

“If you expand too quickly you run the risk of losing control of things and having three in London means that I’m able to keep an eye on them. 

“But I’d never say never.” 

Maresco is located at 45 Berwick Street in London. 

For more information visit their website here.