Seafood
KIMA
Andreas Labridis and Nikos Roussos, the co-owners of Greek restaurants OPSO, INO and Pittabun, have brought a bit of the Greek coastline to Marylebone with their fourth spot, seafood restaurant Kima, named after the Greek word for wave. You’ve heard of nose-to-tail cookery, Kima runs on the fish equivalent philosophy, fin-to-gill cookery. Using various fish butchery and dry ageing techniques ensures that not only do all parts of the fish get used, they get used in inventive and interesting ways, offering a wider variety of flavours and textures for us diners. You can select what you like the look of from the fish counter and then have various cuts of that fish prepared in different ways, or you can order from Kima’s a la carte menu, which features some of the dry-aged fish amongst the different dishes. The raw fish (we had bream on our visit) with olive oil, lemon and thyme is a stunner, and don’t miss the chargrilled octopus, yellowtail shank with a fricassee of greens and the 75 dot seaweed millefeuille, where the typical puff pastry is swapped out for caramelised nori.
THE MELUSINE
From the same duo behind the (now closed) Greek Larder, Theodore Kyriakou and Wade Munford, The Melusine is a seafood restaurant centred around a menu of exceptional quality fish and shellfish. Located inside the Grade II-listed Ivory House, the restaurant is bright and airy, with an open kitchen that serves up the likes of grilled cuttlefish, new season lamb, garlic flower tzatziki, chickpeas and capers; whole octopus tentacle, fava, capers, mesclun leaves and citrus dressing; crab risotto with melon seeds and fennel top; taramasalata, breakfast radishes, watercress, and squid ink shallots; and a raw selection including rock and native oysters, clams and crab.
J SHEEKEY
A seafood stalwart that has been feeding the hungry people of Covent Garden since 1896, J. Sheekey is a real West End institution. You can see the history of the red-fronted restaurant on the walls with the photographs of all the stars that have passed through and you can feel it in the old-fashioned service, all suited waiters, silver dishes and white tablecloths. The menu is full of classics, from fish pie to lobster thermidor to king prawn & avocado cocktail, alongside a number of Asian-inspired dishes. If you want to push the boat out, you can’t beat one of their impressive shellfish platters stacked with oysters, clams, dressed crab, langoustine, and prawns.
MILOS
If you want to splash the cash on some seafood, Milos (which also has sites in Montreal, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Cabos, and Athens) is the place to come. It’s an upmarket restaurant with a focus on seafood and high-end takes on traditional dishes you’d find across Greece. It’s a pretty grand dining room, with high ceilings, white tablecloths, lots of marble and a big fish counter displaying the fresh catch in all its glory. There’s a raw bar and a cured fish selection, while the options on the counter can be grilled, poached with veggies, fried or baked in sea salt. Aside from the fish, don’t miss the Milos special, a big stack of thin slices of fried courgette and aubergine with tzatziki and kefalograviera cheese, the gigantes and the steamed wild greens.
OYSTER SHACK & SEAFOOD BAR
If you find yourself in Epping Forest any time between Thursday and Sunday, you’re in luck because you’ll likely be within walking distance of the Oyster Shack & Seafood Bar, a fishy little spot tucked around the side of the Kings Oak Hotel. Whether the raw bar is your thing, or you’re more into grilled fish, or you’ve worked up the appetite for a platter while walking in the woods, the Shack’s got you covered. The star of the show is their raved-about bacon and scallop butty – likely to be a hit with even the most avid seafood avoiders among us.
BEHIND
Even if you’ve never been to Behind in London Fields before, you may well have heard of it – the restaurant made headlines back in 2020 when it won a Michelin star after being open for just 20 days, and it’s still going strong. The restaurant is set up around sweeping semi-circular bar surrounding an open kitchen, with 18 spots around the counter, each with a front row seat to watch the chefs prepare and serve the dishes. Behind is all about fish and seafood, sustainability sourced from across the UK via suppliers such as Broadway Market’s Fin & Flounder, with dishes including mackerel and kaki sorrel with prawn consomme; Cornish skate wing with onions, olives and sea lettuce; and gilt-head bream with girolles and a vin jaune sauce. We’d really recommend the wine pairing too for a special occasion treat that doesn’t involve journeying into central.
GODDARD & GIBBS
British seafood spot Goddard & Gibbs is one of the six restaurants and bars inside One Hundred Shoreditch, the hotel that’s taken over the spot where the Ace used to be. Headed up by chef Tom Moore, the restaurant is inspired by the fishing villages and seaside towns on England’s east coast and focuses on ethical sourcing from local suppliers. There’s a raw bar serving oysters, scallops and ceviche; dishes like Dorset shellfish lasagne, roasted skate wing with XO butter, cured mackerel sourdough crumpet, fried fillet of fish burger with kimchi, and a clay oven platter of crab, lobster, prawns and scallops on the main menu; and fun takes on childhood faves available to takeaway from the Hatch.
ISLA
Isla, the ground-floor restaurant at The Standard in King’s Cross, focuses on simple seasonal dishes. Most plates on the menu contain just two elements – there really aren’t any bells and whistles here, just stripped-back, confident cooking. There’s also an emphasis on seafood. Highlights include big fat oysters dressed with cider and dill, scallops topped with a rich and savoury XO, mussels in a creamy nduja sauce, and a soft and flaky lemon sole drenched in seaweed butter. Although Isla is the more relaxed restaurant at The Standard, compared to Decimo on the top floor, you’ll still end up spending a few quid here – something that comes with the territory of hotel restaurants – but it’s a great place to spend a few hours in King’s Cross, whether you’ve got a train to catch or not.
BACCALA
Named after the famous Italian salt cod dish, Baccala is the creation of four friends; sommelier Fabio de Nicola (previously of Hovarda, Oblix & Zuma Istanbul), head chef Moreno Polverini (previously at Four Seasons Hotel Group at Park Lane in London), Fabio’s designer wife Ilanit Ovadya, and Elif Taner Polverini, who is married to Moreno. It’s an intimate and charming restaurant of 30 covers, with an extra 20 in their downstairs space, counter seating at the open kitchen so you can see the chefs in action, and 14 seats outside for alfresco goals. The premise is simple, Italian seafood dishes made with love using the finest locally sourced produce. Baccala’s signature dishes include roasted octopus with colonnata lard on marinated bell peppers, olives & basil; roasted aubergine salad with walnuts & Vesuvian pink tomato; the mezze maniche with mussels, courgette flower & black cuttlefish; and the salted cod with sautéed escarole & yellow datterino.
RANDALL & AUBIN
As restaurants and shops come and go in London, it’s nice to know there are some places that have stuck it out and stood the test of time. Randall & Aubin on Brewer Street is one of those places: a Soho institution that was originally founded as a butcher’s shop in 1908 and, since being converted in 1996, it has been one of the area’s most popular restaurants. It’s a classic and cosy space, with many of the original shop fittings on display, with just a touch of ‘Soho’ with a giant mirror ball that hangs from the ceiling. The menu is as classic as the space with a range of beautiful seafood and meats from the grill, it doesn’t get much better than the huge fruits de mer, laden with oysters, crab, shrimp and much more.
LYON'S
Lyon’s is located in the rather nice village-y area of Crouch End. There’s a good calibre of people behind the restaurant, both front of house and in the kitchen, and the menu is scattered with modern, on-trend ingredients that elevate the seafood. Even the non-fishy dishes are well worth ordering like the crispy potatoes with curry sauce and polenta cubes with cured egg yolk. From the seafood selection though do not miss the pickled mussels on rye, an escabeche-style dish bursting with flavour. And you’ll want to order more bread to mop up that sauce. If the thyme ice-cream sandwich with pickled pear is on the menu, this is another banger; the encasing crispy pastry has a taste reminiscent of brandy snaps. Wine is well curated too and there’s some interesting English wines plus some cocktails if you’re going all in. It’s a restaurant well worth travelling to Crouch End for.
SWEETINGS
Sweetings is a City institution and has been for well over one hundred years, and it is old school to the max. You’ll find it in a Grade II-listed building on Queen Victoria Street standing alongside modern skyscrapers and slightly trendier eateries, but there’s something special about Sweetings. Open just for lunch from Monday to Friday, the seafood restaurant has dishes like smoked haddock & poached egg, bubble & squeak, fish pie, crab bisque, smoked eel, and steamed syrup pudding with custard on the menu. Eating here really is like stepping back in time.
SANTO MARE
Santo Mare is one of London’s high end seafood spots and it comes courtesy of restaurateur Andrea Reitano, who also has Caffe Rei in Mayfair and Osteria Romana in Knightsbridge. Santo Mare is all about premium (aka pricey) seafood served with an Italian twist. As well as the day’s catch displayed on counters, there’s a range of raw and hot dishes to choose from, including langoustine carpaccio, squid and chicory, salt-crusted seabass, cuttlefish and artichoke risotto, and gnocchi with red prawns and pecorino.
BOB'S LOBSTER
BOB’s Lobster made the jump from stall to perm site with a wine bar and kitchen unit in London Bridge station. Naturally their famous lobster rolls are on the menu alongside the likes of baked oysrters, tuna tacos, lobster mac ‘n’ cheese and fries with mussel chowder. And with Bedales of Borough helping on the wine front this is one you wanna get your claws into.
Seabird, the 14th floor rooftop restaurant and bar at The Hoxton Southwark has an incredible outdoor terrace with epic London views plus a beautiful indoor dining room and bar – it’s a pretty special spot. The restaurant boasts London’s largest oyster menu alongside a menu of dishes with Spanish and Portuguese influences. As well as a super selection of shellfish, the octopus roll with aioli, croquetas and the whole lobster rice also must-orders.
Even though we hope they’re not catching fish from the Thames, there’s something very satisfying about eating right by the water at the latest Wright Brothers restaurant by Battersea Power Station. This is their fifth restaurant in London and the location is pretty stunning, with an outdoor terrace right on the river. The seafood definitely doesn’t come from the Thames by the way. Long before they had any restaurants Wright Brothers started as a wholesaler and unsurprisingly, oysters are big on the menu here too, with a long list of different varieties and dressings on offer. The rest of the menu has a solid line up of fish and shellfish, with dishes such as hake fillet with a shrimp and lemon risotto and, our favourite, the halibut with a Thai-inspired nam jim sauce and Cornish mussels.
Parsons is a super cute fish shop from the team behind the very popular wine bar Ten Cases, which is just over the road. It resembles an old chop house and note that super cute also means tiny, although there’s some clever use of space like the coat rack attached to the ceiling and the central table that doubles as a wine chiller and till. The menu of super fresh seafood includes simple grilled prawns; sea trout tartare with Bloody Mary jelly; and octopus with duck fat potatoes. All bloody brilliant
Scott’s was originally opened as an oyster warehouse in 1851 by a young fishmonger by the name of John Scott and rapidly evolved into the now famous seafood restaurant and oyster bar. The menu reflects its impressive heritage, serving traditional fish and shellfish dishes alongside a variety of meat and seasonal game dishes in very posh Mayfair surrounds. Oysters, served at the elegant oyster and Champagne bar, are a house speciality. The outdoor terrace is a famous hangout for celebs too so you might even spot a few stars.