Seafood wonderland opens in London’s Soho
Acclaimed Amsterdam restaurant The Seafood Bar opens its first London outlet
The Seafood Bar, newly opened in London’s Soho, is a truly fresh addition to the capital’s dining scene.
The desire to eat seafood is a very particular desire, and while there is usually a fish option on any menu, if it’s seafood you really want, you need to go to a specialist. The Soho restaurant is the fifth offering from its Dutch family owners, and their first venture outside The Netherlands.
Jewel-like seafood display
Using the knowledge and expertise won from decades in the business, founder Fons de Visscher swapped his metier as a fishmonger for that of a restaurateur, and created the first Seafood Bar in Amsterdam in 2012. The London, Dean Street, restaurant is spacious, light, and airy. A fantastic variety of fruits-de-mer are displayed, jewel-like, on glittering piles of ice, from oysters to razor clams to king crab, langoustines, and more.
Your selection is brought to the table, laid out on the (always exciting) tiered tower, and the sense of occasion further enhanced by a wine list selected to best accompany seafood. Far from forgetting the special deliciousness of fried fish, the menu also features fish and chips, along with an ‘a la plancha’ grill section (where the food’s cooked fast, on a very hot, flat surface), and an excellent and interesting selection of small plates and vegetable dishes.
As you would expect from those who truly understand seafood, everything is absolutely fresh, skilfully prepared, and brought to the table with the greatest respect for the environment. The de Visscher family work closely with producers to ensure that the fish is sustainably sourced and unprocessed, with a zero waste policy.
True to its name and its lively Soho location, The Seafood Bar also features that other sort of bar in its basement – the kind where you can sit and order a cocktail and a plateful of calamari. With a schedule of events planned, including late-night oyster parties, you can count on this newcomer being an exciting participant in the London restaurant scene.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms
-
‘There are hidden things out there, we just need to look’: Studiomama's stone animals have quirky charm
Studiomama founder's Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama sieve the sands of Kent hunting down playful animal shaped stones for their latest collection
By Ali Morris Published
-
Tokyo firm Built By Legends gives fresh life to a performance icon, Nissan’s R34 GT-R
This Japanese restomod brings upgrades and enhancements to the Nissan R34 GT-R, ensuring the cult of the Skyline stays forever renewed
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Squire & Partners' radical restructure: 'There are a lot of different ways up the firm to partnership'
Squire & Partners announces a radical restructure; we talk to the late founder Michael Squire's son, senior partner Henry Squire, about the practice's new senior leadership group, its next steps and how architecture can move on from 'single leader culture'
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Celebrate Día de los Muertos at one of London (and the world’s) finest Mexican restaurants
Día de los Muertos will arrive at KOL in Marylebone on 2 November, with a collaborative menu including dishes from the chefs behind Endo at The Rotunda to The Connaught, wrapped up with a mezcal fiesta
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Mark’s Club’s interior refresh brings British countryside charm to the heart of Mayfair
Located in a classic Mayfair townhouse, Mark’s Club unveils its new interiors, from greenhouse extensions to a new open-plan layout full of trinkets and charm
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Frogs legs to fromage: Café François is London’s newest French canteen, serving up all the classics with a contemporary global twist
The founders of Mayfair's Maison François have opened a new addition, Café François. The Borough-based canteen offers an array of French classics from dawn to dusk
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Dramatic and immersive, Dosa dishes up Korean cuisine with a moody flair
The Mandarin Oriental Mayfair welcomes Dosa, a new Korean restaurant by Akira Back
By Melina Keays Published
-
Yauatcha’s bespoke mooncakes mark the start of delicious celebrations for Mid-Autumn Festival
Yauatcha, London’s Chinese dim sum teahouse, celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival (17 September) with three flavours of limited-edition mooncakes
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Why bread is back on the menu
Gone are the days of carb-avoidant diets dominating restaurant menus. Food Critic, Leonie Cooper, celebrates the return of pillowy, inventive bread as London's stand-out dish
By Leonie Cooper Published
-
Birley Chocolate hits the sweet ’n’ chic spot in London’s Chelsea
The new Birley Chocolate shop, a sibling to Birley Bakery, is a confection of colour as delicious as its finely crafted goods
By Melina Keays Published
-
The London tequila bars well worth a shot
Our resident spirits writer Neil Ridley explores London’s best places to enjoy the finest agave-based spirits
By Neil Ridley Published