The Sea The Sea Moves Across Pavilion Road With a New Seafood Bistro
Pavilion Road has become the most useful food street within walking distance of Knightsbridge, and its seafood specialist has just raised its game. The Sea The Sea, the fishmonger and seafood bar that has drawn devoted regulars to this street behind Sloane Street, opened in its new home on 29 May. It has not gone far: the new premises at 243 Pavilion Road are just across the road from the original, in the space that was previously Wulf & Lamb. But the move brings a lot more room, and a new restaurant to go with it.
Upstairs: a seafood bistro
The headline addition is an upstairs seafood bistro led by chef Nick Marsden, whose CV includes Dovetale, Pitt Cue and The Laughing Heart. As Hot Dinners reported when the move was announced, the menu is built around British fish and shellfish, with dishes such as:
- Oysters to start, with caviar available as an add-on for just £1.
- Pickled Fowey mussels.
- Confit sea trout.
- Skate wing and whole plaice as mains.
- A characterful dessert of potato ice cream with preserved spruce and smoked eel.
That £1 caviar add-on is the detail everyone will talk about, and it is typical of the playful seriousness that has made the original such a favourite.
Downstairs: a bigger fishmonger
The retail side has grown too. The downstairs fishmonger is larger than before and now includes a seaweed counter, so this is still the place to buy fish for the weekend as much as to eat it. As at the original, the space turns into a wine bar in the evenings, which makes it an easy after-work stop for a glass and a plate of something from the sea.
Terrace season
Inside, the bistro is intimate, with just ten seats, but there is a big terrace outside. On a street lined with independent food shops and cafés, that terrace looks set to become one of the most sought-after outdoor tables in the area this summer, and a natural spot for oysters and a cold glass of white on a warm evening. Arrive early in the evening if you want one, particularly on sunny Fridays.
Why it matters for Knightsbridge
Pavilion Road runs parallel to Sloane Street, so The Sea The Sea is a five minute detour from a morning among the Sloane Street boutiques. For a lunch that feels a world away from department store cafés, it is hard to beat. And for residents, a bigger fishmonger on the doorstep is the kind of everyday luxury that makes a neighbourhood.
Booking and getting there
Tables can be booked online through the restaurant's website, and it is worth doing so for the bistro given its size. The Sea The Sea is at 243 Pavilion Road, SW1X 0AW, between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square stations. For more seafood and new openings nearby, browse our restaurant guide.
Lead image: Jim Linwood via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
