Maré de José Avillez — Restaurant in Cascais

Had heard great things, therefore and to be fair to the place, expectations were high. The venue is beautifully decorated, it probably has the best decor of all existing restaurants in estrada do Guincho (which I guess is to be expected given that they're the most recently open). Most of my remarks on the place are done with a benchmark against these other restaurants in mind. The location is fabulous, but in Furnas you will find yourself feeling closer to the ocean (and, if I recall correctly, more sheltered from the wind). We only have good things to say about the staff, from the hostess to the waitress we got, they all were phenomenal and as we visited with a stroller, they were very accommodating in letting us choose the most convenient table for our setup. We ordered 3 starters, 1 main and 1 dessert and this is I guess where the restaurant fell short of my expectations. I've visited a few restaurants of José Avillez and have had mostly outstanding experiences but this one fell short vs. neighboring restaurants and the prices charges. The croquettes and garlic prawns were ok - not memorable. The fried eggs with steak sauce was delicious but the toast that came with it was so burnt and hard, almost impossible to break into pieces, therefore impossible to dip in the sauce. The octopus we got for main was phenomenally cooked, zero complaints. But then again, the toucinho do céu for dessert was not super impressive. These along with a couple of glasses of wine, a gin and one cider came to about €70 per person. Reasonable given the scenery but I would not say the food was worth this. One thing that upset me and that i've seen trending in Portugal lately is for the total in the bill to include the suggested tip. We almost tipped on top of the amount called out as total, despite it already incorporating a tip. It's truly misleading and dishonest. The suggested tip should come after the bill total, and never incorporated. I don't think the staff is to blame for this, but I find...

Review of Mare Restaurant by José Avillez

Our dining experience at Mare Restaurant by José Avillez was truly exceptional from start to finish. From the moment we sampled the bread board, we knew we had found something special. The board featured an array of locally sourced delights: salted and smoked butter, olives, and a unique orange hummus, all accompanied by three different types of bread. This introduction set the tone for the entire meal, promising a culinary journey of the highest quality.

For our main courses, we opted for the Sea Bass Loin, which was beautifully prepared with olive oil, chives, and lemon, and the Bras-style cod with exploding olives. Both dishes were simply delicious, showcasing the chef's skill in creating flavourful and refined seafood dishes. Our meal was perfectly rounded off with a decadent chocolate fondant cake, served with a helping of ice cream—a dessert that was as satisfying as it was indulgent.

The menu at Mare is extremely varied, offering a wide selection that caters not only to seafood lovers but also to those preferring meat or vegetarian options. Despite the extensive choice, we found ourselves struggling to decide, but fortunately, João, our waiter, was on hand to help. His detailed explanations of the dishes and their preparation were invaluable in guiding us to make the perfect choices.

João’s service was outstanding; he was the epitome of attentiveness and hospitality. Friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating to our every need, João made our dining experience even more enjoyable, without ever being overbearing—a true testament to excellent service.

In summary, Mare Restaurant by José Avillez is a gem that we would not hesitate to visit again. The food, service, and atmosphere all combined to create a dining experience that was nothing short...

The restaurant itself is in a great location, has been designed very nicely. Our service was actually ok - although as we were a late lunch they were almost too busy ironing table cloths to finish our service.

The food is severely over priced. Seems like Jose is tying to be too fancy pants, which unfortunately Portuguese cuisine is much more homely than it is fancy.

Fish dishes were small as were the sides. They recommend two sides per main which basically makes a meal for one person close to 50 Euros.

The fish was overcooked and tasteless. We ordered Tuna and Robalo. The octopus was ok - standard Portuguese octopus - nothing more than what you can get at a local hole in the wall. The shrimp acorda was very pleasant, as was the garlic rice, but for the price you pay and the quantity you get - not worth it. You have to order sides in order to get any flavor in the meal, and even then salads were lackluster. Prices for alcohol were also very high. Meal for one person with two drinks easily 75 euros with no desert.

Honestly for the price there are several other fish restaurants on the same road with much higher quality and value for money.

I think many had high hopes for this new project for JA. Given the space is very nice, if the food were to improve and the prices were to come down this place might have potential.

All the above said it explains why on a Saturday at 1 PM the restaurant...