Mentioned by CN Traveller
The best outdoor restaurants in London to book now
"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."
"If it’s enduring love you’re looking for, J Sheekey’s passion for prime seafood has burned for more than 100 years. The West End restaurant has hosted many a star of nearby stages over the last century, and images of some of those famous faces line the walls. The Champagne bar makes a glamorous spot for two to linger, accompanied by shellfish aplenty and J Sheekey’s famous selection of oysters."
"Restaurants British Covent Garden"
"The Provence-inspired terrace and adjoining bar at Angler, atop the South Place Hotel in Moorgate, is a City of London sanctuary. Relaxed and refined, with great cocktails and bubbles, the terrace is the extension of a fish-focused, Michelin-starred restaurant that is one of London’s hidden gems. South Place Hotel, 3 South Pl, London , United Kingdom"
"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."
"Perched at the top of South Place Hotel, Angler is a Michelin-starred restaurant with a beautiful rooftop terrace, showcasing sustainable seafood from British waters with the best seasonal and local produce."
"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."
"Restaurants Seafood Mayfair"
"Not to be confused with the American aviation specialists, these guys are all about seafood, in fact they are the self-professed “seafood experts.”. We’re not disagreeing having popped into many of their London outposts (they boast five from Battersea to Borough) for a glass of bubbles and a plate of oysters on many occasions over the years. Check out their daily changing specials showcasing the best of British seafood straight off the boats at Brixham Market or order the Full House seafood platter for the perfect long lazy lunch."
"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."
"What: All three outposts of London’s Fishworks (Marylebone, Soho and Covent Garden) manage to seamlessly blend the maritime charm of the English coastline with the sophistication of central London’s dining scene. The biggest selling point at Fishworks is its onsite fishmongers which allow you to choose from the catches of the day. Dishes on the menu range from seafood and samphire linguini to a whole steamed lobster.Where: 89 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QW; 7-9 Swallow Street, W1B 4DE; 2-4 Catherine Street, WC2B 5JY"
"Randall and Aubin’s resplendent window display on Brewer Street in Soho fixates onlookers in the way that the neighbourhood’s sex shops once did. The restaurant remains one of central London’s most reliable restaurants to eat fresh shellfish — a full platter costs £44.50 per person and can be upgraded with a half lobster for an additional £22.50. Its white tiling and chess board floor recalls a seafood bar of yesteryear, which, in a changing and increasingly homogenised Soho, is something that should be cherished."
"What:Randall & Aubin has been a stalwart of the London seafood scene ever since it opened in 1996. This Soho haunt is decked out with marble counters for old world glamour while the food menu consists of a mixture of English and French seafood favourites. Choose from the beautiful shellfish-on-ice display or opt for a classic such as bouillabaisse or linguine vongole.Where: 16 Brewer Street, W1F 0SQ"
"Originally London’s first butcher’s shop, this place has been transformed over the years in to a popular seafood eatery while keeping its original Victorian features. With high marble tops and stools it has an informal and friendly feel – especially thanks to the giant glitter ball above. Go classic with the the creamy moules marinieres, French fries and crusty baguette to mop it all up with."
"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."
"For breakfast, brunch and lunch with a view, grab a spot at Pavilion Café in east London’s Victoria Park. With a decked terrace perched on the edge of the river, it’s the ideal place to spend a few slow hours. Locally-grown produce is given a Sri Lankan twist, with string hoppers, dal, coconut sambol and beetroot curry served for breakfast."
"For some of the best pancakes in East London in a gorgeous settingWhat to eat?. Buttermilk, banana praline and whipped cream pancakes. If you like your pancakes served up with a side of gorgeous view, then look no further than The Pavillion Café in Victoria Park, one of our favourite pancake places in East London."
"Head to Big Chill for seasonal cocktails, a generous bottomless brunch and a sun-blessed colourful roof terrace in King's Cross. Come back on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening when DJs usually get the party started. Open daily, year-round"
"36 Duke Street, St James's, St. James's, London SW1Y 6DF Why should you care?. Taking the former address of Greens, Maison Francois is a brasserie and wine bar, featuring a finalist of Masterchef: The Professionals as chef. Expect Gallic/European cuisine and excellent terrines."
"This French brasserie from Francois O’Neill and MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Matthew Ryle is a purely joyous dining experience from start to finish. Don’t miss the decadent trolley of Parisian puddings which steals the show."
"Restaurants Austrian Marylebone. If your idea of romance is waltzing round old Vienna to the sound of Strauss, you can capture some of that old ‘Blue Danube’ magic with a trip to this instantly comforting Mittel-European number from Messrs Corbin & King. Schnitzels, sausages, ice-cream coupes and – of course – incomparable viennoiserie provide welcome sustenance, with excellent hot chocolate and coffee adding that vital X factor."
"Corbin and King’s refined Marylebone homage to Viennese waltzes past and present is always a fine, low-key luxurious breakfast venue, and in the spirit of fried batter its Austrian crêpes, served either with apricot and brandy jam or a gianduja-approximating hazelnut and chocolate, make a winning centrepiece around which to build an Austrian feast."
"Katsute 100 is no doubt my favourite Japanese cafe in London. Their range of matcha desserts and tea selections are all absolute winners, consistently delivering top-notch quality. In addition, they feature some lovely interior, creating a really great atmosphere to enjoy your matcha goodies."
"Restaurants Italian Holland Park. Born in Italy but now trading across London, cheery family-owned Unico is part gelateria, part caffè. If you fancy a luscious lick or two, there are 13 ‘classic’ and ‘gourmet’ flavours to choose from, plus vegan options and some guest stars (they’ve been known to whip up the odd batch of Vegemite gelato)."