London is indeed a richly woven gastronomic tapestry, dotted with countless authentic cuisines that entice hearty foodies and discerning epicureans around the world. Seafood lovers, in particular, are in for a treat.
Home to the River Thames and bounded by several seaside villages, London's fish food landscape is as vibrant as it can get. Restaurateurs have brilliantly capitalised on the abundance of quality seafood produce, making London a haven for crustacean aficionados. From the humble cod and chips to majestic seafood platters, fish lovers are spoilt for choice.
Read on to uncover the best fish restaurants in London.
J.Sheekey
Iconoclastic ruby-red walls, theatrical legacy, jazz elegance, and delectable fish define this Michelin-recommended seafood restaurant.
Born of dramatic fanfare, J. Sheekey’s started out by catering for Prime Minister Lord Salisbury’s post-theatre parties. The interiors are suffused with theatrical flamboyance, with the sultry scarlet frontage, tufted velvet sofas, a handsome horseshoe-shaped bar, and a colossal wall of fame. Given that it’s still a haven for Hollywood celebrities and distinguished theatre revellers, the ambience bears an air of effortless glamour.
Among other sea offerings, J. Sheekey’s prides itself on unrivalled Dover sole and shellfish. Their signature “fish of the day” brings in throngs of well-heeled seafood enthusiasts.
Orasay
Orasay, a Michelin-recommended joint, is a neighbourhood seafood bistro dedicated to bringing premium seafood to London’s minted west end.
A modish, elevated ambience is crafted with exposed brick walls, minimalistic light pendants, and sparkling white walls. The restaurant is awash in wood, from the untreated flooring to the lattice-baked chairs, enhancing the contemporary restraint in design.
The quality of produce is excellent, bestowing dishes with unique aromas and tantalising palates. Wood-grilled mackerel, wood-grilled monkfish, and fried cod bun with sriracha are some of their high-rated meals starring fresh British fish, all exuding homely warmth with a posh flourish.
Sweetings
An authentic Victorian oyster bar, Sweetings is a time capsule capturing fine dining from simpler times past. Not much has changed in its 100-year legacy – humble fish, quick service, and unmatched flavours characterise the restaurant.
The Grade II-listed building shines bright in royal blue, while the interiors encompass warm beige walls, retro bistro stools, dated wooden panelling, floating shelves, and asymmetrically littered antique portraits. Aesthetically homely, simple yet unabashedly outmoded, guests are prepped for a grand, traditional English feast.
Fish is picked daily with utmost care and features in dishes that are tried, true, and sublime. Sweeting’s specialties include halibut, dover sole, wild turbot, and the iconic chef’s fish pie.
Randall & Aubin
A landmark seafood restaurant in London, Randall and Aubin started out as a prestigious butcher shop in 1911. It was the ultimate spot for succulent cuts and, therefore, popular among London’s elite. Notably, the establishment still possesses handwritten meat recipes they had curated for Sir Winston Churchill.
The restaurant has held onto its butcher shop roots by retaining its original meat hooks and wooden partitions. A dash of eccentricism has been woven into the dingy restaurant by adding a gargantuan disco ball to the foyer’s ceiling. The atmosphere, a quirky meet-cute between grisly old and ostentatious new, is certainly memorable.
The ever-evolving seasonal menu is heavily inspired by British and French cuisine, with phenomenal, experimental bites. The fish section, featuring roasted miso hake, grilled Atlantic cod, bouillabaisse, and grilled line-caught tuna, is certainly popular among selective pescatarians.
Scott's
Scott’s is an elegant, honey-hued seafood restaurant ensconced in the gilded heart of Mayfair. A Michelin-recommended establishment, Scott’s has become an institution in the West End.
Scott’s has taken old-world glam to a whole new level, with luxuriant gold detailing, intricate glass work, and byzantine patterns. Hundreds of bespoke glass ornaments, from panels to cornices and skirting, have been skilfully incorporated into the palatial quarters, with antique gold finishes. The merry cacophony of bold designs, featuring jaunty tile work, monumental mediaeval paintings, baroque pillars, gilt wallpaper, and textured tapestries, ooze discerning decadence and unabashed superfluity.
Brazen luxury personified, Scott’s seafood certainly measures up. Besides the signature fish of the day, gems such as the John Dory fillet, goujons of Cornish sole, blackened miso salmon, and halibut fillet are on the menu. A favourite of the likes of Steven Spielberg, James Corden, Ridley Scott, and Kate Moss, Scott’s has certainly enraptured the hearts of showbiz’s creme-de-la-creme.
Fish and Bubbles
At Fish and Bubbles, you can expect delightful marine eats with a zingy Italian twist.
Mosaic-tiled tables, fresh Mediterranean colours, distressed picture frames, and cutesy bistro chairs doll up the Notting Hill establishment. An utterly Italian experience, the atmosphere is romantic and fashionably laid-back. Indeed, this intimate restaurant is an eternal summer escape in Britain’s rain-soaked cityscape.
Fish and Bubbles’ signature dish is their namesake fish extravaganza, featuring Prosecco-battered cod on a sumptuous bed of salad. The “SalmoNami” (salmon tartare with burrata) and “spadino” (swordfish cutlet) have also received critical and commercial acclaim.
The Sea, The Sea
The Sea, The Sea is an elegant fishmonger by day and seafood bar by night, located in the heart of Chelsea.
Industrial minimalism is the core of the restaurant’s aesthetic, exemplifying its high-end allure. Unfinished painted walls, suspended corked bottles holding sealife miniatures, and simplistic floating shelves pepper the interiors.
Eating at The Sea, The Sea is a highly exclusive affair, with an intimate seafood bar terrace and a cosy chef’s table as dining options. There’s no standard menu, as a new rapporteur is crafted daily based on the day’s catch and produce. Mackerel with tomato miso, lobster terrine, and salmon sashimi are some dishes that have been highly lauded by customers this past year.
Olivomare
Sardinian sea grub and authentic vino galore, Olivomare is a high-end, Belgravia-bred restaurant.
This restaurant boasts an incredibly singular aesthetic. With a full-wall greyscale fish mural in an otherwise all-white establishment, Olivomare’s interiors are wildly inventive and full of character, a class apart from the affluent neighbourhood's sophisticated modesty.
However, like a typical west-end restaurant, the dishes cost a pretty penny and are certainly worth the ransom. The extensive menu presents stand-out marvels such as “carpacci di mare” (thin raw slices of swordfish and tuna with lemon and chives), “spaghetti alla bottarga” (spaghetti with Sardinian grated grey mullet roe), and “cassola di pesce” (Sardinian fish and shellfish stew). With a bellini or two, this fish bar is certainly one to remember.
Parsons
An honest-to-goodness bistro, Parsons takes pride in its splendid fresh fish produce and its dynamic, innovative menu.
Raw and unpretentious, Parsons is entirely devoid of frills in its decor as well as its food. The produce is taken from the boat, cooked with lightning speed, and served straight to the customer. Unlike other upscale restaurants, Parsons serves generous portions that are soaked in sauce and heavily seasoned.
Needless to say, the extremely small window between fish’s capture and service certainly injects the food with distinctive flavours and fragrances. Staggeringly fresh and peerlessly piscatorial, Parsons is the ultimate fishmonger for conscientious pescatarians.
As a landlocked city, the copiousness of fresh fish in London is pleasantly surprising. That, married with London’s elevated hospitality industry and Michelin-calibre chefs, indeed make for an idealised seafood retreat. Take time to indulge in the briny bounties of the British Isles.
