1 Michelin star chefs: Ewan Waller, Maré by Rafael Cagali
Ewan Waller is the head chef at Maré by Rafael Cagali, the Hove restaurant awarded one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026.
Opened in September 2025 by chef patron Rafael Cagali and partner Charlie Lee, Maré won the accolade just six months later, becoming the first restaurant in Brighton & Hove to receive a Michelin star since the 1970s.
Maré, which translates as “tide” in Portuguese, is built around the rhythm of the seasons and the produce of Sussex and the surrounding coastline.
Ewan, a long-standing protégé of Rafael, leading the kitchen day to day, with the food balancing the refinement of two-Michelin-starred Da Terra and the more relaxed spirit of sister restaurant Elis.
Early career and background
British-born chef Ewan trained at Westminster Kingsway College from 2017 to 2020. During that period he gained experience at Anglo in Farringdon and The Baptist Grill in Holborn, before taking a permanent role at The Silver Cup in Harpenden.
He joined Da Terra in Bethnal Green in October 2022 as a commis chef and progressed to chef de partie before leaving as senior chef de partie in summer 2025.
That rise within Rafael Cagali’s two Michelin-starred kitchen helps explain why Ewan was trusted to take on the head chef role at Maré when it opened that September.
Maré by Rafael Cagali
Maré is a 38-cover restaurant on Church Road in Hove, with soft muted tones, wooden floors and brightly coloured artwork by Brazilian artists. A central bar anchors the room, reflecting the more relaxed and convivial feel that Rafael and Charlie wanted for the restaurant.
The concept grew out of the wider Da Terra group. In opening coverage, Rafael described Maré as a restaurant that brings high-quality ingredients and innovative techniques into a setting that feels welcoming and accessible, while Charlie has led the front-of-house side with the same service-led ethos that helped define Da Terra.
Ewan Waller’s cooking style
At Maré, Ewan’s cooking reflects Rafael Cagali’s Brazilian-Italian heritage, his world-class training and the restaurant’s strong links to Sussex producers. The menu moves from small bites and snacks through to crudo, larger plates and desserts, with dishes such as Dorset crab crumpet, aged sea bass crudo, Freedown Hills picanha and baba au cachaça all used to express that mix of precision and warmth.
The restaurant also offers a Taste of Maré menu and a set lunch, giving the kitchen room to show both its technical control and its more approachable side. Michelin’s listing describes Maré as a warm, intimate neighbourhood restaurant where the produce is top quality and the cooking has real finesse, which fits the style Ewan now leads.
Michelin star at Maré
In February 2026, Maré was awarded its first Michelin star. The recognition came in the restaurant’s debut year and marked a major milestone not only for Rafael and Charlie, but also for Ewan in his first head chef role.
The award also underlined the strength of the team that has come through Da Terra. Rafael and Charlie had already built one of London’s most respected restaurants, and at Maré they handed day-to-day kitchen leadership to Ewan, whose progression from Da Terra commis chef to Michelin-starred head chef is central to the story of the restaurant.
Ewan Waller at Maré by Rafael Cagali
Today, Ewan Waller leads one of the south coast’s most significant new Michelin-starred restaurants.
At Maré, he has helped translate the standards and thinking behind Da Terra into a restaurant that feels more relaxed, more coastal and more rooted in Sussex, while still carrying serious technical quality.
With one Michelin star now attached to Maré by Rafael Cagali, Ewan’s profile has taken a major step forward.
His rise from Westminster Kingsway student to Michelin-starred head chef has come quickly, but the progression through Da Terra and into Maré shows a clear path built on trust, consistency and strong technique.
Other Michelin Star Chefs
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