Mareida, inspired by the Godofredo Iommi poem Amereida, is the creation of restaurateur Prenay Agarwal (pictured), who says he decided to open the restaurant having spent a year living in Chile and immersing himself in the country’s food scene.
The restaurant will be helmed by head chef Trinidad Vial Della Maggiora. She’ll be working alongside Carolina Bazán, who was voted Latin America’s Best Female Chef by The World’s 50 Best back in 2019.
Maggiora previously worked at Bazán’s Santiago restaurant Ambrosía, which is currently ranked at number 26 on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
While details on the menu are yet to be revealed, the press notes say the food offering will ‘celebrate the bold, diverse flavours of Chile and its influences’.
The restaurant will also host a rotating series of guest chefs from the Southern Andes, overseen by Agarwal.
Wine will also be a big focus for Mareida with sommelier Rosario Onetto, who co-owns Ambrosía with Bazán, bringing together a selection that will ‘reflect the diversity of Chile’s wine regions’.
The restaurant will be designed by Santiago-based architect Macarena Aguilar. Three commissioned artists will create custom pieces reflecting Chile’s landscape.
“Travel and food are inextricably linked, and I’ve been lucky enough to live in many countries, but none of which have stood out to me as much as Chile,” says Agarwal.
“After meeting my partner, who is Chilean, I spent over a year in the country and completely immersed myself in its food scene. I was taken aback by the abundant flavours and dishes of the underexplored cuisine. That’s why I’ve opened Mareida.
“I want to share my love of the country and show London everything that it has to offer.”
Mareida is set to open its doors in Fitzrovia this June.