London , Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

“With its splendid traditional surroundings, decor and setting”, this Rolls-Royce of a restaurant – inside the Sir Edwin Lutyens-designed former Midland Bank HQ (now a Soho House hotel) adjacent to the Bank of England – “would impress anyone”, making it “perfect for any business meeting”. Dark wood panelling and green leather upholstery are conspicuous, and the meat-heavy menu is headed by a 1.3-kilo ‘El Capricho’ ox chop from Spain, aged for 100 days and costing £250, while “the Dover sole is to die for”.

“Old school is sometimes the best school” and that’s certainly still the view on this “City landmark”: a “charming and unique institution” by Mansion House tube that’s seemingly “unchanged by time or fashion” (it’s been on its current site since the 1920s and can trace its origins back to 1830). About 99% of its audience are suited City brokers, who come for simple if pricey British fish and seafood that’s “nothing fancy or pretentious but who cares?”; and for whom the “austere, old-fashioned ambience” is a treasured part of Square Mile culture. “Lunch only: it’s always busy, so best to arrive early or late”. Top Menu Tips – “Don’t be in a hurry...enjoy the black velvet, oysters and super fish pie...”; alternatively “start with the whitebait, then take whatever comes washed down with a bottle of Sancerre and what’s not to like?”

Founded in 2011 by four friends, this interesting concept hit ten sites in London in April 2025 with its debut in Kensington (replacing Street Burger on the high street) and also has a Brighton outpost as well as a handful of footholds in the Middle East and Asia. Fans are still in the majority and say its posh comfort food (the clue is in the name) is “a surprisingly good offering”. But while there are few harsh criticisms, its ratings have over the years slipped to a level that’s only “OK”.

Founded in 2011 by four friends, this interesting concept hit ten sites in London in April 2025 with its debut in Kensington (replacing Street Burger on the high street) and also has a Brighton outpost as well as a handful of footholds in the Middle East and Asia. Fans are still in the majority and say its posh comfort food (the clue is in the name) is “a surprisingly good offering”. But while there are few harsh criticisms, its ratings have over the years slipped to a level that’s only “OK”.

Like “an airy penthouse” – this City rooftop venue is “a light-filled space” that’s “tucked on the top floor of South Place Hotel” and part of the Evolv Collection (fka D&D London). Serving a “top range of fish and seafood”, it has retained a Michelin star for over 10 years, making it a culinary flagship for the group. Chef Craig Johnston took over the reins in the kitchen in 2024 and he offers menu options ranging from à la carte to five-course and eight-course tasting menus. Caveats? Unsurprisingly given the location, there’s something of a “corporate vibe” and it can seem “rather expensive for what you get”.

This glass-fronted fish and seafood specialist was the first restaurant to open in Borough Market 27 years ago, and remains a “solid if unexciting option” for its straightforward treatment of fresh ingredients. There’s a view that it “should be better” which may result from the high expectations of visitors to London’s foodie hub, but most reporters are well satisfied with their meal.

“Sit at the counter in crowded seafood heaven” for “fabulous oysters” (both raw and cooked) and “always the freshest fish”, say fans of the “buzzy” original branch at Borough Market, which elicits the bulk of the large volumes of enthusiastic feedback in our annual diners’ poll (the Battersea outlet seems “soulless” by comparison). Service can be “somewhat chaotic”, but is “friendly”, and although the interior is not in its first flush of youth the overall vibe is upbeat.

“Fish cooked to perfection and some of the best chunky chips ever” (alongside brimming hot and cold seafood platters) have won a large and loyal fan club over the years for this “friendly” family-run stalwart, which has long been a “buzzy” (if “slightly cramped and noisy”) linchpin of the Borough Market area (having originally traded as a fishmonger). In February 2025, they celebrated 25 years with a redesign (with an extended seating area overlooking a bespoke live-fire grill) and relaunch under ex-Atherton group chef Frankie van Loo, with a Himalayan pink salt chamber for dry-aging fish; and a new menu incorporating British-style Bouillabaisse and Sunday fish roasts (Salmon en croute or a whole Turbot).

With a stylish open kitchen centred on a big wood fired grill, famous Irish chef Richard Corrigan’s easygoing haunt south of Silicon Roundabout is hard to pigeonhole. Casual quality dining is the aim: ‘a fusion of Irish and global flavours, showcasing whole cuts of meat, fish, and veg on the grill, alongside raw seafood and other hearty dishes’ to paraphrase the website (or you can just go to the basement bar, Gibney’s, and sup Guinness). All feedback is upbeat, although in terms of fame this place has never caught fire to match the celebrity of its owner. Top Tip – “perfect for a business lunch near Moorgate or Old Street!”

Swish rooftop Iberian seafood specialist on the 14th floor of a modern Southwark hotel. It remains solidly rated for its luxe seafood – including nine varieties of oyster, alongside lobster and caviar – with scores that stack up respectably against fashionable restaurants with a view. Pick carefully, and you could make an affordable meal here, but the more luxurious options are very punchily priced.

For a glam rendezvous near Tate Modern, this Tom Dixon-designed lounge with terrace fits the bill, with its smooth design and variety of menus (all day from breakfast) incorporating tempting bites such as Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Crispy Chicken Burger or Surrey Farm Rib Eye. It’s predictably expensive though and nothing you eat is likely to dwell long in the memory.

“Knockout fish ’n’ chips” are “served by friendly, avuncular staff”, “who make every visit an absolute joy” at this family-run Greek-Cypriot institution approaching its 60th anniversary in Clerkenwell. They offer a “wide variety of market-fresh fish” in “generous portions”, and “in a clean but not pretentious dining environment” (plus “very decent steak for carnivorous guests”). (It may be “too popular on a Friday evening – loud and bustling – but it’s good to see them doing well!”)

2022 Review: Hipster haunt, Ace Hotel Shoreditch – and its restaurant Hoi Polloi (RIP) – have gone, but this new Lore Group (Sea Containers et al) opening in autumn 2021 is stepping into its boots and aiming to boost appeal with an expanded rooftop bar and terrace (panoramic views of East London), and a restaurant and wine bar specialising in sustainably sourced seafood. It being EC2, there’s even going to be a take-out hatch (that’s a sign of groovy sophistication these days, apparently…)

2022 Review: Italian seafood and wine (available by the glass) is the simple but high-quality format of this November 2019 opening – a bar, restaurant and shop next door to the area’s long-established ‘Pizarro’. Ex-Four Seasons chef Moreno Polverini presides over an offering ranging from a conventional if modernised Italian à la carte to a five-course ‘seafood feast’ for £85. It’s rated on limited early feedback, all of it positive.