About Bia Mara
Our idea came to us in our local pub over a pint of the black stuff of course! We could see an opening for Seafood at the local farmers' markets so we created “Bia Mara” (Seafood in the Irish Language). We wanted to use Mackerel but soon noticed that younger Irish were not interested in this old-school Dublin favourite so we had the idea to spice things up. Soon after we started selling our Cajun Spiced Mackerel we had a queue around the block. This confirmed to us that fish and chips could be incredibly versatile but seem to always be the same everywhere with just different levels of quality.
The next step for us was an amazing opportunity to open in the amazing city of Brussels and for sure we dropped everything and jumped at the chance to have our first location after only three months cooking on the stall. When we had our brand new kitchen we started experimenting and so our menu was transformed into a bigger selection of Panko’s and Tempura’s and more importantly a wider range of underrated fish to get folk eating more species! The magical pairing of Belgian Beer elevated our concept to a new level so thank you Belgium!
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After a year of amazing press, we fell in love with the wonderful city of Antwerp where we opened a beautiful new location on the Grote Markt in the Historic Centrum of Antwerp. Soon after, we also opened a new location in Brussels at Place de Londres, where we took our restaurant to a whole new level with a takeaway window and a very large summer terrace.
We have plans to expand into Amsterdam, Dublin and who knows where else!
The Bia Mara Team!
Our Mission and Vision
Born on the streets of Dublin with one simple idea - evolve fish and chips to something different. Our goal is to show everybody that fish and chips can be made using any species from our beautiful ocean. Less demand for specific fish can only help the harmony of the ocean. Our first summer we sold Cajun Spiced Panko Mackerel with Lemon Cajun Sauce and our now famously different Seaweed Salted Chips! This inspired us to create over 60 recipes in the coming years including:
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Lemon & Basil infused Tempura of Sea bream with Garlic Truffle
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Lime Mint & Wasabi infused Tempura of Flounder with a Basil & Chilli Sauce
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Jamaican Jerk Panko Pollock with Chipotle Sauce
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Indian Spiced Panko Hake with Curry Lime Sauce
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Ethiopian Berbere Red Gurnard with a Berbere Sweet Potato Ketchup
At our restaurant, we are resolute in our dedication to continuous innovation, committed to sourcing responsibly, and passionate about serving only the freshest seasonal fish. We proudly collaborate with forward-thinking fisheries, ensuring transparency in our products that aligns seamlessly with our vision. Our goal is to revolutionize the culinary landscape by broadening the spectrum of fish species, challenging the norm, and inspiring future generations to anticipate a diverse array of options at their local fish & chip shop. We actively work against overfishing, promoting sustainable practices to ensure a better, more diverse catch that safeguards the health of our oceans for generations to come.
