Previously the home of Alba Lounge, the renovated space where the fairly new MAReSOL is situated boasts enviable views of both the harbour and Table Mountain.
Meaning the ‘sun and sea’, this 200-seater Portuguese restaurant with Mozambican flair is far removed from your everyday takeout chain. Apart from its seaside visitors – seals often stop by to be fed while Portuguese fishermen bring their boats in at the dock right outside the restaurant – the beautiful interior, designed and styled by the well-known Wolff Architects firm, is decorated with subtle hues and clean and simple decor that perfectly reflect the atmosphere of a seaside Portuguese eatery. What’s more, to eliminate the echo caused by the high ceilings, Wolff Architects have installed an acoustic ceiling and wall that do not look out of place in this modern take on Portuguese style.
But don’t be fooled by its aesthetic qualities; the food here packs a spicy punch! Executive Chef Eva de Jesus uses only the freshest ingredients, delivered daily, to serve dishes of cataplana, espetadas, peri-peri chicken, Trinchado beef (only fillet is used as it is the most tender portion), Canutillo and the most delicious pasteis de Nata this side of Portugal. In fact, the food from Jesus’s kitchen is so fresh and authentic, the chorizo is handcrafted into the traditional horseshoe shape tied at the ends then covered with brandy while the Trinchado sauce is prepared three hours in advance.
Most of the dishes are served as both full portions or tapas to share, so you can try a bite of everything (trust us, you’ll want to!). And if you’d like to take home a piece of MAReSOL’s authentic flavours, get your hands on a bottle of their homemade peri-peri sauce that’s also made fresh each day and sold to patrons for R50 (be warned: it’s extra spicy so add a dash – or two – of lemon juice to reduce the hotness).
OF NOTE
Where The Old Hildebrand Building, Pierhead, Alfred Street, V&A Waterfront
Cost According to menu
Contact +27 21 425 3385, [email protected], mar-e-sol.co.za
Photography Courtesy images