Mentioned by SquareMeal
24 of the best fish and seafood restaurants London has to offer
"It's part of London's vast culinary mythology, and it feels a bit like stepping back in time to Covent Garden's theatrical heyday. J Sheekey offers a cornucopia of the city's freshest seafood in a darkly lit, brass embellished ambience which is perfect for highbrow romancing or laid back business dealings. Start with scallops in a halfshell with garlic and chilli for £17.50, and move on to a grilled Dover sole with bearnaise for £39.50."
"Restaurants British Covent Garden. J Sheekey lures lovers in with its red canopies on St Martin’s Court. What could appeal more than the chance to knock back a plate of native oysters overlooked by photos of the finest stars of stage and screen?"
"Restaurants British Moorgate. Bordered by lavender bushes and olive trees, Michelin-starred Angler’s chic outdoor terrace has a retractable roof that shields diners from summer rain and winter chills. Sip premium cocktails while scoffing big-money seafood snacks – Porthilly oysters, Cornish sea-bass tartare, Alaskan king crab cromesquis."
"The Michelin-starred seafood restaurant specialises in all kids of fishy food options, turning your garden variety cod into something spectacular. For lunch, you’ve got to go for their set menu for two courses from £30 or three courses from £34, with an optional wine pairing from £20. That’s super affordable for Michelin-star dining."
"This Mayfair institution has long been famed for its glorious terrace, where the tables have always been suitably distanced and heaters keep you warm as you sup oysters and crack into the freshest seafood around. For the reopening, the team has collaborated with Perrier-Jouët Champagne, so guests can rest assured the finest cuvees will be on offer."
"There's nothing like a seafood platter to get romance flowing, and Scott's certainly delivers with its gargantuan plate of crustaceans – you can even add lobster for a little extra. Other delicacies at this fish-focused restaurant include skate wing, monkfish and halibut."
"Scott’s is a London restaurant that holds fast against its glamour and quality fading, with its terrace still one of the most coveted reservations in the city and its seafood cookery still some of the most outstanding."
"The Wright Brothers have made seafood many things: sustainable, curated, and very cool. Embedded in Spitalfields Market within a stone's throw of folksy menswear boutiques and the vintage racks, The Wright Brothers seem to have absorbed the identity of the east for their latest addition to their set of restaurants and oyster bars. But all that brassy, stylish veneer hasn't distracted from the Wright Brothers's commitment to taste and sustainability."
"The Wright Bros. chain is one of our favourites, as they serve seafood of consistently high quality. They also have an oyster happy hour period from 3pm-6pm every day when you can guzzle oysters for £1 each (farmed on their own Cornish Duchy oyster farm), which is the best way to spend an afternoon we can think of right now. We enjoyed a full fruit de mer platter at the Spitalfields branch and have never felt happier."
"What:Wright Brothers has earnt such a name for itself in the Capital over the past few years that is now has no less than five outposts. Still renowned for serving up some of London’s best oysters, other top shouts at Wright Brothers include a smoky mackerel pate, buttery potted shrimps and sublimely handled turbot, or you can choose from a range of daily specials.Where: Various locations"
"Covent Garden — London’s tightly packed, brightly hit hub of pubs, cobbles, and theatres — is about as far from coastal tranquility as it’s possible to get. That’s before stepping into Parsons, accurately self-described as unassuming — the kind of unassuming that betrays quiet, rigid confidence in the seafood offer. Squid with inky rice, honking potted shrimp croquettes, and a whispering sea trout tartare with brisk Bloody Mary jelly: start here, and continue."
"What: If there was one word to describe Covent Garden’s Parsons, it would be unassuming. It would be easy to miss the small seafood joint, owned by the team behind The 10 Cases over the road, but venture inside and you’ll be treated to some delightful cookery. Setting the scene with green and white fishmonger-style tiles, Parsons has a jolly persona."
"Restaurants Seafood Covent Garden"
"Eat and explore at the same time with London Shell Co., a canal boat restaurant serving British seafood while travelling along Regent’s Canal. Enjoy Dorset Estuary oysters, battered mackerel with tartare sauce and baked brill with crab bisque while cruising past some of London’s most iconic landmarks, from London Zoo to Regent’s Park. If you fancy something a little more static, you can eat on the boat Tuesday to Friday lunchtime when it’s docked at Paddington Central."
"Dinner on board The Prince Regent with The London Shell Co means not one view, but countless. The barge-based restaurant runs cruising dinners, during which diners can enjoy expertly sourced British seafood dishes as they travel via the capital’s canals from Paddington to Camden and back again. From leafy canal paths to landmarks including London Zoo and Regent’s Park, dining here is to see the capital from a different perspective."
"Go one step further than a waterside view, and take your date onto the canal for a scenic boat ride while they tuck into dinner. It's not just the romantic setting that is the draw here - the food really is exceptional, with British seafood taking centre stage among an internationally influenced menu. You just might want to check your other half doesn't get seasick before you step on board."
"Restaurants American Soho. Like it says on the tin, you know where you are with the flashily decorated Burger & Lobster chain. Hand-minced burgers (made with Nebraskan beef) and lobsters (shipped over from Nova Scotia) are the star attractions, with back-up from lobster rolls, oysters and other affordably luxurious hits."
"Like it says on the tin, you know where you are with the flashily decorated Burger & Lobster chain. Hand-minced burgers and lobsters (shipped over from Nova Scotia) are the headliners, with backup from lobster rolls, ‘beast’ combos and other affordably luxurious hits. Flagship site: 29 Clarges Street, W1J 7EF"
"OK, now we know this next suggestion for the best desserts in London, isn’t a restaurant or cafes – but if you’re looking for an amazing dessert on-the-go, then I don’t think you can top Ben’s Cookies for deliciousness and price. Yummy, gooey, tasty cookies that dreams are made of."
"‘Ting’ is derived from the Chinese word for living room, but there can’t be many front rooms that boast the views enjoyed by guests to this restaurant on the 35th-storey of the Shangri-La at the Shard hotel. But whilst the views and the light, chrome-bright, modernist atmosphere are very undomestic, the welcome is genuinely warm: the waiting staff have a skip in their step and an effusively charmant manner. As for the contemporary British menu devised by Jeremy Brown, it is based on simple, seasonal dishes and is ooh-inspiringly pretty and satisfyingly tasty, with intriguing (and successful) wine pairings suggested for each dish."
"Ting Restaurant is part of the Shangri-La Hotel in The Shard and offers perhaps the most Instagrammable afternoon tea in London. Set on the 35th floor of The Shard it provides phenomenal views over London which are Insta-worthy enough by themselves. However, then add to it the cutest afternoon tea set up and you’ve got everything you need for that perfect, quintessentially London photo!"
"The array of cakes and desserts displayed in the windows of Ottolenghi delis across town is awe-inspiring. You can’t really go wrong with the cakes, which change daily, but if you can get it go for a passion fruit meringue tart and the cheesecakes are perfection – we enjoyed a salted caramel and hazelnut one. The Spitalfields location is the biggest Ottolenghi venue."
"If you fancy something a little less sweet (no sprinkles here, thank you very much), make a trip to one of Yotam's four delis around London. They're just as good at homemade jams and chutneys there as they are at swirly-strawberry meringues."
"A biscuit isn’t quite a dessert – unless it’s in the hands of Cutter & Squidge, that is. Enter the Biskie, the Soho bakery’s signature dessert which sees two discs of a cake-cookie hybrid sandwich an array of flavoured creamy fillings. The chocolate s’more version is filled with buttercream and a handmade marshmallow, while the blueberry cheesecake version layers jam, cheesecake cream and a wedge of digestive biscuit."
"Nestled in the heart of Soho lives Cutter & Squidge, artisan cake makers who specialise in extravagance and wonder. Serving up slices of uniquely flavoured and decorated cakes along with their signature Biskie - a mix of cake, biscuit and cookie topped with marshmallow, buttercream and other goodies - it’s a one-of-a-kind shop in London. And it’s not just for the dairy eaters and gluten-friendly."
"You'd be bonkers not to try one of their famous 'Biskies' (a merge between a cake and a biscuit - v moreish) while sitting in their secret garden."