QUICK ANSWER What’s happened? Maré by Rafael Cagali, a Brazilian-Italian restaurant on Church Road in Hove, has been awarded one Michelin star in the 2026 Guide — just six months after opening. It is the first starred restaurant in Brighton and Hove since La Francais in Paston Place closed in the 1970s. Cagali also runs two-Michelin-starred Da Terra in London. A neighbourhood restaurant that opened last September has ended a half-century drought for the south coast city — and done it in record time.
Maré by Rafael Cagali has become the first restaurant in Brighton and Hove to hold a Michelin star in nearly 50 years, earning the distinction at the 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland ceremony in Dublin on 9 February. The award came just six months after the restaurant opened its doors on Church Road in Hove — a remarkably fast ascent even by Michelin’s increasingly dynamic standards.
The last starred restaurant in the area was La Francais in Paston Place, which closed in the 1970s. In the decades since, Brighton and Hove has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most vibrant food cities, yet the Michelin Guide never followed. That gap has now been closed by a chef whose roots lie not on the Sussex coast but in São Paulo.
Rafael Cagali, who is of Brazilian-Italian heritage, already holds two Michelin stars at Da Terra in Bethnal Green, London — a restaurant that established him as one of the most distinctive voices in British fine dining. Maré, which translates as “tide” in Portuguese, was conceived as something different: a neighbourhood restaurant that channels the same precision and global flavour vocabulary as Da Terra but within a more relaxed, community-focused setting.
Head chef Ewan Waller, Cagali’s protégé, leads the kitchen day to day. The menu draws heavily on Sussex and British suppliers, with relationships forged directly with local farms, fisheries, and artisanal producers. Sustainability sits at the centre of the operation — an approach that aligns with Michelin’s growing emphasis on environmental responsibility across its guides.
The Michelin Guide described Maré as “a lovely neighbourhood spot” where “Chef Ewan Waller and his team adeptly marshal a thrilling array of global flavours.” Cagali himself said the recognition meant a great deal to the entire team. “From the beginning, Maré has been about thoughtful cooking and creating a place that feels genuinely special for our community.”
Maré was one of 20 restaurants to receive a first star in the 2026 guide, which also saw Bonheur by Matt Abé and Row on 5 promoted to two stars in London, and Sheffield’s Jöro earning its first star. All ten three-star restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland retained their distinction.
For Brighton and Hove — a city that has long punched above its weight in hospitality — the star is overdue recognition. For Cagali, it is confirmation that great cooking does not require a London postcode.
