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cityweekend

Newly opened on Guanghualu, the new branch of Mare features a modest décor and an incredible selection of tapas. We opted for their tapas platter (YY70 per person, minimum two people), featuring six different tapas, chosen daily by the chef. Our selection offered tasty bites of croquettes, grilled prawns with aioli, chorizo with cheese, and chicken with bleu cheese, highlighted by fried calamari and grilled lamb. Next, was the beef tournedo (YY98), served with a truffle sauce and cooked to a perfect medium-rare, a savory “hurrah” for meat eaters everywhere. The mixed seafood platter (YY180), a combination of crisp cod, fresh prawns, grilled monkfish and salmon, showed a lot of potential—had it not been for an overdose of salt that necessitated a gulp of water after each bite. Finally, the paella (YY90 per person). One of our favorite Spanish dishes, we were more than willing to endure the 40-minute wait time, and were surprised when the sizzling pan appeared after a mere 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the excitement soon faded as we sunk our teeth into dry mussels and soggy and tasteless rice. Not a lost cause, we made a few revisions of our own, dousing the pan with the salty sauce from the seafood platter for extra flavor. Overall, a decent beginning, which will no doubt be improved with a few minor adjustments. Nonetheless, as long as the beef tournedo remains the same, Mare is one restaurant worth trying.

 

bj_expat37

I simply cannot say enough wonderful things about Mare - it's definitely one of the best Western restaurants in Beijing! The decor is sleek and comfortable; the wait staff is extremely knowledgable (speaks great English!) and professional. And the food is spectacular - my boyfriend and I have been back on several occassions and we've loved everything we've tried on the menu! His favorite is the tournedos (filet mignon steak) which is cooked to perfection extremely tender and full of flavorful juices. I love the buttery monkfish...it's like melt-in-you-mouth perfection. I also love the blue cheese pork loin and the spicy red pepper tuna...and the lamb is great too (and I don't even usually like lamb!)

For first timers: i recommend getting the tapas platter to try a variety of dishes. Also, the lunch specials are only 68rmb for 2 courses or 88rmb for 3 - they give great portions and you can sample some of their best items so it's a great deal!

 

6 months, 3 weeks ago

duncanshaunsmith

An excellent place to eat.

The decor is is just right: modern and clean. The candle light adds a warmth and coziness. The wait staff are first class: extremely efficient and very friendly.

Fabulous selection of tapas. Baby squid with lemon, lamb chops and salt cod are all delicious and highly recommended.

The wine selection is not bad either with some decent half bottles and wines by the glass. The Stump Jump's were very tasty.

 

5 months, 2 weeks ago

bobbytata

Too smoky!

2 months, 2 weeks ago