“I Finally Caved And Tried London’s Most Hyped Seafood Restaurant”
I must admit, seafood isn’t my favourite food group. It’s not often that I seek out a fish-focused restaurant outside of a seaside holiday, but that’s not to say I don’t enjoy it. I do — I just happen to love meat and vegetables more. That said, with London basking in such glorious weather these past few days, flaky fish and raw salmon suddenly felt incredibly appealing. And with The Sea, The Sea having expanded this month, it seemed like the perfect excuse to finally pay them a visit.
My eyes nearly fell out of my head at the sight of the salmon sashimi…
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
What sets it apart
The Sea, The Sea has always sat on a lovely block in Chelsea — one that absorbs the sun like water, one that feels like you’ve travelled to get there. Among Ottolenghi and Bread Ahead and Three Darlings, Pavilion Road is a rich woman’s desire. For me, it is a windowshop with a takeaway coffee, and it’s just as pleasurable so long as I avoid the weekend crowds.
Upon stumbling into The Sea, The Sea, you’ll find a fishmonger. Beautiful red and grey scales sat over ice, presenting themselves as the day’s best catch to personal chefs and personal shoppers. Now, there is a new and improved dining room above said monger. One that has that same sun beaming in through floor-to-ceiling windows. Light woods and healthy plants dancing in the wind, which swirls in from the balconies. Oh, what a pleasure to sit this high above Pavilion.
What we ordered
The Sea, The Sea matches the weather in ways which meat sometimes cannot do. It’s a gin martini garnished with seaweed and salt. It’s slurps of meaty oysters chased with bites of aged seabream with white asparagus and shiso.
The Sea, The Sea has always sat on a lovely block in Chelsea — one that absorbs the sun like water, one that feels like you’ve travelled to get there. Among Ottolenghi and Bread Ahead and Three Darlings, Pavilion Road is a rich woman’s desire.
Warm seaweed and lobster dumplings provided the necessary satiation for fried food before my eyes nearly fell out of my head at the sight of the salmon sashimi. Perhaps I should be pleased; paying £19 for salmon sashimi is a bit steep, so receiving roughly two kilos of it on a plate was a valued surprise. Meaty and thick with faint notes of the boat, this was a perfect plate of sashimi made for those who wish to imagine themselves as a gull riding the wind by the waves.
Cuttlefish ragu saw interesting pairings of salsify and green almond, which provided more of a discussion point than it did a vote for my favourite dish — it was conversations on texture and colour, whether it is true that overcomplicating things makes things worse, or if, when done right, it makes things all the better. I haven’t decided yet.
And trout with Jersey Royals, a test for myself on whether I actually do like trout — on this day, I definitely liked trout. Warm and flaky was the fish, fluffy was the sauce, bright and green was the very necessary shrub salad. Next time, I will come back to try the potato ice cream with pine and smoked eel.
Verdict
Full was the stomach which dined at The Sea, The Sea, burned was the skin and tipsy was the mind after just one of the gin tinis. Whilst I wouldn’t go as far as to say this was the best meal in London, I might go as far as to say it is among the best of London’s sashimis, I might even say it is a contender for favourite plate of oysters, I might just say that in a city which upsells its seafood loudly and vigorously, this menu is one that feels priced fairly, with only two dishes exceeding £30. That feels right, right?
Full was the stomach which dined at The Sea, The Sea, burned was the skin and tipsy was the mind after just one of the gin tinis.
