The story
Marea is an Italian seafood restaurant at 240 Central Park South in New York City, listed as Recommended by the Michelin Guide in 2026.
"Marea" means "tide" in Italian, and the menu follows the water. Executive Chef PJ Calapa leads a kitchen that devotes a full section to Crudi, sliced raw fish and shellfish. Yellowfin tuna comes with oyster crema and artichoke, and Pacific langoustine with crustacean oil and chive. Oysters arrive from British Columbia, Newfoundland and New York, and caviar is served with gougères, chips and brioche.
The coastal Italian cooking continues in the house-made pastas and risottos. Fusilli is tossed with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow. Spaghetti takes Manila clams, baby leek and peperoncino, and the risotto is made with lobster, hazelnut and brown butter. Among the mains are grilled branzino with leek, tomato and pine nut, and pan-seared Dover sole.
Forbes Travel Guide, which rated Marea Recommended in 2026, describes an upscale room that is less stuffy than most fine dining in the city. Bright colors in modern shapes fill the space, and large fish sit along the window sills. Servers will walk you through the long menu, and the wine list leans toward Italy.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
The Italian restaurant is known for its celebration of seafood (“Marea” means “tide” in Italian), whether it’s the all-raw “Crudi” menu — with dishes’ flavors increasing in intensity as you go down the menu — or the various treatments in the antipasti or principali.Though the restaurant is certainly upscale, it is considerably less stuffy than most other fine dining establishments in the city, with bright colors in modern shapes, seen in the décor of large fish along the window sills.Since the atmosphere is more relaxed, patrons also freely engage in conversation, creating a livelier atmosphere.In keeping with its Italian focus, Marea imports many of its wines from Italy: About 60 percent of its wine list comprises of wines from Northwest Italy and Southeastern France.The service at Marea is what makes you want to go back — and back again. Attentive servers will happily walk you through the large menu, explaining how to best navigate your decisions for the night.
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