Soho, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

“Brilliant seafood and the best vibe” fuel the festivities at this upbeat venue – “still one of the most fun restaurants in London”, where “watching Soho life go by is just brilliant!”. The premises was converted almost 30 years ago from an Edwardian butcher’s, famous for supplying The Ritz, the Savoy and Winston Churchill – hence the name and wonderful interior. Grab a high stool, a glass of fizz and a simple plate of something fishy and it’s a great antidote to life’s challenges.

“Extravagantly sized platters” of “hot and cold seafood at good prices” are the winning proposition at this Soho venture from Amsterdam’s De Visscher family. It’s a “bright, clean and open space”, whose atmosphere can seem “a bit prosaic, but who cares when you can get stuck into a tower of fishy treats?”

A “great concept, expertly delivered” – the two headline dishes are served up in posh, comfortable diner style at this nine-strong London group (with another dozen branches around the world). As a gimmick it doesn’t generate the buzz it once did, but both of the main dishes receive a good rep in feedback, in particular the “excellent and good-sized lobster” (and “for lobster it’s not that expensive”).

“Down a dodgy alleyway in Soho”, this “spectacularly camp new seafood emporium is presided over by a sculpture of Poseidon with mermaids perched at the corners of the bar”. Named for a “venerable” post-war fish and seafood institution that for decades operated just north of Leicester Square (to close in 2006), this “massive investment” is not a relaunch as such, but a homage to its former namesake by restaurant impresarios Jeremy King and Chris Corbin, who ironically ended up parting company with owners, The Wolseley Group, before the project’s ultimate debut in June 2023. After its first year in operation, it still feels like a work in progress. To fans it’s “OTT… in a good way” thanks to the “amazing decor” and a menu of “seafood heaven” (“Monkfish Wellington is an instant classic”). The verdict is split though by critics who think it’s just “ludicrously opulent”, “soulless” and “formulaic” (“as charming as a motorway service station, with decor that Bet Lynch would have been proud of; and overpriced food that’s more ‘Tesco Finest’ than catch of the day”). It doesn’t help that service can still be “a bit rough around the edges”; but with work it feels like this still has the potential to be a worthwhile institution in the making.

“A fascinating culinary experience” – Adejoké Bakare’s 50-seat Chishuru vn2.0 opened in Fitzrovia in September 2023 and is a follow-up to the Brixton venture where she first made her name by channelling tastes she encountered in her Nigerian childhood into a culinary mashup suited to the capital. The result is “distinctive food that’s boldly spiced and flavoured” and “soooooo tasty” – to the extent it won many reporters’ nominations as their best meal of this year. But while nearly all feedback says it’s “deserving of its good reviews and its Michelin star”, ratings here are not quite off-the-charts; and the slightly left-field award by the tyre men may unhelpfully distort some people’s expectations, especially as the interior itself is no great shakes (“having been to the original, it was lovely to see the ‘grown-up’ version, but the room still has that ‘pop-up’ feeling… and not in a good way. Still, I hope it does well as there aren’t many places like this. I’m sure the Michelin star will help its longevity”).

“You know that you’ll get a decent meal” at these “unpretentious” ‘Fishmongers & Restaurants’ in Covent Garden, Marylebone and off Piccadilly, where you can buy retail from the wet counter or proceed to eat in at the adjoining dining room. “A wide variety of fish and seafood can be cooked to your specification” and “it’s the perfect place for some nice, simple cooking”. Any drawbacks? The food is “good but rather unimaginative”; “ambience is a little lacking; and the service level is not as good as could be”.

2023 Review: 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.