RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: Chilean cuisine doesn’t have much of a presence in London. That’s about to change with the arrival of Santiago superchef Carolina Bazán and her sommelier wife Rosario Onetto. Their London debut, Mareida, is a slick combo of pisco sours and food that feels both fresh and immediately accessible. It opened in mid-June.
The Vibe: Inside a discreet entrance on busy Great Portland St., the stylish open room reveals an L-shaped kitchen counter and characterful features, like semi-precious volcanic rocks shipped over from Chile. To one side, there’s a bar for a pre-prandial pisco, while the counter seats provide the best vantage point for watching the chefs at work. The restaurant’s driving force is Mumbai-born restauranteur Prenay Agarwal, who fell in love with a Chilean man, and then, the country’s food, deciding to bring it to London. It’s clear he’s thought about every single detail here, from the distinctive design to a unique playlist by DJ Raff (search ‘Mareida Sound’ on Spotify).
The Food: You needn’t know anything about Chilean food to come here — Bazán and head chef Trinidad Vial Della Maggiora have struck the right balance between the exciting and the familiar. Potato pancakes known as ‘milcao’ are essentially circular hash browns, crunchy around the edges, pillowy in the middle, topped with fresh cream and caviar. Lomo ‘a lo pobre’ is a grilled steak served with a confit egg hidden under a nest of thin potato crisps and caramelised onions. ‘Pastel de choclo’ is shepherd’s pie, but with a thick, sweetcorn mixture in place of mashed potato. To keep it light for summer, there’s ceviche, crab gratin, and moreish yucca (cassava) wedges served alongside black garlic butter.
Desserts by pastry chef Gustavo Sáez are a real highlight. Rather than an orthodox plating, the flan is a soft construction of dulce de leche and banana compote topped with a thick disc of hazelnut brittle that took me straight back to the Peanut Cracknell of my childhood. Then there’s the ‘chocolate merken’ — merkén being a smoky Chilean spice included in a sort of chocolate mousse, topped with a circle of apricot compote with the appearance of egg yolk. If you like Green & Black’s Maya Gold chocolate, this one’s for you.
The Drink: It’s tempting to say ‘pisco sours all the way,’ but that would find you missing out on an excellent selection of Chilean wines.
The Verdict: One of the hottest new spots to visit this summer, Mareida gives Chilean cuisine a chance to shine in London, delivering on all fronts. In short, go. –Laura Price
→ Mareida (Fitzrovia) • 160 Great Portland St • Tue-Sat 12-3p & 6-11p • Book.