Mentioned by Time Out London
London’s best outdoor dining
"This West End institution takes its name from market trader Josef Sheekey, who, in the 1890s, was granted permission by Lord Salisbury to serve fish and seafood in St Martin’s Court provided he supply after-theatre meals to Salisbury’s guests. More than a century on, it remains an established favourite with the capital’s glitterati, who you can often spot slurping oysters or tucking into the famous fish pie post performance. In 2008 it expanded to include the J Sheekey Atlantic Bar next door for a slightly less formal experience, featuring a buzzing open kitchen and ample outdoor seating for relaxed al fresco dining."
"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."
"J Sheekey has been at the centre of London's seafood scene since 1890 and continues to serve immaculately sourced and perfectly prepared seafood dishes, including their famous fish pie. However, for a romantic meal, share a fruits de mer platter for a feast of oysters, prawns, langoustines and crab. The restaurant itself has maintained its late-Victorian charm with panelled interiors that are intimate without being overbearing."
"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."
"South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, Moorgate, London, EC2M 2AF. The proud holder of a Michelin star, Angler in The City also boats an outdoor terrace and a stunning seafood-focused menu. Don’t skip a tartare to start and go all in on lobster for mains."
"Scott’s started out as an oyster bar in 1851, but it has since evolved into one of Mayfair’s iconic restaurants, and a reliable ‘banker’ for date nights, meetings, or even solo visits at the bar for oysters and champagne. Dover sole rightly remains a Scott’s classic, served either simply grilled or with a silky meunière sauce, expertly filleted at the table by one of the slick front of house. It ain’t cheap, but a fine fish such as this deserves the royal treatment it gets here."
"What: Owned by the people behind The Ivy, Scott’s has earned its place as a London institution and rightly so. Come here for service that will make you feel like a VIP and, decadent seafood dishes, and Champagne by the magnum. Once you’ve made the decision to go to Scott’s it would seem wrong to order anything other than a whole lobster, or at minimum a whole fish on the bone to share.Where: 20 Mount Street, Mayfair, W1K 2HE"
"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."
"The seas surrounding our little island are home to some of the best oysters on the planet – a fact Wright Brothers knows only too well. This crop of London restaurants began life as a Borough Market seafood merchants, and it still supplies oysters and seafood to more than 300 restaurants across the capital. Inside its own five restaurants, Wright Brothers serves a seasonally changing selection of oysters from across England, Ireland and occasionally France, which punters can enjoy dressed, smoked and cooked with variations including tempura fried with bonito flakes and sweet miso, or ceviche-style with lime and chilli."
"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."
"The restaurant group also sells wholesale and has its own oyster farm in Cornwall. While the original Borough Market site is cosy and charming — though often packed — the newer South Kensington venue comes complete with the elegant downstairs Mermaid cocktail bar. Because the oysters are fairly good value, you’ll be able to consume more of their aphrodisiac goodness."
"Restaurants Seafood Tooting"
"While not specifically American, this famous steakhouse is arguably one of the best in London, serving an exquisite selection of steaks and sensational drinks in an amazing atmosphere. Each steak is cooked to perfection on an authentic charcoal grill. The original Hawksmoor which best encapsulates their ‘Hawksmoor spirit’ can be found in Spitalfields and also happens to be an A-List partner of our Liverpool Street hotel, so members can receive a complimentary round of drinks when ordering from the a la carte menu."
"While steak clearly is a BIG thing at Hawksmoor, in many respects eating at one of their restaurants is much more than a carnivore's delight. From the cocktails (the Full-Fat Old Fashioned is one of our favourites in London) to the steaks and some amazing desserts - the salted caramel "rolos" are unmissable - Hawksmoor is the very epitome of the excellent all-rounder. We've picked the original here, but you can be sure of a good time at any of their London establishments."
"One of London’s best steakhouses (if not THE best), this place is also famous of one of the best desserts in London. You’ll find one of the best desserts in London behind its doors. The sticky toffee pudding at Hawksmoor is delectable and something you have to try."
"What: Based in the heart of Crouch End, Lyon’s Seafood & Wine Bar is all about championing sustainable seafood. The brainchild of front-of-house aficionado Anthony Lyon, the restaurant also adopts a fin-to-tail approach to seafood cookery, meaning that you’ll often find some less glamourous, but just as beautifully cooked, parts of the fish on the regularly changing menu.Where: 1 Park Road, N8 8TE"
"Whilst isolation has got you calling fish fingers lightly-crumbed cod digits, Lyon’s has started delivering for the first time. This seafood specialist is delivering things like crispy softshell crab burgers and a very casual whole chargrilled plaice with seaweed butter, straight to your door."
"The St Albans branch of the fresh fish and seafood restaurant chain set in a smart, recently renovated location with outdoor seating."
"While Richmond Park is by far the most famous park in the area, Old Deer Park is an open space dedicated to sports facilities and community events. It has play areas, tennis courts, an outdoor gym and sports pitches. You can also access Pools on the Park, a sports, fitness and pool complex."
"A big Kidadler favourite, Aldenham Country Park is one of North West London’s hidden gems and is set to reopen from June 20th!. Head over to the farm any day of the week from 9am to 6pm where you’ll find plenty of furry farmyard animals including rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs. Aldenham are taking lots of measures to keep their farm attractions safe which you can find details of on their website."
"Waterlow Park makes for a great alternative to Hampstead Heath and is still a bit of a hidden gem thanks to its more famous neighbour. As well as three ponds, the lawns are all well maintained and Lauderdale House on the edge of the park is worth a look too. Plus it’s near to Highgate Cemetery, which houses Karl Marx, Douglas Adams and more."
"It’s not just the height of Highgate Hill that makes you look down your nose at the rest of London. The air tastes sweeter up here, the trees are leafier, and everything is a bit less, well, Londony. And Highgate’s loveliest spot?"
"The reign of the gourmet burger is over – the benevolent rule of the expertly crafted dirty burger is here. Nowhere in London is it done with such all-American flair than at Five Guys. Fifties diner vibes are pleasingly utilitarian, as straightforward as what happens back in the open kitchen: never-frozen patties are fried before your very eyes, chips are hand-cut daily and every burger is made to precise order, with as many or as little toppings as you like."
"Jerry Murrell and his sons (none of them named Moe) are the Five Guys behind this US burger chain, which is proving a hit this side of the pond. Expect garish red colours, noisy queues, Coke from a freestyle machine and endless pick-your-own toppings. It’s all very down-home Yankee."
"Cult chicken and waffle spot Sweet Chick has made its way from Manhattan to London, taking over the Carluccio’s site on Market Place just off Oxford Street. Think American comfort food done well: alongside its staple dish the restaurant dishes up ‘shrimp and grits’ (scallions with poached egg and cheddar grits), chicken wings, mac and cheese, maple glazed bacon and the like. Wellness fever may be sweeping the nation – but there’s still a place for downright indulgence."
"26 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3JX Why should you care?. Tim Brice is bringing his own chilli recipe to Shoreditch and serving it in the middle of a brioche bun, before injecting chilli oil into it..."
"I was looking for a spa hotel mini-break for an anniversary celebration (last minute due to personal schedules). Everything was so booked up, over-priced (in my opinion), or not suitable. I then found a too-good-to-be-true offer on the Richmond Habour Hotel Spa website (whilst searching all their Harbour Hotel sites) which was worth taking a risk for."
"The Gates Restaurant at the Richmond Gate Hotel serves fresh, imaginative food in a relaxed dining room. The menu is packed with rich flavours showcasing British and Mediterranean influences, using carefully sourced produce to create elegantly presented…"
"Over in Notting Hill, Cloud Twelve is a wellness and lifestyle club set across three floors. There’s a salon, spa and holistic wellness clinic, plus a healthy brasserie and creche. Treatments include drawl-worthy massages, facials, pre and post-natal rituals and treatments specifically designed for men."