This is one of the many articles in the Mercury’s Holiday Issue 2026. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.
Marée does not need my good review to get people through its charming doors.
Open for just over three months now, Marée brings seafood and Willamette Valley seasonality via the beaches of Barcelona and Normandy—and diners have been shoaling like minnows. It makes sense why: Marée’s one-page menu is filled almost entirely with bangers that deliver occasion-worthy taste at a price point that also makes it a nice casual weekday stop.
Marée, which means “tide” in French, is part of a new wave of restaurants opening on Northeast 30th and Killingsworth after a lot of devastating closures. It occupies the space long held by the beloved Dame, while neighbors Estes and Gabby’s Next Door are also relative newcomers to this storied epicurean corner.
Owner Garrett McAleese, who is behind the also buzzy Fantino on Southeast Division, is on the floor most nights, making sure things are moving swimmingly, while chef Jarrott Moonitz keeps it humming in the back. My preference is to arrive just before their 5 pm opening to catch the first turn; Marée does not take reservations, and I’m never trying to wait for a table.
The starters kick off with a bang. The top of the menu is usually a spot these days where your order might be $5, but you get a slightly enlarged amuse bouche. Here, a $4 tomato toast with anchovy is an ample slice of grilled sourdough piled with a summer-savory tomato puree and a full fish fillet, doused with good olive oil. It’s perfect to share for two. Similarly, the crispy squid comes as an overflowing cup of lightly-battered rings, mixed with fried fennel and just-a-little-spicy guindilla peppers.
The Rita Hayworth cocktail makes the ideal companion to start—a gloriously dirty martini made with your choice of gin or vodka (go with gin, you cowards), mixed with a housemade brine and a green gordal olive stuffed with anchovy. Fucking heaven. The other drinks are also great, but Ms. Hayworth holds my heart.
Keep an eye on the specials board when strategizing your next moves. A recent charred cabbage wedge was resplendent in almond slices and vinaigrette. There will be some sort of produce paired with Spanish jamón. In late summer, it was with melons and serranos, while in mid-fall, generous slices were piled atop ripe pears with a chile-spiked dressing and chopped hazelnuts. I normally wouldn’t order that last concoction, but I’m so glad I did.
As you plan your next phase of ordering, go for a side of the gratin made with a decadent mornay sauce with comté cheese, baked up with pasta in the shape of twisted sailor’s knots that capture each cheesy drip perfectly. The mussel escabeche brings more toast into the mix, this time with fat mollusks laid atop green chili aioli and topped with pops of orange roe.
Take time with the wines, many hailing from France and Spain. A recent glass pour of Chablis was so crisp with some minerality, and would work great with the popular Spanish bomba rice with clams. The kinki rockfish arrives on the most gorgeously verdant sauce. The only item that didn’t hit during my visits was the most expensive on the menu: a $60 16-ounce T-bone steak with an ample dollop of crazy-rich Roquefort butter, which was ordered medium rare but arrived well done. This was clocked by McAleese, who made sure the next try arrived to temp. But it’s still a rather thinly cut steak, and just doesn’t feel worth the splurge when up against better entrees that are half the price.
At dessert, a burnt Basque cheesecake comes with fig slices and honey, feeling more like an ancient Greek offering to the gods than the cherry atop a great meal.
In this economy, we’ll take our wins where we can, and Marée is a triumphant return to form for Northeast Killingsworth. The neighborhood’s dining scene has taken its fair share of hits, but the tide is officially turning.
2930 NE Killingsworth, Wed-Thur 5-9 pm, Fri-Sat 5-10 pm, mareeportland.com, @mareeportland
