Weekly Review: Maré (Brighton)
First-rate, globally-influenced cuisine worth the trip.
In July 2021, it finally felt like we were starting to emerge from the COVID pandemic, and I was eager for a really nice lunch. Friends and I had heard good things about Da Terra, which had been awarded its second Michelin star a few months earlier.
Chef Rafael Cagali brought an interesting background to the kitchen. Born in Brazil with Italian heritage, with experience at the Fat Duck and a parade of top places in Spain and Italy, he was producing first-class food incorporating those Brazilian and Italian influences in a funky location in Hoxton Town Hall.
And so, on a pleasant summer Friday, we savoured everything they threw at us. It was truly a outstanding experience, and I was blown away by Cagali’s clever cooking and the intimate but casual vibe in the restaurant.
So when Cagali announced a few months ago that he was planning to open a new restaurant in Hove, I put it at the top of my to-do list. Once it opened, I recruited long-time Brighton resident Andy Lynes and off we went.
Maré means “tide,” in Portuguese, and was, the website says, “chosen to reflect the menu’s response to the seasons - much like the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves.”
To run the place day-to-day, Cagali and his partners chose Chef Ewan Waller from the Da Terra brigade and Sommelier Jake Garstang, who has experience at Ynyshir and Restaurant Story, but these days lives in Hove.
Jake looked after us during our visit, and we learned that Andy — who has managed the Brighton’s Best Awards for many years — was well known to the kitchen team. Jake was tremendous, and he added a great deal to our visit.
He started by explaining the a la carte menu, suggesting that we select two or three items from the “One bit (maybe two)” section, a few small plates, and one or two large ones. Everything was for sharing.
I love that “snacks” have become such a staple for today’s best restaurants. They offer a chance for chef’s to experiment with flavours and deliver small bursts that pack a lot of punch.
The snacks at Maré certainly did.
The best was a crumpet topped with Dorset crab and bit of lovage, radish, and dill. It was subtle and well-balanced, bursting with crabby flavour. Exactly the kind of thing you want to eat when you’re by the sea.
The octopus skewer included some lovely confit potatoes and a hit from sausage. It was like a whole Spanish tapas meal on a stick. A brioche bun topped with liver parfait and shaved truffle was a creamy delight.
The next round started with mussels served with a mussel sauce. The dish was prepared with great care and packed with big flavours. Hispy cabbage and lovely croutons made from the restaurant’s house-made focaccia added a bit of crispy texture.
Build-your-own pulled lamb tacos were another delight. Deep, rich slow-cooked lamb was served with tradition taco accompaniments, including a chilli sauce with real kick. But the highlight was a homemade mole sauce that was thick and layered with flavours.
Our final savoury was lobster rice with ox tongue. Andy recently described this as one of the best dishes he’s eaten this autumn, and I agree. It positively leaps off the menu, screaming, “Order me!” And the dish pays off the menu’s promise. Ox tongue is carefully cooked and then stirred through fried rice. (I wish my local Chinese take-away did this.) The lobster tail is finished on the barbecue. The combination is delectable, and I would return to Maré just to try it again.
We finished with a slew of desserts including a baba au cachaca and a Paris brest — two of my favourites. The Paris brest featured excellent choux pastry filled with fig leaf ice cream and a fig jam. The baba was drowned in Cachaca rather than Rum, the pure sugarcane lifting the sweetness of the pastry, which would have been a bake-off winner, for sure. It was balanced by slices of apple for a hit of acidity.
Across the whole meal, we enjoyed bold, confident cooking that, crucially, was well executed by Chef Waller and his team. Cagali’s globally-minded style comes through in the menu. Waller’s attention to detail comes through on the plate.
During our lunch, Andy told me that Brighton and Hove hasn’t had a Michelin star restaurant since 1972. To me, Maré is offering food, service and atmosphere at something very close to a Michelin star standard. Perhaps a star might return to Brighton in a few month’s time. In the meantime, with continued help from Cagali and his team, Maré has the opportunity to keep refining their menu and offering to ensure a good balance that attracts both local regulars and big-spending down-from-London types. Finding that balance will be key to their long-term success.
Is Maré now the best restaurant in Brighton and Hove? For the definitive answer, I’ll defer to Andy and the team of judges in the next edition of Brighton’s Best Restaurants. In the meantime, I’ll turn to Nick Mosley, who has been reviewing restaurants for the Brighton and Hove Argus for two decades:
I’ve spent the past 20 or so years with my fork in the city’s dining scene – my belt holes are testament to that – and I never thought that I’d say that within a month of opening a restaurant was at this early stage a leading light of the fine dining pack. I have no doubt in my mind that Maré is already firmly sat in the top five restaurants in the city. Its truly exceptional.
With that in mind, we must close with our central question: For those of us who are London-based, is Maré worth a special trip? The answer: Yes. Although I might wait to make my return for warmer weather and the chance to enjoy Brighton and Hove more fully. But if you are headed to Brighton and want to enjoy a professional lunch — or just want an excuse to get away from the city on a Friday — Maré is outstanding and well worth the effort.
Quick hit: High-standard of cooking, great service, and a comfortable vibe make this Hove spot a destination.
Details: Booking advised. Brighton. £££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram.
Find it on Google Maps. 60 Church Rd, Hove, BN3 2FP.
Thanks for reading this week’s review. What’s your favourite spot along the south coast? Tell me in the Comments. And please subscribe if you haven’t already.
I’ve been waiting for this review and it didn’t disappoint. Now really looking forward to going in December. 😊
Great review, really enjoyed reading this, it's like I was there!