Maya, Southsea | Restaurant review

Situated on the corner of Hambrook Street and Jubilee Terrace, Southsea, Maya is a modest venue.Opened in December on the site of a former Italian restaurant, its small size belies its sizeable qualities.
Maya Latin American restaurant, SouthseaMaya Latin American restaurant, Southsea
Maya Latin American restaurant, Southsea

We are off to the cinema at Gunwharf Quays this evening and fancy a decent sized meal, cooked quickly, and with the minimum of fuss.

Inside Maya, the ambience is dark but not dingy, with a cosy and intimate atmosphere.

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There's a sense of style that makes you think the owners have binge-watched stylish cookery programme Chef's Table on Netflix.

The fish stew dish and the baked halloumi with beans stew dish at Maya, SouthseaThe fish stew dish and the baked halloumi with beans stew dish at Maya, Southsea
The fish stew dish and the baked halloumi with beans stew dish at Maya, Southsea

Dark wooden panelling, quirky surreal prints, and crockery in earthy shades – it feels modern and stylish, without being cold and pretentious.

It didn’t feel latin-American. It may be that Dish Detective is so used to a restaurant embracing the culture behind its food, with Chinese restaurants full of lucky cats and Indian restaurants with paintings of Hindu epics on the wall. It is a pleasant surprise to find no cuddly llamas behind the bar or poncho-wearing waiters serving tables. Maya lets the food do the talking – and it's muy bueno.

I order four dishes. They include the pescardo enconcardo (£7.25), a seafood stew in a coconut and chilli sauce, the pinchos de pollo (£6.50), charcoal grilled chicken skewers, the wild mushrooms, pan fried with beans on a corn tostada (£5.75), and the chips (£4).

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My dinner companion enjoys the tacos de barbacoa (£7), corn tortillas filled with lamb shoulder and jalpaeno salsa, and the frijoles con queso (£6), a baked halloumi and bean stew.

The food matches the restaurant’s decor. It is stylish but unpretentious, unassuming but full of character. There is the right amount of spice to give the food a fiery taste without leaving you sweating. The highlight is the seafood stew, which doesn’t skimp on the white fish and shellfish, and has a sauce that is rich and filling.

My companion – never a big eater – doesn't finish their tortillas, so I dive in.

They were just how a tortilla should be: a crunchy shell and a generous filling, but no mess holding or eating it.

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And I don’t blame my companion for not being able to finish their food.

You'd be forgiven for thinking 'tapas' is Spanish for 'where is the rest of my dinner?' Slices of ham and olives are no substitute for what should be the biggest meal of the day.

Thankfully, Maya has, if anything, the opposite problem. The portions are generous: big enough that two dishes would constitute a small meal. Four dishes feels like a feast.

But the feast is in Portsmouth, and that means real estate is at a premium. As such, the restaurant is a little cramped in places.

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We have to ditch our candle and play Tetris with our plates in order to fit all our dishes on the table. A waiter pushes another table against ours to create more space; moments later he returns to pull them apart, apologising and explaining that the other table is reserved. But this is a relatively minor issue.

We are seated, having booked a table, and ate our meals in less than an hour-and-a-half. The service is fast and friendly, but never brisk or clingy. We could easily stay for longer to enjoy another glass of wine and dessert.

The price, food, and atmosphere means the restaurant could easily become a regular spot to treat yourself or the perfect place for a date.

It's easy to walk past Maya without a second glance, but it's well worth a second visit.

Maya Latin American Restaurant, Southsea

Tel: (023) 9229 2646#

Ratings (out of five):

Food: 4

Value: 4

Ambience: 4

Child-friendly: 3