Here's what Mareida looks like inside - note the rocks on the left (read more about those below)
What can you tell us about Mareida?
Mareida's origins go back to a pop-up at Carousel, so it's using the same route to a permanent place that more than a few London restaurants have before it (like Kol and the upcoming London Punk Royale). Like the original pop-up, the food here focuses on Chilean cuisine and the man behind the restaurant, Prenay Agarwal, has brought in a few heavy-hitters to support the launch. In the kitchen is Head Chef Trinidad Vial Della Maggiora and top chef Carolina Bazán (voted Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2019) has helped out with the launch menu.
There aren't too many restaurants in London focused on Chilean food, so if you've yet to make it over to that part of South America, this could be of interest.
Where is it?
You'll find the restaurant in Fitzrovia, pretty close to Great Portland Street tube but also a fairly easy walk from Oxford Circus. It's in a new(ish) development, so not taking over from a previous restaurant. Inside you'll find a mix of modern decor and Chilean artwork. You'll also notice the prominent wall of rocks that were not only brought over from Chile, but their designer, looking for the right colour, went into the mine and chose the rocks by hand. So there's a real sense of a labour of love here.
Outside Mareida (that blue light is a Chilean artwork).
Where could we meet for a drink before?
There is a small bar space at the front of Mareida, but nearby you'll also find The Remedy wine bar, which we're always fond of, and another pub we like, Lore of the Land is pretty close too.
Where should we sit?
We wouldn't necessarily pick out one space over another, as it's all very comfortable and tables are well spaced. There is an extensive counter area if you want to watch the chefs at work and it's good for groups - a group of about 15-16 were dining when we visited.
So, what can we expect from the food?
We'll be honest, we're not that knowledgeable about Chilean food ourselves, so this cuisine is relatively new to us. That said, we could certainly see some Spanish influences which you might be expecting, as well as dishes slightly familiar from neighbouring countries (particularly in the use of dulce de leche in the desserts). As for the structure of the menu, it isn't labelled as such, but it's essentially a choice of snacks, small plates and mains.
Here's a taste of what we had:
Sopaipillas - pumpkin bread with garlic butter (£7)
Choritos - Mussels, charcoal shells, fennel sand (£8) - These were excellent and a must order - fill the shells (made of charcoal, not real shells) with the fennel sand and eat in one go.
The empanadas are also a must. There are the more traditional Chilean baked versions, in this case with seafood inside (£9)
But the beef empanadas won out, to be fair (£8)
A famous Chilean dish is the Churrasco, essentially a steak sandwich. Here it comes in slider form with brown butter and a melting wagyu beef (£17)
Another traditional Chilean dish is the Pastel de Choclo. Here it comes with lamb shoulder (as opposed to the traditional beef) with corn mash on the top and a poached egg within (£32). This has a sweet taste, which divided the two of us dining (but as I'm the one writing this, I can say I loved it). We've seen this referred to as a twist on a shepherd's pie, which seems about apt. It could also be the lovechild of Rachel's beef trifle in Friends.
Steak must make an appearance in a South American restaurant and this really is also a must-order. Their lomo a lo pobre (£42) is ribeye steak with caramelised onions and straw fries (with a poached egg hidden beneath the fries)
And desserts?
Yes, you'll really want to save yourself for something here. The flan below should be your first choice, but really, all of these were great:
Don't leave without getting this. The Flan (£9) is made with manjar (aka dulce de leche) banana compote, hazelnut brittle and salt.
The Chocolate Merken (£10) is called that because of the Chilean spice Merquén used in the chocolate cremeaux dessert to give it a little kick.
And for something a little more showy, a dessert that should be on the menu soon, essentially a cheesecake piped inside this orange sphere. We were very pleased at how well this broke open for us...
What about drinks?
Given the focus of the cooking, it won't be surprising to discover that the wine list is 100% Chilean and veers strongly in favour of red wine (there are 18 reds to four whites on the list). Prices start at £36 for a Chardonnay from Leyda, and £38 for a Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo, with nothing topping £100 on the list, so it's a well-priced affair. We can certainly recommend the 2024 Caliterra reserve (£49/£14), working particularly well with the steak.
Cocktails are also on point with pisco front and centre in most of them, all priced at £14, and there's a decent non-alcoholic offering with three cocktails and Lucky Saint on the list.
On the left, the Mareida Sour (Pisco, cacao blanc, Chartreuse elixir, lemon juice, egg whit) and on the right
Overall thoughts
Opening a restaurant in London that showcases a cuisine that's relatively unknown in the city is hard, considering London is such a hotbed for worldwide cuisine. But Mareida does manage to add something unique. You can see where some of the influences come from and which are shared with some of the neighbouring countries, but if you're on the hunt for something a little different, this is well worth a look. The dishes were great, the cocktails good, and it's a lovely looking room that was a haven of air conditioning on a very warm London evening.
More about Mareida
Where is it? 160 Great Portland St, London W1W 5QA
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @mareida.london.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Mareida. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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