Bankside, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

“Fabulous views”, “delicious seafood”… “it ticks every box” according to fans of this 14th-floor rooftop: part of a Southwark hotel, which sets a glam tone. Ratings have softened a little since it opened a couple of years ago, however, with mounting concern that the height of the prices is starting to match that of the venue!

“It feels like a place to see and be seen, which can account for the expense, but fun and with good river views…” – not a bad overview of this “buzzy” dining room, designed by Tom Dixon, near Blackfriars Bridge. (A harsher view is that it’s “a typically over-priced hotel joint, trying to be smarter than it really is”.) Top Tip – “super weekend brunch, lots of choice, and the bar is good too”.

“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!”

“The best oysters and crustacea in a bustling market-facing venue” is how many restaurant-goers think of this “buzzy and packed” small group, whose SE1 branch at Borough Market is better known than its Battersea Power Station sibling. “Order from the blackboard for the freshest catch.” “You come for the seafood, not the sparkling repartee” and service “can get a bit frazzled”. (We have continued to list the South Kensington outlet, but as we go to press it is ‘temporarily closed’ due to staff shortages).

“Sitting cheek by jowl at a counter that dates from the 19th century… bliss!” – this “City legend amongst fish restaurants” is “such a haven of bygone days, which gives it its special ambience and devoted following”. Founded in the 1830s, and on its current site since the 1920s, it’s “still serving sensational oysters (washed down with a pewter tankard of Black Velvet) after all these years” alongside “very traditional fish cooked simply and well” (e.g. “divine whitebait”). “It’s a bit pricey and you can’t book but otherwise excellent.”

This “evergreen, upmarket fish restaurant in bustling Borough Market” has been a fixture of the area surrounding this foodie hub for more than two decades, noted for its glass frontage and “top-quality fresh fish”. It gets “busy”, though, and can be “a bit chaotic and unpolished”.

“Reliably good fish and seafood” make this straightforward operation “an attractive option at the edge of Borough Market”. It’s a flexible spot, which makes for an easy transition between indoor and al fresco eating.