Mareida is a Chilean and South American restaurant on Great Portland Street, close to Marylebone, Fitzrovia and Oxford Circus.
We discovered Mareida after a long day searching for new locations for Asiatic in Central London. Our team walked through areas like Covent Garden and Marylebone, checking out Endell Street, Neal Street, and streets near the main train and Underground stations.
After exploring Covent Garden and viewing spaces for our next Asiatic studio, we made our way to Marylebone. We wanted a calm, interesting spot for a business conversation.
We were not looking for a heavy or formal meal. We wanted to share food in a comfortable place where the design, hospitality, and cultural identity felt real. That led us to Mareida.
Written by Team Asiatic
Editorial review by Ben Pianese, Co-Founder of Asiatic and bodywork practitioner since 2001
Asiatic has served the Islington community since 2009.
Why Mareida caught our attention
Mareida is different from other restaurants. It brings Chilean culture and flavours from the Southern Andes into a stylish London setting.
The restaurant’s identity comes from Chilean coastal and Andean food, but the experience is more than just eating. The space, wine list, materials, music, and sharing menu all help create a strong cultural atmosphere.
This stood out to us because Asiatic is also built on cultural identity. We focus on Thai massage, not food, but the idea is similar. When a business is rooted in real heritage, the experience feels more meaningful than just decoration.
At Mareida, Chile’s story is clear and present. It shows up in the restaurant’s design, menu, and overall atmosphere.
A South American restaurant with a clear cultural voice
London has many restaurants, but Chilean food is still less common than other cuisines.
This makes Mareida stand out. The restaurant highlights a part of South American food culture that many people in London might not be familiar with. Instead of treating South American food as a single category, Mareida focuses on Chile and incorporates flavours from the Southern Andes.
This matters because good hospitality is about more than just food. It’s about what you learn, how you feel, and whether the place gives you a real sense of being somewhere unique.
At Mareida, the food, wine, and interiors all help tell a story about the coast, mountains, stone, sky, and local ingredients.
Design, atmosphere and first impressions
One of the first things we noticed was the design.
Mareida feels carefully designed, not over-decorated. The interior uses materials, colour, texture, and sound to create atmosphere, with wood, marble, stone, and deep blue tones inspired by Chile’s natural landscapes.
The deep blue artwork inside the restaurant is especially memorable. It almost feels like a portal, drawing you into the mood of Chile’s skies and landscapes. Even the Mareida logo, a simple triangle, seems thoughtful. It suggests direction, the sea, the sky, mountains, and South American identity.
As business owners, we notice when a brand goes beyond surface decoration and builds a full identity. At Asiatic, we pay attention to similar details when designing our massage studios: lighting, sound, seating, materials, and the feeling when someone first walks in.
A place for sharing plates and conversation
We visited Mareida because we wanted food to share after a long day of walking, planning and discussing possible Central London locations.
The menu works well for sharing. With snacks, bread, empanadas, starters, sides, and larger plates, everyone can set their own pace. Instead of ordering separately, the sharing style encourages conversation and makes the meal feel relaxed.
This was perfect for our visit. We did not want a formal meal after looking at locations. We wanted to share, talk, and try different dishes while keeping our business conversation going in a comfortable setting.
Vegetarian choices and lighter eating
We liked that Mareida offers more than heavy dining.
South American food is often linked with meat, but Mareida also focuses on vegetables, seasonal ingredients, and lighter dishes. The roasted cauliflower stood out for us. It was full of flavour, satisfying, and well-balanced.
This is important because modern wellbeing is about balance, not extremes. Some people want protein-rich food after training. Others prefer vegetarian options. Some want lighter dishes that still feel generous.
A good wellbeing routine should not feel limiting. It should allow for flavour, enjoyment, and nourishment. For us, this matters because food, movement, massage, and rest all support the body in different ways.
Food, massage, movement and long-term wellbeing
At Asiatic, we often speak about massage as part of a wider wellbeing routine.
Massage can help people feel more connected to their bodies, but it works best when combined with other healthy habits, such as eating well, moving, resting, staying hydrated, and taking time to slow down.
A good meal, a walk through London, a thoughtful conversation, and a massage all support wellbeing in their own ways. They are not separate; they are all part of the same lifestyle.
This is why we find places like Mareida interesting. They show that food is more than just fuel; it can be about culture, connection, memory, and care.
In the same way, massage is more than just working on muscles. It is about space, listening, rhythm, and paying attention to the person you are helping.
Buying local, eating well and community
Mareida is not in Islington, but the way we think about food and local business is closely connected to our own neighbourhood.
At Asiatic, we often support independent businesses because we know how much work it takes to build something with real identity. Whether it is a restaurant, grocery shop, massage studio, or local supplier, each of these businesses helps shape a city’s feel.
This is also why we value our relationship with Nourished Communities on Upper Street. Their guest blog about buying local in Islington shares the same idea: food is not just about convenience. It is about community, taste, memory, and supporting people who care about their work. For us, Mareida is part of that bigger conversation. It reminded us that a strong business does not need to be loud. It needs a clear identity, good ingredients, good service, and a real purpose.
Why proximity matters for Asiatic’s future
Marylebone, Great Portland Street, Fitzrovia, and Covent Garden all have something important in common. They are located between homes, offices, transport links, restaurants, culture, and wellbeing spaces. This makes them interesting areas for a future Asiatic massage studio.
What business owners can learn from Mareida
As business owners, we left Mareida thinking about more than the food.
The restaurant offers a clear lesson: identity matters.
Mareida does more than serve food. It creates a whole world around Chilean culture, Southern Andean flavours, design, wine, and hospitality. The restaurant feels thoughtfully planned. We respect that because Asiatic is also built with intention. Our spaces are carefully designed. Our treatments follow Thai massage traditions. Our guest experience is based on calm, respect, and consistency.
A great hospitality business needs more than just a good product. It needs a story, high standards, and a feeling that guests remember.
Our favourite moments
The roasted cauliflower was one of our favourite dishes. It showed that a vegetable dish can be generous, balanced, and full of flavour.
The sharing plates made the meal feel easy and social. This was perfect for us because we wanted to talk, reflect, and keep our business conversation going after a long day of looking at locations.
The atmosphere also stood out. Mareida felt stylish but still warm. It had enough energy to feel special, but it was still easy to have a conversation.
This balance is important for a business dinner.
The atmosphere also stood out. Mareida felt stylish but still warm, with enough energy to feel special while remaining comfortable for conversation. You can also read our full Google review of Mareida for more details about the food, service and setting.
Who Mareida is good for
Mareida is a good choice for people looking for:
- South American food in London
- Chilean restaurant dining near Marylebone or Fitzrovia
- A stylish place for a business dinner
- Sharing plates and seasonal dishes
- Vegetarian-friendly options
- A restaurant with design, culture and atmosphere
- A special meal near Great Portland Street, Oxford Circus or Regent’s Park
It may also appeal to people who prefer restaurants with a clear cultural identity instead of a generic luxury dining experience.
Final thoughts
Mareida gave us exactly what we needed that evening—good food, calm design, a strong cultural identity, and space to talk.
For us, it was more than just a restaurant visit. It was part of a bigger day spent thinking about Asiatic’s future in Central London.
After looking at possible locations around Covent Garden, Endell Street, Neal Street, and Marylebone, Mareida reminded us how important place is. A good business is not just about the space you use. It is about the neighbourhood, the culture, the food, the people, and the feeling guests take with them.
That is true for restaurants. It is also true for massage.
At Asiatic, we believe wellbeing comes from many small choices: how we move, eat, rest, recover, and connect with the places around us.
Mareida is a beautiful example of that connection.
The atmosphere also stood out. Mareida felt stylish but still warm, with enough energy to feel special while remaining comfortable for conversation. You can also read our full Google review of Mareida for more details about the food, service and setting.
Mareida London address
Mareida is located at 160 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QA, close to Marylebone, Fitzrovia, Oxford Circus and Great Portland Street station.
This makes it a convenient choice for a business dinner, a relaxed meeting, or a South American restaurant experience in Central London.
