Tidal pull
Maré (Hove)
GETAWAYS • Hove
Brazilian chef Rafael Cagali is best known for Da Terra, his fine dining spot that’s picked up plenty of accolades since its 2019 launch in Bethnal Green. After opening the more casual Elis next to his flagship in 2022, Cagali and his husband Charlie Lee chose the East Sussex seaside town of Hove for their first venture outside London. Opened in September, Maré by Rafael Cagali occupies an elegant, light-filled spot on a busy main street, one block from the seafront.
Maré isn’t a Brazilian restaurant, but thoughtful touches come in everything from the name (which means ‘tide’ in Portuguese) to colourful artwork from Tarsila do Amaral and liquid soap from posh Rio brand Granado. Latin America is present in the food, too. Tortillas are made from manioc (cassava) flour, while a prawn course comes with the Brazilian seafood stew moqueca, and picanha steak is served with chimichurri. Petit fours come in the form of brigadeiros: sweet balls of chocolate and condensed milk, finessed with cacao nibs. There’s a little Italian too, reflecting Cagali’s dual heritage, and almost everything is made with seasonal British produce.
The meal starts with strong snacks: an excellent toasted brioche with liver parfait and preserved cherries, plus a fresh-tasting miniature crumpet with Dorset crab, lovage and dill. There’s also a deep-fried Mersea Island oyster with pickled onion and hot sauce. From the small plates, there’s aged Hamachi crudo with rich ajo blanco and cobnuts (hazelnuts, but creamy like macadamia), and a comforting bowlful of Cornish mussels with hispi cabbage and crispy focaccia croutons. Make room for build-your-own tacos, a generous spread of succulent pulled lamb shoulder, black bean ‘mole’, mild chilli sauce and those unique cassava discs. (There’s more filling than tortillas, so load ’em up.)
Maré gets better as it goes on. Lobster rice is the showstopper, with gleaming hunks of fresh meat on a bed of sushi rice, laced with chunks of ox tongue, Brazilian dendê oil and a topping of crispy leeks. I only wish there was more of it. For dessert, boozy baba comes drenched in cachaça, and there’s a tempting choux bun that I’d like to try next time. Jake Garstang shines as sommelier-manager, serving a varied wine list that includes Sussex-grown sparkling labels, as well as artisanal cachaça and some of my favourite non-alcoholic options, like London brand Jukes Cordialities.
As for the playlist, it’s non-stop nostalgia from Duran Duran to Erasure and Blondie, played at a comfortable (but prominent) volume. My seat faced onto the high street with a view of buses and takeaway shops, but a curtain can be pulled across for a more intimate, exclusive feel. And while it’s a shame there’s no water view, it’s just a block from the seafront, and well-placed for a walk to Brighton to stroll off that lobster rice. In peaceful Hove, Maré is a special occasion spot packed with personality and colour, bringing a little of Cagali’s culinary magic to the South coast. –Laura Price
→ Maré (Hove) • 60 Church Rd • Thu-Sat 12-230p, Wed-Sat 6-9p, Sun 12-3p • Book.