Dining Out: Mareida Brings Chile’s Vibrant Flavours to London
In Fitzrovia—a neighbourhood increasingly defined by its quietly cosmopolitan flair—an ambitious new opening is bringing the untapped soul of Chilean cuisine to London. Mareida, debuting on Great Portland Street this June, is no ordinary restaurant. It’s an immersive cultural manifesto, where food, design, art, and sound converge in a thoughtful and arresting celebration of Chile's regional diversity.
Mareida is the brainchild of Prenay Agarwal and a handpicked team of Chilean culinary and creative talent, including Head Chef Trinidad Vial Della Maggiora and consultant chef Carolina Bazán. Bazán is known across Latin America for her nuanced cooking style—elegant yet grounded in authenticity—and that philosophy runs throughout Mareida’s launch menu.
The name Mareida takes inspiration from Amereida, a poetic expedition across Chile by artists, architects, and writers in the 1960s. That spirit of discovery pulses through every element of the space—from the dishes to the architecture to the soundtrack. At Mareida, dining is as much about exploration as it is about satisfaction.
The menu begins with an inventive selection of snacks. Chilean caviar finds a home atop Milcao, a traditional potato pancake; oysters arrive dressed in aji pearls; and a trio of mixed seafood empanadas offer a nod to familiar comfort with refined intention.
There’s a welcome focus on vegetables too. Expect plates that elevate seasonal produce and native ingredients: think corn Humita with a punchy Chilean salad, heart of palm, celeriac, oyster mushrooms, and legumes in rich, slow-cooked stews.
Standout starters include Lengua Nogada, tender beef tongue cloaked in a creamy walnut sauce, and Palta Reina, avocado filled with salmon and ikura—a fresh counterpoint that speaks to the country's Pacific coastlines.
The mains are bold, meant to be shared, and rooted in Chilean technique. Steak a lo Pobre—a classic of the capital—is reimagined with delicately sliced beef, confit egg yolk, and crisp fries. Meanwhile, Chupe de Jaiba, a crab dish hailing from Chile’s southern coast, marries fresh seafood with cream, cheese, and sofrito to indulgent effect.
Sides are not an afterthought. Traditional Chilean breads like Sopaipillas arrive warm with black garlic butter, while salads like Ensalada Chilena—a medley of tomato, onion, and coriander—add brightness and acidity.
In collaboration with Gustavo Sáez—named among Latin America’s best pastry chefs by The World’s 50 Best—Mareida’s desserts are elegant but rooted in memory. Hojarasca, a layered pastry filled with manjar, cream, and raspberry jam, is both nostalgic and beautifully executed. There’s a standout flan made with dulce de leche, banana compote and hazelnut, while the Merkén Chocolate Maní brings smoked Chilean pepper into dialogue with chocolate, caramel, and peanut sablé.
No meal at Mareida is complete without something from the cellar. The wine list, curated by sommelier Rosario Onetto, reads like a geography lesson in Chilean terroir—showcasing expressive varieties from across the country’s famed valleys. Standouts include bottles from Amayna by Garcés Silva, whose saline minerality brings the coastline straight to the glass.
Cocktails lean inventive: the Mareida Martini—made with avocado oil and Patagonian peppercorn—delivers a creamy texture with a spicy finish. The house Pisco Sour is herbal and citrus-forward, while the Solo Tú is a boozy, buttery signature punch drawn from Chilean leche traditions and maize spirits.
Mareida is more than its food. Designed by Santiago-based architect Macarena Aguilar in collaboration with Mále Uribe, the space is layered with meaning. Combarbalita tiles—formed from semiprecious volcanic rock and mining tailings—create a textured relief that echoes the veins of the Andes. Bespoke wooden tables inlaid with copper nod to Chilean craftsmanship. And the bar—framed by a wall of uncut stones—commands attention without overwhelming.
Art is everywhere. Chilean artists including Javier Toro Blum and Josefina Concha have created original works for the restaurant, while the uniforms, linens, and surfaces have been custom-dyed and embroidered to reflect the contours of the Andean landscape.
Even the music has a story: London-based Chilean DJ Raff has crafted a bespoke sonic experience, sampling rhythms and ambient soundscapes from across Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. It’s immersive, but never intrusive—designed to transport, not distract.
For all its ambition, Mareida feels rooted in something deeply personal. It doesn’t aim to replicate a version of Chile for Londoners—it invites Londoners into the complexity and richness of a place still too often overlooked in global gastronomy.
For The Rakish Gent, this is the kind of opening that feels significant. Not only for the integrity of its culinary craft, but for its broader cultural ambition. It’s a reminder that the most exciting dining today doesn’t rely on gimmicks—it draws from heritage, community, and creativity. Mareida is all of that, and more.
With its elegant take on Chilean soul, it makes a persuasive case for Latin American fine dining in the capital. In other words, it’s the sort of place you’ll want to return to before your first pisco sour is even finished.