The Hoxton, Southwark opened at the start of September and as well as a ground floor restaurant and bar, Albie, it also has what is surely one of the best rooftops in London. The 14th floor rooftop restaurant and bar, Seabird, has an incredible outdoor terrace with epic London views plus a beautiful indoor dining room and bar – it’s a pretty special spot.
Things get even better when you know that Seabird is being headed up by none other than the team behind New York’s Maison Premiere, one of our favourite NYC spots (and on the World’s 50 Best Bars list). Founders Joshua Boissy and Krystof Zizka have created London’s largest oyster menu alongside a menu of dishes with Spanish and Portuguese influences.
Any meal at Seabird should start with some oysters and with Simon Lamont heading up the raw bar you’re in excellent hands. We started with a selection that included some of the best from around Ireland and the UK, with the big briny beasts from Jersey being particular highlight. There’s also langoustines, clams, and spider crab on offer, and if you want to go all out you can go for one of the epic shellfish seafood towers.
We’d also recommend going for a couple of the crudos to start. The tuna belly with gordal olives, tomato consommé, basil, and sherry is the standout choice here, along with the seabream, avocado and tobiko version. They are all beautifully presented too.
Then there’s the octopus roll, a thick tender octopus tentacle in a brioche roll and topped with sobrasada aioli. The creamy crab croquettes are a must order from the small plates section too, along with a plate of freshly sliced Spanish Iberico ham. A highlight from the main dishes is the whole John Dory, which easily served four people and comes smokey and crisp from the charcoal grill and is topped with a zingy salsa verde. For dessert don’t miss THAT San Sebastian-inspired Manchego cheesecake – it’s one of the best we’ve ever had.
Cocktails are of course on point too, with both classics and brand new London creations from one of the best bar teams around. Krystof’s wine selections are also spot on with a menu of bottles from Europe’s best small-scale producers.
Seabird is an epic spot, both in terms of the outdoor terrace and the beautiful interiors in the main dining room. It’s got a real buzz which definitely reminds us of being in New York and the food is the perfect match for the surroundings. We’re big fans already, and we think you will be too, so head up there soon to check it out.
40 Blackfriars Rd, South Bank, London SE1 8PB
@seabirdlondon |seabirdlondon.com