Mentioned by Hot Dinners
The best restaurants in London - the ultimate guide
"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."
"Sheekey has been a firm favourite for the wealthy and well-known ever since, with the likes of Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Bradley Cooper recently spotted dining there. Located in Covent Garden, the fuss-free, deliciously fresh fish menu makes it a faultless dining experience."
"It’s a piece of prime gastronomic real estate, but M&Ms aside, there isn’t much to eat in Leicester Square itself. A claw-cracker’s throw from the neon, though, is some of London’s best seafood, courtesy of J."
"The Michelin starred restaurant is the jewel of Moorgate’s South Place Hotel, thanks to the exquisite touch of Executive Chef, Gary Foulkes. Foulkes’ way with fish and seafood is one of the best you’ll find in the capital, from the Japanese take on turbot – it’s served with Japanese mushrooms, salsola and an unami-fuelled bonito dashi to the tongue tingling raw Orkney scallops served with blood orange, citrus yoghurt and Greek basil. The tasting menu is a must-try for any special occasions and did we mention the restaurant has a gorgeous sweeping terrace too?"
"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."
"No prizes for guessing the thrust of this restaurant atop the South Place Hotel in the city. Led by executive chef Gary Foukes,Angler is all about sustainable British seafood, as well as all manner of other robust British ingredients (look out for the rabbit and squid Bolognese)."
"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"
"The terrace at this Mayfair establishment has long been a spot where you'll find yourself sitting downwind from unrepentant smokers like Ronnie Wood or Charles Saatchi and getting your photo taken by passing paparazzi."
"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."
"One of the original seafood restaurants in London, the Wright Brothers are well-known for their oysters, farmed at their own Cornish Duchy oyster farm, as well as selecting the best from the British Isles and France. From ceviche style to a Mediterranean twist with pomegranate, balsamic and spring onion, the Wright Brothers are truly the kings of oysters. If oysters aren’t your thing, don’t despair as the rest of their menu is just as delicious."
"The seafood experts of Spitalfields (shown in lead image) focus heavily on responsible sourcing. And, having their own wholesale branch, they are heavily involved in how they get their produce. Fresh and sustainable seafood is key, ensuring the menu is always changing, depending on what was caught that day."
"The St Albans branch of the fresh fish and seafood restaurant chain set in a smart, recently renovated location with outdoor seating."
"Restaurants British Spitalfields. Poppies’ pick ‘n’ mix assortment of British kitsch (a jukebox, newspaper cuttings, model aeroplanes, wartime memorabilia) makes it look like some nostalgic fantasy trip, but eating here is still a treat for young and old alike – they even have a dedicated children’s menu (cod bites, fishcakes or sausages, all with chips for £6.50). Soak up the nostalgia, just don’t mention the war!"
"Okay, this is a firm British favourite and I had to include one of the tastiest fish and chips spots here. Now, fish and chip shops are typically are a takeaway meal for most Brits, that being said there are a few spots that have down areas that are totally traditional. For me, Poppies is one of the best restaurants in London for fish and chips."
"Recognised as one of the best independent fish and chips shops in the UK, Poppies Covent Garden offers a large selection of outdoor terraces across its three locations. Enjoy locally sourced fish wrapped up in recyclable newspaper al fresco in the sunshine."
"The first Bonnie Gull “seafood shack” really did look as if it had been picked up from the coast - Southwold, perhaps - and reeled in to a street corner in Fitzrovia, where its driftwood furniture, gingham tablecloths and striped awnings are at once both rakish and nostalgic. Grilled sardines are a punchy treat, with their salsa of coriander and mango, while the whole plaice provides more than enough fish, delicately flavoured with lemon and olive oil, for at least two diners. The Fitzrovia menu is divided more traditionally into starters and main courses: roast cod from Looe with glazed pig cheek is a highlight of the latter."
"Restaurants British Soho. Youngsters can imagine they’re by the seaside at this dinky cockle-warmer, where the jaunty maritime-themed decor is matched by a menu of flappingly fresh fish from British waters. Come here for fastidiously prepared and ding-dong delicious small plates, classic battered haddock and other treats from old Blighty."
"A relatively recent emphasis — in no small part because of a growing relationship between London restaurants and Cornish suppliers — is being placed on English waters. Westerns Laundry, by the same operators, Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim and David Gingell’s Western Laundry (the pair also oversees Primeur and Jolene), is one of London’s best seafood restaurants, in the past year featuring a covered terrace for outdoor eating alongside the main dining room, serving glorious plates like fideo pasta rich with cuttlefish, squid ink, and aioli; monkfish friggitelli and mojo verde; and John Dory, peas, braised gem lettuce, and pancetta. A stellar winelist, with low-intervention and classic options adds to the reasons to visit this outstanding, warmly lit and carefully designed Holloway restaurant."
"What: Sister restaurant to the Insta-famous Jolene, Westerns Laundry’s fashionably stark interiors and a daily-changing menu attract a trendy crowd. Seafood is certainly the focus at this small North London restaurant, which sees daily dishes written up on a blackboard in the dining room. Don’t miss the fideuà if it’s on the menu, an irresistible Andalusian one-pot pasta with succulent baked seafood.Where: 34 Drayton Park, N5 1PB"
"Seafood , Mediterranean"
"Costa Azul is one of the few Latin American restaurants in Elephant and Castle to specialise in Ecuadorian food, very much with a coastal bias. It’s the seafood that brings groups of people here every Thursday — Sunday evening: in soup, in stews, in rice, grilled, boiled, fried, in ceviche. Specifics: encocado mixto is a coconut rich stew of prawns, squids and mussels on rice; a super arroz marinero is essentially the same again, but mixed in with wet rice to a slightly-drier-than-risotto consistency with a side of sea bass fillet, breaded prawns and crab claws."
"Arguably the city’s most flamboyant restaurant, Richard Caring’s Sexy Fish is a sight to behold. Apparently it cost £15 million to produce – which won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has stepped inside. With bronze Damien Hirst-designed bronze mermaids adorning the bar, a coral reef ceiling, a giant gold-plated crocodile on display and walls running with water, the space feels like some kind of mystical, underwater-inspired wonderland."
"A delivery, Deliveroo-only kitchen — so proceed informed — which adds a regionally diverse option to a share of good Cantonese options in west London. A crimson, brooding mapo tofu is excellent, with skewers of barbecued lamb or chicken holding up surprisingly well; skip the noodle dishes and seriously consider the pork and Chinese cabbage dumplings."
"Have you ever thought “I like fish, but I just wish it was sexier?. ” Look no further than Berkeley Square, where Sexy Fish is solving just that problem. The interior of the restaurant is certainly alluring: a pair of Damien Hirst mermaid sculptures adorn the bar, and a glittering crocodile takes to the walls."
"Named after the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, whose impressive work to the taxonomic rank helped communicate our understanding of who we are, and how we as individuals fit into the world surrounding us, Linnaean is a spot that’s on one hell of a health kick. Fused together through a love for health, beauty and lifestyle, all of your girlie needs are catered for here, from the health-driven cafe, natural beauty treatments, to a little lifestyle boutique for all of your self-pampering needs. Unlike most ‘Instagrammable’ venues, Linnaean manages to deliver on all accounts and ticks all of your interior goals as soon as you step inside."
"It's not often can you have pancakes under the same roof as a spa offering manicures, blow-dries, express glow facials and massages. But that’s exactly that kind of luxury treatment on offer at London’s recently-opened Linnaean. As well as offering some of the finest beauty treatments in the capital (it’s interiors alone are enough to have your Instagram feed sorted for weeks), Linnaean’s restaurant offers a plant-rich menu including a variety of vegan and gluten-free pancakes."
"South London’s answer to Instagrammable restaurants is Linnaean: a health-focused café, apothecary and beauty salon named after Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. Located in the heart of London’s Embassy Gardens, Linnaean is a beautiful space, with a very Instagram-friendly flower ceiling, hanging lights and pastel pink bar seats, alongside an equally pretty – and delicious – food offering. Afterwards, pop into the salon for a treatment for a long-awaited self-care day."
"This hotel is located in central London, and one of its most infamous attractions is “The Lanesborough Suite” which can be all yours for a night at the price of £18000!. Other than exclusivity, the suite will also bring you access to a complementary concierge service and a Rolls Royce to drive around in. Its restaurant — Apsleys, a Heinz Beck Restaurant — is famous for having received a Michelin Star within five months of opening, thus establishing a world record."
"Minimalists, modernists, fanciers of all things sleek, shiny, geometrical and monochrome – this is not the place for you. The Lanesborough was always an unrepentant riot of Regency splendor. In 2015 it reopened more unrepentant, riotous and Regency-splendid than ever."
"In a nutshell: "Asian Grill and drinking house" in Bermondsey Where is it?. 171-173 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3TQ Why should you care?. This takes over the space that until recently held Loyal Tavern, Inside is a new Asian grill - with a focus on skewers - as well as a tropical cocktail bar called Mala Madre."
"The Last Talisman is home to one of London's best brunches, putting an Asian-inspired twist on the classic weekend feast. Join them on a Saturday for unlimited cocktails and dishes such as the egg and bacon bao, nasi lemak with fried chicken or classic baked eggs."
"While their opening date might have been delayed due to lockdown, The Last Talisman have flung the doors wide open, and they're ready to serve you. Expect everything from world-class cocktails to a menu of skewers, snacks and sides."