Chelsea, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

With its alpine-themed interior, this Italian-ish Chelsea haunt from the team behind Goodman and Burger & Lobster opened to rave reviews just before lockdown. This year, though, its offering – combining a raw bar, with prime cuts of steak or fish from the grill and a selection of pasta – received little but opprobrium in our diners’ poll for “ridiculously overpriced and average meals” (“you don’t have a value-for-money category. If you did, this would score 0/10!”).

Giant nachos, a bucket of beer and a platter of jumbo shrimp – if that sounds, good head off to these “large and vibrant” US-style ‘Bar.B.Q & Crabshacks’, which have multiplied in recent years from their age-old Chelsea home to colonise Covent Garden, Canary Wharf and Westfield Stratford. They are the kind of places you can make a reservation for 20 and they won’t blink. Top Menu Tip – “great lunch and weekend deals”: e.g. “lobster, salad and chips with a glass of Prosecco for £15 in WC2 – what more could you ask for!”

Claude Bosi’s “casual chic” alternative to his flagship upstairs occupies the foyer of the iconic Michelin Building on Brompton Cross and also aims to provide “superb food and the very best service”, but in a more dressed-down manner to the mothership upstairs. Under Claude, the offering has expanded considerably from the old days when it only provided cold oysters, crab and other ‘fruits de mer’ – there’s now an extensive menu incorporating hot fish mains and they’ll even grill you a steak. Top Tip – “it’s particularly enjoyable amongst the lush floral display in the front courtyard in warmer weather”.