j sheekey best seafood restaurant london

The best fish and seafood restaurants in London

26 Apr 2023 | Updated on: 10 Nov 2023 |By Luxury London

Craving all things aquatic? Take a seat at these seafood restaurants for some of the capital’s freshest fish

When it comes to seriously the best seafood restaurant in London, we’re spoilt for choice. From the City to Notting Hill and Covent Garden to Mayfair, we’ve got the best oyster bars, sushi rolls, prawn cocktails and grilled soles covered. From the capital’s well-known classics to some secret foodie gems, read on to discover the best Chinese, Indian, Greek, Mexican and British restaurants in London serving up the most talked-about fish dishes in town…

Scott’s, Mayfair

scott's mayfair

A leading member of the Old Guard, and one of the capital’s longest-standing restaurants, Mayfair’s Scott’s still reigns supreme when it comes to the best fish and seafood in London. The perfect place to meet the parents, or butter up an important client, nowhere screams inherent elegance quite like Scott’s. Famed for its oysters, choose Jersey Rocks if you’re feeling patriotic, or go the whole hake with the plateau de fruits de mer for two. It’s a quintessential taste of the sea. The sautéed monkfish cheeks and snails, served with bacon and Bordelaise sauce, should also get a look in, followed by Dover sole on the bone or a nostalgic lobster thermidor. Dust off that dinner jacket to really feel the part.

20 Mount Street, W1K 2HE, visit scotts-mayfair.com

Burger & Lobster, across London

burger and lobster seafood restaurants london

Now a big fish among the capital’s best seafood restaurants, with outposts from the West End to the City and Knightsbridge to Soho, Burger & Lobster started off with just three signature dishes — burger, lobster or lobster brioche roll — but has since expanded its catchment to cover a number of crustaceous delicacies. The lobster cocktail roll is chilled to perfection in a retro Marie Rose sauce with cos lettuce, avocado and cucumber, or opt for the shellfish feast which includes steamed lobster, Scottish mussels, prawns and squid in white wine, chilli, garlic and shallots served with fries or focaccia. We just wish that menu calorie counts weren’t mandatory.

Visit burgerandlobster.com

Sumi, Westbourne Grove

sumi london

While the capital is awash with top, all-guns-blazing sushi restaurants (we love Roka, Zuma, SushiSamba and Nobu, if you want to be seen with your sashimi), Sumi offers a more authentic taste of Japan, served in a refined but low-key setting. ‘Less is more’ is the message here, so forget truffle foams and gratings of unicorn dust. We recommend a selection of nigiri — akami (lean red tuna), otoro (fatty unctuous tuna), ikura (salmon fish roe) and suzuki (sea bass) — to start while you peruse the extensive menu. The seafood gohan, which is a Japanese rice dish in which short-grain rice is cooked with the seafood and Japanese stock (dashi) and soy sauce, is our go to followed by the robata fish of the day in all its ponzu-y glory.

157 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS, visit sushisumi.com

Hovarda, Soho

Known for its unique Aegean hospitality, there’s a lot more to Soho’s Hovarda than a really good taramasalata (although there is that, too). Handpicked crab with smoked foie gras, crème fraiche, leeks and avocado is our standout cold mezze dish, while the hot small plates of hand-dived scallops in bone marrow crust and langoustine tempura are also irresistible. Choose octopus stifado – an octopus stew with shallots, apple, raisins, red wine sauce, and pita – for a main course to remember, or whole butterflied sea bream with samphire, wakame and seaweed butter for a real taste of the ocean. 

36-40 Rupert Street, W1D 7ES, visit hovarda.london

Jamavar, Mayfair

jamavar seafood restaurants london

This opulent restaurant in Mayfair is one of the best Indian restaurants in London, and nothing like your local curry house (which occupies an entirely different place in our hearts, and bellies). Having recently earned a Michelin star under culinary director Surender Mohan, the menu showcases his love of dishes from both the royal kitchens of northern India and the coastal cuisine of the southern states, exploring pan-Indian flavours and authentic cooking techniques to mouth-on-fire perfection. We love the bhatti ka octopus with black pepper, coriander seeds, Kashmiri red chilli, and southern corn salad and Leela’s lobster neeruli, with southern spiced coconut milk, pearly onions and kale dosa. You also won’t want to miss the Malai stone bass tikka with green cardamom, avocado and mint chutney. There’s naan fishy about that.

8 Mount Street, W1K, visit jamavarrestaurants.com

MiMi Mei Fair, Mayfair

mimi mei fair

It’s not often that you walk into a restaurant and genuinely picture yourself living there. MiMi Mei Fair, however, promises to transport you to old-world China within an unassuming Georgian townhouse, which has been transformed into the ‘secret London residence of Empress MiMi’. The menu leans on traditional techniques to create contemporary Chinese dishes including Canadian scallop dumplings with bamboo shoots, prawn and asparagus; braised five-head Australian abalone with pak choi and oyster sauce, and wasabi prawns with crispy seaweed. Also, don’t miss the chef special of live native lobster, served either steamed with homemade pickled chilli, braised with noodles, or wok-baked with garlic and honey. MiMi Mei Fair isn’t just one of the best Chinese restaurants in London, but a truly magical experience, perfect for a first date — or just a bit of roe-mance…

55 Curzon Street, W1J 8PG, visit mimimeifair.com

Mazi, Notting Hill

Jars of cod roe mousse, sea bass tartare and crispy calamari instantly transport you to summer holidays in Greece at this refined Hellenic haunt. Sit on the terrace and soak up the spring sunshine but be sure to bring a friend or two — the signature dishes won’t eat themselves. Don’t miss grilled octopus with fava purée, fennel and onion relish, the exquisite wild cod with Jerusalem artichokes and tiger prawn risotto with lobster head bisque. Celebrating 10 years in London’s Notting Hill, it remains one of the capital’s hidden foodie gems for innovative, tasty and refined Greek cuisine.

12 Hillgate Street, W8 7SR, visit mazi.co.uk

Los Mochis, Notting Hill

los mochis

The more-ish Los Mochis is all about pan-Pacific pairings, combining Mexican spirit and bold flavours with Japanese elegance and techniques. Order the guacamole with either grilled shrimp or snow crab, followed by the crispy California tostaditos (crab, avocado, cucumber and spicy aioli in a sweet potato shell) or tuna poke (a fresh yellowfin tuna crudo with yuzu-shiso truffle, avocado, jalapeño, sesame and spring onion) for a taste combination to remember. Poached lobster, miso cod and grilled octopus all headline their very own tacos, dripping with a mixture of Japanese and Mexican condiments. For every meal you purchase, Los Mochis provides one for the homeless and less fortunate, plus all dishes are gluten-free, and none contain any tree nuts: the most woke taco of your life.

2-4 Farmer Street, W8 7SN, visit losmochis.co.uk

J Sheekey, Covent Garden

j sheekey best seafood restaurant london

Caprice Holdings happens to be the lucky owner of not one, but two, of the capital’s best seafood restaurants: J Sheekey and Sexy Fish. We’ll come to the latter in a moment but first, head over to Covent Garden and be wowed by the central crustacean raw bar at J Sheekey as soon as you enter the red-fronted doors. Caviar, oysters, and ceviche are all top-notch (and top-dollar), while fillets of haddock, trout, cod and halibut are all cooked to perfection. Pair with lashings of champagne for the full experience.

28-31 St Martin’s Court, WC2N 4AL, visit j-sheekey.co.uk

Sexy Fish, Mayfair

sexy fish london

Feeling prawny? Sexy Fish won’t disappoint. The menu here is Asian-inspired, so you can expect sushi and sashimi on tap. Caramelised black cod, scallop skewers, grilled sea bream or choose the Sexy Fruit de Mer platter featuring oyster sashimi, maki and tartare. Also renowned for its Martin Brudnizki Design Studio interiors and Damien Hirst, Frank Gehry and Michael Roberts artworks, it’s also home to a chic cocktail bar that makes for the most impressive of dates.

Berkeley Square House, W1J 6BR, visit sexyfish.com

Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill, St James’s

bentley's restaurant

The grand dame of Swallow Street for more than 100 years, iconic fish and seafood restaurant Bentley’s shucks more than 1,000 oyster shells a day. Rock, native, dressed rocks, hot rocks — it’s true oyster heaven (duh) — but the caviar and raw bar also draw the crowds. The English shellfish cocktail is a refined twist on the classic: a tantalising combination of lobster, crab, prawn and brown shrimp. While lobster bisque, crab and mussel soup and smoked salmon with potato blinis will all hit the spot when it comes to the first course. As for mains? Your Insta followers will never forgive you for not ordering the signature fish pie and sharing online.

11-15 Swallow Street, W1B 4DG, visit bentleys.org

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