Marylebone, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

With its “lovely authentic decor, excellent small plates and comprehensive wine list”, this “small wine bar and bistro” from Xavier Rousset – a former head sommelier at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons – has established itself as a Marylebone fixture in the last 10 years. The Rhone-heavy list offers more than 30 wines by the glass. Top Tip – “exceptional value at lunchtime” (when sirloin steak with salsa verde, fries and salad costs £19.50).

“Simply cooked fresh fish (often all you want)” is the USP at this trio of fishmonger/restaurants that offer “extremely reasonable prices for the quality” in prime central locations: off Piccadilly Circus, in Covent Garden and on Marylebone High Street. “The cooking does what it should do – the fish is the star of the show, delivered daily from Cornwall and really well executed”; and “they have specials depending on that day’s catch listed on a blackboard”. It’s “let down a little by staff that need more training to improve both the service and the ambience”.

“Go no further for dum sim” or when “entertaining friends from Hong Kong” – this sleek Marylebone flagship of the Royal China group is the real thing for Cantonese dining. (“Taken by a Malaysian friend – my wife and I were nearly the only Caucasians”). You pay for the privilege, though (“noticed a slight wince at the bill when our hosts were paying”).

2023 Review: A candle-lit temple to the atavistic delights of consuming quantities of ribeye steak and king crab that’s “in fact very good, if grossly overpriced for what it is” (“£100 for a bit of crab!”). But spending big is arguably central to the ‘Beast Experience’ touted (tongue in cheek), on the website: ‘the place will make an impression on your client or whomever, and everyone will remember the occasion’.

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”.

“Superb West African food elevated to a fantastic level” and “presented as fine dining for Western palates is still unusual (for the UK) with its obscure ingredients and flavours” and – having scored huge success at its original site in Brixton – Adejoké Bakare’s transplanted Fitzrovia two-year-old quickly won a Michelin star in 2024 which many reporters feel is “well deserved”: it helps that “staff are genuinely passionate and more-than-willing to answer questions and talk through the sourcing and processes”. However, many reports note that the setting is “slightly basic” (“hard surfaces and close tables” that are “a trad cramped” make it “noisy”) and while fans feel “this is a minor issue when the main focus is the food”, ratings here are dragged down by a vocal minority who say: “this is a laudable effort to bring African cooking to a wider audience but price increases after the Michelin star make the experience feel overpriced”. Top Menu Tips – “delicious rice cake, the most amazing millet and sorghum pasta; and smoked eel”.

For a taste of Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda, Andrea Reitano’s Marylebone venture is worth knowing about – its kitchen is supplied daily with fresh fish and seafood from the Tyrrhennian Sea (there’s a twin restaurant in Porto Cervo). A bit of a sleeper, those who know about it rate it highly.