Maré by Rafael Cagali

‘Casual fine dining’ is a slippery notion - overused, misapplied, it rarely reconciles both sides of the equation. Rafael Cagali and head chef protégé Ewan Waller, however, bring Maré before the bench fully prepared. Fortified by the exacting finesse of Cagali’s two-Michelin-starred Da Terra and the approachable charm of Elis, together they champion Brazilian-Italian character through a breezier, coastal lens.

Pale yellows and linen, soft lighting, and well-spaced tables cast the compact36-cover restaurant in an unassuming light. Look closer, and Maré makes its personality known. Retro 80s hits drift from the speakers, colourful posters punctuate the walls, while shelves stacked with ceramics – plus two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figurines – nod to the playful, homey comforts of Cagali’s other ventures.

Opening remarks set the tone: liver parfait; Da Terra’s house-cured Iberico coppa; and miniature crumpets loaded with crabmeat. Oysters in a crisp and lacy tempura come fried to confit sweetness, dressed simply with pickled shallot and spicy mayo. Delicious, simple, but executed brilliantly.

Making the case for fine dining flourish, hamachi crudo arrives with a perfectly balanced ajo blanco, cobnuts, and tomato - every element working to substantiate the sweet fatty profile of the fish. Salt-baked beetroot and sweet cured mackerel is another triumph: rich, deep flavours, with just enough whey for acidity.

Maré leaves room for the playful and offbeat. BOYT (‘build your own tacos’) sees diners parcel up intense 12-hour braised lamb shoulder, exceptional mole, and zippy salsa into still-warm cassava flour tacos. Messy, joyous, deeply comforting, they warrant their own fan club.

Larger plates offer more highs: tender veal cotoletta with fruity elderberry and a swipe of plantain ketchup, while an astonishing 30 day aged picanha, grilled to pure perfection, comes served with deft chimichurri.

Some plates don’t quite hold up. A ricotta and jalapeño raviolo with delica pumpkin is missing some punch, and the same is true of the porco tonnato. But these are minor objections, soon overruled by an impeccable choux bun dessert, stuffed with fragrant fig leaf ice cream, and spiked with just enough Pedro Ximénez to feel lively.

Maré’s confidence is thoroughly convincing. And while the pleasure doesn’t come cheap (mains hover above the £40 mark), this particular brand of casual fine dining delivers on both counts, never losing sight of enjoyment.

Set in the coastal town of Hove, Maré is a fine dining restaurant run by Rafael Cagali and Charlie Lee - the pair behind acclaimed, two Michelin-starred Da Terra in London. This is Cagali and Lee’s first restaurant outside of the capital, and the pair have designs on Maré becoming a significant destination restaurant on the south coast. 

The name Maré (meaning tide) reflects the menu’s focus on seasonality and adaptability. Quality ingredients are central to the offering, with dishes that aim to be inventive without losing touch with their roots. Meanwhile, Cagali is a chef with an outstanding pedigree: with time spent at the likes of The Fat Duck, and with luminary chefs like Simon Rogan at Fera, and Quique Dacosta and Martin Beresategui in Spain, he brings chef star power rarely seen in Brighton.

Designed as an intimate space with just 38 covers, Maré aims to deliver high-end cooking in an intimate setting that’s both welcoming and unpretentious. The menu includes a selection of small bites, hot and cold small plates, mains, sharing dishes and desserts, all of which draw on Cagali's joint Brazilian and Italian heritage. 

For example, 'bites' on the menu at the time of writing include a crumpet with Dorset crab, lovage and dill, and an onion croustade with pickled walnut. Small plates are simple, seasonal and let the produce do the talking - think Iberico Coppa slices and Delica pumpkin raviolo. Moving onto larger plates, and you might expect to see Carabineros prawns with peppers and moqueca sauce, or a showstopping lobster rice with ox tongue. 

The kitchen is led by Ewan Waller - Cagali’s protege and former commis chef at Da Terra, and a rising culinary talent. Out front, Charlie Lee ensures the service reflects the same attention to detail that has made Da Terra an award-winning force in London, overseeing a curated drinks list.