St James's, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

As one of the late Sir Terence Conran’s landmark openings, this big D&D London basement bar/brasserie in St James’s was the talk of the town back in the 1990s, complete with racily dressed cigarette girl, and signature ‘Q’ ashtrays (a collectible selling for £70 online nowadays). Increasingly left to tourists and business-accounters, it still has fans for whom it’s “exceptional all-round”, but the proportion of disappointments over the years often hinders a more whole-hearted endorsement.

“Lovely fresh fish”, “cooked simply” and “at prices which should shame its neighbours”, is the attractive offer from this trio of straightforward seafood brasseries in some of the pricier parts of town – Covent Garden, Marylebone and Swallow Street, just of Piccadilly. Top Tip – “there’s a fishmonger’s attached”, so you can take some “high-quality fish” home with you.

“Incredible, beautiful fish is displayed on ice and hosed down every five minutes for freshness” at this splendid St James’s outpost of Costas Spiladis’s glamorous Greek-based international chain. “Given the eye-watering prices”, it’s “a place for a special occasion”, but if you’re wallet is deep enough, it does deliver: “the food is memorably good”, “service is silky smooth” and the interior design (complete with imported marble) is impressive (if, perhaps, “slightly cold”).

“The glitz, the glamour, the bling” – this Mayfair outpost of Mikhail Gokhner’s Moscow-based chain dishes up wood-fired pizza and Italian comfort food with mixed results: to critics it’s extravagant pricing is far too OTT, but there is also the odd fan who “wanted to dislike it but was charmed”.

“So loud” in every aspect – Richard Caring’s prominently sited seafood scene is an orgy of ostentatious styling, luxe seafood and sushi, and a crowd that’s Mayfair’s answer to ‘Love Island’. The kind view is that it’s “fun and full of life” (“they made our daughter feel very special for her 15th birthday”). The majority view is that “service is sloppy and prices absolutely outrageous”.

“Does what it says on the tin”, with “no delay making choices”. This “simple, good and easy” surf-and-turf chain has grown to nine sites in the capital in 11 years – most with “sufficient space to eat and talk” (rare enough in fast-food joints). The formula is working around the world, too, with openings from New York to the Genting Highlands in Malaysia. “Love the way they give you plastic sheets to cover yourself from flying bits of lobster!”

In the former Mayfair home of The Square (RIP), it’s hard to know quite what to make of this high-end fish and seafood venture, which opened in late 2021 (and which, according to its website, is soon to open in Miami and New York). This basement site has always seemed a bit “corporate”, and it still does, although visiting jazz singers can sometimes inject a sense of brio. Meanwhile, the luxurious, sustainable seafood menu (which curiously also incorporates black truffle or lobster pizza to share, and a few random meat options) inspires a range of opinions: from “very good” to “such a disappointment”.

“A true Soho classic”, with “the most fun front-of-house staff in London” and “fantastic fresh seafood” – served for the past quarter-century in a “lovely old butcher’s shop” from 1911. “It isn’t that romantic, but you can have the best times in this delightful spot”, which is “great for pre-theatre or a post-matinee restorative”. “When in need of a pick-me-up, one can’t go wrong with huîtres and champers at R&A”.

2021 Review: Since it closed in 2000 (on the site which became Bellamy’s), this luxury Parisian-based brand (fondée 1927) has lacked a London outlet. Following a successful pop-up last year, this opening on the site of Mayair’s former Chess Club aims to bring it back more permanently. Originally scheduled for April, the actual launch date had yet to be announced in September 2019.

This “consistently excellent” “family Italian restaurant” has knocked out “authentic pizza, pasta and secondi dishes” in Mount Street for more than 50 years – and all at decidedly un-Mayfair prices. It closed briefly for a make-over in summer 2022.

“Does what it says on the tin”, with “no delay making choices”. This “simple, good and easy” surf-and-turf chain has grown to nine sites in the capital in 11 years – most with “sufficient space to eat and talk” (rare enough in fast-food joints). The formula is working around the world, too, with openings from New York to the Genting Highlands in Malaysia. “Love the way they give you plastic sheets to cover yourself from flying bits of lobster!”

“No frills or pretension – just generous platters of great seafood” in a “variety of options (raw and roasted)” help make the De Visscher family’s new import from Amsterdam into “a great addition to Soho”. “Unless you have a serious appetite, the plates may serve two or even three with a bowl of fries, making the evening a steal.” And “it’s not a place to worry about table manners – just grab one of their complimentary bibs and your claw crackers and have at it!”

“Tucked away in a side alley in the centre of Theatreland”, this “old school” veteran (est. 1896) regained its No. 1 slot in this year’ poll, both as London’s most-mentioned destination; and also for providing the capital’s best fish and seafood. “All the classics are perfectly prepared” (“the freshest shellfish, unforgettable dressed crab, oysters and huge portions of Dover sole, washed down with a chilled bottle of Chablis… perfection”). And, they are served in a “quirky and atmospheric” series of picture-lined rooms, whose nooks and “intimate booths” further buoy its traditional appeal. Post-Covid, meals here did not always seem as sure-footed as in the past, with staffing often diagnosed as a problem. But recovering ratings this year suggest more of a return to the “classy” form that’s typically the norm here. “It’s pricey, but Sheekey’s still keeps its spot as one of the capital’s greats!”

A semi-independent addition to the original venue next door, its “reliably fresh fish” and glam, casual styling make this American-style seafood bar “a great post-theatre favourite”. There are no specific gripes about food or service, but “the pricing seems to be approaching the level of the main restaurant, taking away some of its raison d’être”.

From Cream Group (owners of Cirque le Soir, Restaurant Ours, Wild and The Windmill Soho), this July opening in Mayfair occupies the erstwhile 120-cover site of XO (RIP). Former Elystan Street head chef Toby Burrowes heads up an extravagant offering, which includes a £3,000 ‘sunken treasure’ caviar platter; and a cocktail listed at £5,000 (a rare 1950s gin and a bottle of 1970 Dom Perignon BTW). All good PR. Opening in mid-July 2022, this new spot calls itself a ‘clubstaurant’ – not a term we feel needs encouragement.