Dwarfed by the fancy Maputo Southern Sun next door, the beachfront Maresia restaurant on Avenida Marginal is an almost-invisible gem with just 11 tables and fabulous views.
I sank into my big comfy chair and tried not to fill up on the scrumptious bread, olives and
pâtés — eggplant and mushroom — that arrived unsolicited at my table and that I was
later charged for.
Mozambicans know how to do bread, and manager Irina Rebelo credits the Portuguese
influence.
The Maresia menu was in Portuguese but Rebelo translated for me. At her suggestion I
ordered for starters the crab tart with tartar sauce — a house specialty presented
beautifully and garnished with a crab claw.
Then another starter arrived that Rebelo said I had to try — crispy langoustine in garlic and olive oil.
Who gets two starters? The starters were small but filling so when my main course arrived I couldn’t finish it but it’s totally worth mentioning: grouper with prawn sauce, very thin-cut French fries and rice.
Weekdays, Maresia is a popular place for business people. It’s located close to
downtown Maputo and you’ll often find big deals going down here. “When they close a deal they want to do it in a nice place,” Robelo said.
But it’s right on the beach. As I ate, I watched children playing on the beach and a dhow struggling to make headway in the brisk October breeze.
When I was there for lunch on a Tuesday, a group of seven women were celebrating and
getting photos taken by their waiter.
Fridays and Sundays are busiest at Maresia. It’s a different crowd — mostly leisure —
and it’s unlikely you’ll get in without a reservation, Robelo said.
For dessert I ordered sweet potato fondant, also known as petite gateau — a French
dessert with a Mozambican spin. Usually fondant is made with chocolate and served with ice cream.
Maresia’s Brazilian chef, Daniel Vasconcelos, uses local products such as sweet potato and
peanuts in his fondants. I inadvertently ordered a second fondant made with caramel and
peanuts that was equally delicious. Both came with sour lime ice cream that cut the intense sweetness of the desserts.
Here’s what it’s like to eat fondant at Maresia: with a spoon, you break open what looks
like an overturned cupcake, and a warm, molten interior spills out and starts melting the
ice cream.
For me, mostly uninitiated in the art of fondant, this dessert was a surprise that added to the overall experience.
Service was amazing at this pricey restaurant. Waiters in matching black pants and white
dress shirts filled my water glass the moment I took my last sip, and didn’t let up
through the entire meal.
Open almost two years, Maresia doesn’t serve the standard fare. “The way we
cut the chips is different,” Robelo said. “The chef’s main concern is to work with local
products and transform them into something unique.”
Menu items such as ostrich meat with cashew nuts and parmesan cheese may be testimony that Maresia is succeeding.
Expert Review
Dwarfed by the fancy Maputo Southern Sun next door, the beachfront Maresia restaurant on Avenida Marginal is an almost-invisible gem with...
Dwarfed by the fancy Maputo Southern Sun next door, the beachfront Maresia restaurant on Avenida Marginal is an almost-invisible gem with just 11 tables and fabulous views.
I sank into my big comfy chair and tried not to fill up on the scrumptious bread, olives and
pâtés — eggplant and mushroom — that arrived unsolicited at my table and that I was
later charged for.
Mozambicans know how to do bread, and manager Irina Rebelo credits the Portuguese
influence.
The Maresia menu was in Portuguese but Rebelo translated for me. At her suggestion I
ordered for starters the crab tart with tartar sauce — a house specialty presented
beautifully and garnished with a crab claw.
Then another starter arrived that Rebelo said I had to try — crispy langoustine in garlic and olive oil.
Who gets two starters? The starters were small but filling so when my main course arrived I couldn’t finish it but it’s totally worth mentioning: grouper with prawn sauce, very thin-cut French fries and rice.
Weekdays, Maresia is a popular place for business people. It’s located close to
downtown Maputo and you’ll often find big deals going down here. “When they close a deal they want to do it in a nice place,” Robelo said.
But it’s right on the beach. As I ate, I watched children playing on the beach and a dhow struggling to make headway in the brisk October breeze.
When I was there for lunch on a Tuesday, a group of seven women were celebrating and
getting photos taken by their waiter.
Fridays and Sundays are busiest at Maresia. It’s a different crowd — mostly leisure —
and it’s unlikely you’ll get in without a reservation, Robelo said.
For dessert I ordered sweet potato fondant, also known as petite gateau — a French
dessert with a Mozambican spin. Usually fondant is made with chocolate and served with ice cream.
Maresia’s Brazilian chef, Daniel Vasconcelos, uses local products such as sweet potato and
peanuts in his fondants. I inadvertently ordered a second fondant made with caramel and
peanuts that was equally delicious. Both came with sour lime ice cream that cut the intense sweetness of the desserts.
Here’s what it’s like to eat fondant at Maresia: with a spoon, you break open what looks
like an overturned cupcake, and a warm, molten interior spills out and starts melting the
ice cream.
For me, mostly uninitiated in the art of fondant, this dessert was a surprise that added to the overall experience.
Service was amazing at this pricey restaurant. Waiters in matching black pants and white
dress shirts filled my water glass the moment I took my last sip, and didn’t let up
through the entire meal.
Open almost two years, Maresia doesn’t serve the standard fare. “The way we
cut the chips is different,” Robelo said. “The chef’s main concern is to work with local
products and transform them into something unique.”
Menu items such as ostrich meat with cashew nuts and parmesan cheese may be testimony that Maresia is succeeding.