Liz Berle, center, talks with John Stevens, second from left, while they dine at the bar at Magnus on Water on a recent Friday. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

When Chef Rafael Zimmerman took over the kitchen at Biddeford’s acclaimed craft cocktail bar and small plates restaurant, Magnus on Water, in October 2023, the Water Street venue took a hard left turn into Peruvian-inspired cuisine.

“We knew it was bold, and quite a big risk to take,” said beverage director and co-owner (along with managing partner Julia Russell) Brian “Cat” Catapang.

Born in Lima, Peru, and raised in Pennsylvania, Zimmerman had previously worked at Portland’s Artemsia Cafe under Chef Guy Frenette. In 2021, Zimmerman launched The Lost Llama, a pop-up dinner series around Greater Portland showcasing Peruvian classics like lomo saltado and ceviche, as he sought to find his own “culinary voice.”

After two tryout sessions in the fall of 2023, Zimmerman won over the Magnus team. They hired him to replace Chef Ben Jackson, whose seasonal and ingredient-driven dishes like sherry-steamed littleneck clams and sugar snap peas with goat cheese, mint and country ham had won the restaurant plenty of praise over the previous two years.

But before unveiling the new menu, the entire Magnus staff taste-tested Zimmerman’s dishes repeatedly. At first, they tweaked the food in an effort to lure area customers, while still respecting his recipes’ Peruvian roots.

“What we ended up doing was, we just stopped thinking so much about what people are going to like, and started thinking about what we liked,” Catapang said. “We knew that even though the ingredients might read foreign to a lot of people, we trusted our team to be able to tell the story and sell these dishes, because we all spent so much time tasting and falling in love with them.”

Zimmerman’s tenure at Magnus could feel like an extended pop-up. The restaurant didn’t make concessions to Peru in its name or design aesthetic. But the staff’s full buy-in makes all the difference. Zimmerman incorporated their feedback into his dishes, and calls the food he now serves “a collaborative effort. It’s not just my dishes, it’s our dishes. It makes for an overall more cohesive team at Magnus.”

Judging by the food on a recent Thursday night, it’s clear the Magnus team has a truly excellent collective palate.

It’s hard to decide where to start praising Magnus on Water. My friend and I were enjoying ourselves even before our first sips of the outstandingly well-balanced cocktails, because the welcoming staff and the space’s appealing ambience set the tone from the start.

Anchored at the rear by a natural wood-top bar, the main dining room features minimalist design, a tasteful, neutral color scheme and modern Scandinavian-style lighting orbs hung from the blond wood ceiling. Catapang said the abundance of wood in the room is meant to reflect the woodsiness of Maine — while some reclaimed wood from former local mills is used here and there as a nod to local history. The warm glow it gives off makes the space feel intimate, even cozy. An adjacent “Yellowbird” lounge room is outfitted with a sofa, comfy chairs and a harvest table, while the large outdoor patio area seats about 100 in season.

General Manager Cherie Kahrman chats with Galen Cunning as she pours him wine. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

As a bar and restaurant, Magnus is comfortable with itself, self-assured without showiness or pretention. This winning attitude and relaxed charm shine through Catapang and his stellar staff, like the effervescent General Manager Cherie Kahrman, who also works as a server on slower nights. Kahrman radiates love for both her work and the food and drinks she brings you, and her joie de vivre is infectious.

Catapang explained that Magnus aims to distinguish its hospitality by letting servers be themselves. They don’t wear uniforms and they’re free to be a little playful, because he knows they’re consummate professionals who have learned the menu inside out. “People appreciate our bar and food, but what keeps them coming back every single time is the connections they make,” he said.

Don’t let him downplay the food and drinks, though, which at their best are downright exhilarating. The Scallop Tiradito ($21), a sashimi-style dish highlighting Peru’s Japanese fusion (Nikkei) cuisine, was unavailable the night we visited because the kitchen couldn’t get the kiwis needed for the leche de tigre sauce. Mildly disappointing, but no matter: After a couple bites of the Roasted Caraflex Cabbage ($16), Zimmerman’s Peruvian twist on Caesar salad, I caught myself involuntarily happy-dancing in my seat.

Roasted Caraflex cabbage at Magnus on Water. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

The whole, conical mini cabbage head comes to the table roasted tender, but still all dente at the core, with silky yolk- and anchovy-enriched Caesar dressing drizzled between the layers of leaves so every bite is fully dressed. The dressing is spiked with a judicious amount of aji amarillo chile pepper for a little background heat. A dusting of powder made from locally foraged black trumpet mushrooms echoes the cabbage’s earthiness and brings umami depth, while finely grated salt-cured egg yolk and a downy coating of microplaned Parmigiano-Reggiano adds to the richness and balances the dressing’s lemony brightness. For crunch, Zimmerman scatters toasted sunflower seeds on the bottom of the shallow bowl. His skill in balancing flavors and textures is on full display here, a surefire gateway dish for anyone averse to cabbage, or even Caesar salad.

Another special small plate on the tightly focused food menu (seven small plates, three entrees and one dessert) is Charred Branzino ($21), Zimmerman’s riff on Peruvian fish stew. Farmed branzino fillet — mild, delicate and almost impossibly moist despite its torch-charred, aji-rubbed skin — is set atop deeply caramelized tomatoes and shallots in a seafood bisque-like sauce I could have eaten by the bowlful. Piquant and vaguely reminiscent of puttanesca, the pureed sauce gets some brightness from cilantro stems, savory notes from oyster sauce and a little tangy funk from chicha de jora (a Peruvian fermented corn drink). More happy-dancing.

Charred Branzino, with aji amarillo-rubbed skin. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Papa Huancaina ($16) is a classic Peruvian appetizer that’s become a signature dish at Magnus, on the menu year-round. The thick, golden huancaina sauce — a blend of yellow chiles, queso fresco, alliums and evaporated milk — hews to the traditional. The heat level gets your attention (the dish is accompanied by flame icons on the menu), but it won’t make you lunge for your water glass. Instead of draping the cheese sauce over the customary peeled, boiled potatoes, though, Zimmerman goes with nicely salted, deep-fried Peruvian purple fingerlings that lend delectable crunch. He finely chops the usual accoutrements — hard-boiled egg, onion and botija olives — for better distribution. As with the cabbage dish, each bite feels complete.

Zimmerman upgrades the traditional Peruvian Papa Huancaina, a signature dish on his menu. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Kahrman worked with Catapang to craft the wine list at Magnus, a smart mix of Old and New World, familiar offerings and fresh finds (bottles run $39-$89, with a selection of wines by the glass for $16 each). And on nights when she’s not too busy, she’ll gladly talk you through potential pairings, as she did with our table, and even provide samples of the by-the-glass wines — all the more reason to visit Magnus now, before high season kicks in. She steered us to a lovely new discovery, the jammy, juicy Guardians Saperavi from the country of Georgia that made a delicious match for the lush, hearty Pepper-Braised Oxtail ($36).

“We try to keep our flavors and food very approachable, creating dishes that will remind you of something you’ve definitely had in your life before,” Zimmerman said, and they’ve succeeded again with this one. Succulent oxtails from Pineland Farms in New Gloucester bathe in meaty sauce, flavored with raisiny aji panca, cinnamon and clove. Crisp, pickled shallots cut through the richness, fried smashed purple potatoes add an airy, almost crouton-like crunch and Maine Grains polenta touched with cider vinegar lends creaminess and tang. You don’t need to be familiar with Latin cuisine to appreciate the beef stew-type hominess of this deeply satisfying dish.

Pepper-braised oxtail, flavored with raisiny aji panca, delivers the hominess of beef stew. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Arroz con Leche ($14) is a dessert Zimmerman’s mom used to make for him when he was young. It’s pure comfort: warm-spiced, jasmine rice pudding covered with a layer of crunchy pecan- and pepita-studded granola. Zimmerman uses the purple corn beverage chicha morada to plump dried apricots, cherries and prunes before thickening the liquid into a glossy, fruity mazamorra jam to top the granola. The sweetness is restrained, and the dish would in fact make a killer breakfast treat — what a yogurt parfait wants to be when it grows up.

Catapang’s Old Money cocktail ($17), his nuanced riff on an old-fashioned, features the caramelized, nutty flavors of bourbon and fat-washed brown butter rum, with subtle almond essence notes from noyaux (peach pit kernel, from locally grown peaches) and warm bitterness from a touch of Angostura. We drank it before our meal, though it would also be a fantastic nightcap.

After dinner, try the Old Money cocktail. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

By contrast, Black Mamba ($14) excels as an aperitivo. “It’s like if a highball and a margarita had a baby,” Kahrman said. The drink blends blanco tequila with pear eau de vie from Bartlett Spirits of Gouldsboro and syrup made from macerating citrus with caramelized sugar. Japanese yuzu soda provides palate-tickling bubbles and floral tartness. The hyper-local, wild blackberry sea salt rim for this refreshing, supremely sippable drink comes from salt that Catapang harvested from Biddeford Pool waters, infused with blackberries he picked in his own backyard.

Much like the food, the layers of flavor in the drinks are distinguishable, but work together in perfect harmony. No one component out-sings the others. Catapang’s bar program has received raves practically since Magnus opened in early 2020, so it’s no surprise that last spring they earned an “excellent” rating on the new international bar review system, The Pinnacle Guide, becoming one of only 25 bars worldwide – and just six in the United States – to receive the honor.

Co-owner and Beverage Director Brian “Cat” Catapang makes a cocktail behind the bar. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

An evening at Magnus can get spendy, though prices are generally in line with other high-end tapas and small plates restaurants in Portland. Our bill for two totaled $175, including tax and tip, for three drinks and five dishes. We had plenty to eat, and took leftovers home in boxes. But it would be nice to see some lower-priced shareable dishes and wines by the glass mixed into the offerings, to match the balance so evident elsewhere.

Still, with operating costs higher than ever since the pandemic and continuing to rise, we’re all going to need to get used to paying a little more at restaurants, particularly the top-quality venues that prioritize sustainable sourcing and compensating staff fairly.

It’s especially worth it when a team with such a keen sense of direction moves in lockstep to present its vision. Magnus on Water took a hard turn toward Peru, and they’re headed for El Dorado now.

RATING: ****
WHERE: 12 Water St., Biddeford. 207-494-9052. magnusonwater.com
SERVING: 5-10 p.m. Thursday-Sunday
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers and small plates: $14-$21. Larger plates: $24-$36
NOISE LEVEL: Moderate
VEGETARIAN: Some dishes
RESERVATIONS: Recommended, but walk-ins welcomed
BAR: Beer, wine and cocktails
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

BOTTOM LINE: Magnus on Water switched from ingredient-driven, farm-to-table fare to Peruvian-inspired food when they brought on Chef Rafael Zimmerman in late 2023. It was a bold move. But Zimmerman and the highly appealing Magnus staff crafted a tight menu of thoughtfully constructed small plates and entrees that introduces customers to new dishes and ingredients while reminding them of familiar foods. Don’t miss the Caesar-like Roasted Caraflex Cabbage, Charred Branzino or the Pepper-Braised Oxtail. Also, the Papa Huancaina — Zimmerman’s smart upgrades to the Peruvian classic make it his signature dish for good reason. For dessert, Arroz con Leche is a bowl of pure comfort. Co-owner Brian Catapang’s bar program delivers exceptionally well-balanced cocktails with layers of flavor that work in harmony, as in the refreshing, crisp Black Mamba aperitivo. Nice as it will be to sit on the outdoor patio area at Magnus after Memorial Day, head down there now before it gets really busy to fully appreciate the outstanding service and personalized attention from General Manager Cherie Kahrman and her staff.

Ratings follow this scale and take into consideration food, atmosphere, service and value and type of restaurant (a casual bistro will be judged as a casual bistro, an expensive upscale restaurant as such):

* Poor
** Fair
*** Good
**** Excellent
***** Extraordinary.

The Maine Sunday Telegram visits each restaurant once; if the first meal was unsatisfactory, the reviewer returns for a second.