August 20, 2026
The Sea, The Sea restaurant in London has finally grown into itself. What began as Chelsea’s clever fishmonger by day, seafood bar by night, has moved into a larger Pavilion Road site and become something more complete.
There is still the ice, the counter, the dry-aged fish and the faint sense that dinner has been caught rather than cooked. But now there is also a proper upstairs bistro, a terrace and enough room to eat without feeling like one elbow belongs to the person beside you.
It remains a restaurant for people who take fish seriously. Not loudly. Not pompously. Just seriously enough to know that excellent seafood rarely needs a great deal of interference.
At a Glance
Best for: Seafood lovers, counter dining, Chelsea lunches and elegant casual dinners
Cuisine: British seafood, raw bar and day-boat fish
Location: Pavilion Road, Chelsea
Price: Around £80–£130 per person with drinks
Signature dishes: Oysters with cucumber and apple vinaigrette, aged seabream, fried seaweed dumpling with lobster, Cornish turbot and potato ice cream with smoked eel
Atmosphere: Bright, coastal, polished and quietly serious
Nearest station: Sloane Square
Booking tip: Book upstairs for a fuller meal, or the raw bar for oysters, sashimi and caviar
What Is The Sea, The Sea Restaurant in London?
The Sea, The Sea is part fishmonger, part seafood bar, part restaurant. Its Chelsea site now brings all three together under one roof. By day, the ground floor operates as a fish shop and deli, with displays of shellfish, whole fish and dry-aged seafood. By evening, the central ice counter becomes a raw bar for a small number of diners.
Upstairs is the bistro: more comfortable, more restaurant-like and better suited to a longer meal. The cooking is led by Nick Marsden and follows the house philosophy closely. Buy exceptional fish. Handle it with care. Add just enough to make it sing.
The Atmosphere and Design
The new space feels cleaner and more confident than the original. Downstairs has the bright, practical theatre of a fish market: stainless steel, ice, seafood on display and the sense that everything is being used for a reason.
Upstairs, the mood softens. Timber, textured plaster, banquettes and skylights make the dining room feel relaxed rather than clinical. The pitched ceiling nods gently towards a boat hull, though thankfully nobody has overcommitted to the nautical theme.
The terrace gives the restaurant a useful extra register. Lunch there feels very Chelsea, in the best and worst sense. Upstairs is calmer. The raw bar is the place for people who like to see dinner before it becomes dinner.
The Menu
The menu changes often, which is exactly what one wants from a restaurant built around day-boat fish. Oysters come with cucumber and apple vinaigrette, with the option to add caviar by the oyster. There is caviar with blinis, crème fraîche and chives if the table is feeling prosperous.
Snacks and raw plates are the best way in. Coombeshead sourdough arrives with cultured butter. Langoustine and crab consommé brings quiet depth. Aged seabream with white asparagus and shiso is delicate but not timid, while fried seaweed dumpling with lobster delivers the richer, crunchier hit.
Small plates might include salmon sashimi with pickled kohlrabi and aged soy, Isle of Skye scallop with flowering currant, cuttlefish ragu with salsify and green almond, or John Dory with maitake and red rice vinegar.
Larger dishes are where the kitchen becomes more direct: smoked Chalkstream trout with Jersey Royals, silver mullet with emmer and mussels, butterflied gurnard with whey and smoked herring roe, plaice with wild garlic, capers and pickled dulse, or Cornish turbot with white asparagus sauce.
Desserts are not an afterthought, though they are not exactly conventional. Potato ice cream with pine and smoked eel is the kind of thing that will divide the table. Apple cake with cherry and thyme is the safer close.
Drinks & Wine
The wine list is built for seafood, with European and English bottles, plenty of whites and enough sparkling wine to make the raw bar feel properly celebratory. Cocktails are also taken seriously. This is a restaurant where the right drink should sharpen the fish, not smother it.
Who Is The Sea, The Sea Best For?
The Sea, The Sea is best for diners who care about fish quality and prefer precision over fuss. It works well for seafood-focused dates, solo counter dining, long Chelsea lunches and small dinners where everyone is happy to share.
It is less suited to anyone looking for steak, vegan abundance or heavy sauces. This is seafood in close-up.
Is The Sea, The Sea Worth Booking?
Yes. The Sea, The Sea’s new Chelsea site gives the food the room it always needed. The best dishes are clean, confident and unusually focused. It is not cheap, and the more ambitious seafood can push the bill upwards quickly. But the quality is difficult to argue with. Book upstairs for dinner, or sit at the raw bar and let the ice counter do most of the persuasion.
Practical Information
Address: 243 Pavilion Road, London SW1X 0AW
Area: Chelsea
Nearest station: Sloane Square
Cuisine: Seafood, raw bar and fishmonger-led dining
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, lunch 12pm–3pm and dinner 6pm–9.30pm; Sunday, 12pm–3.30pm
Deposit: £30 per person for reservations
Service charge: 15% discretionary service charge, plus a £1 charity donation in support of Fishermen’s Mission
Private hire: Upstairs dining room seats up to 37 guests, with larger standing events available across the terrace and raw bar
Best for: Oysters, raw fish, elegant seafood dinners and Chelsea lunches
FAQs
What type of food does The Sea, The Sea serve?
The Sea, The Sea serves British seafood, raw fish, oysters, caviar, day-boat fish and seasonal small plates. The menu changes regularly according to the catch and includes both fresh and dry-aged fish.
Is The Sea, The Sea a restaurant or a fishmonger?
It is both. The Chelsea site operates as a fishmonger and deli, with a raw bar and upstairs seafood bistro for dining in.
Where is The Sea, The Sea Chelsea?
The Sea, The Sea is at 243 Pavilion Road, Chelsea, London SW1X 0AW, close to Sloane Square.
What should I order at The Sea, The Sea?
Order oysters, aged seabream, fried seaweed dumpling with lobster, Isle of Skye scallop and Cornish turbot if available. The menu changes often, so ask what came in best that day.
Is The Sea, The Sea expensive?
Yes. The Sea, The Sea sits in premium seafood territory. Oysters, caviar, turbot and larger fish dishes can make the bill rise quickly, especially with wine.
Is The Sea, The Sea good for a date?
Yes, particularly for a seafood-focused date. The upstairs bistro is more comfortable for a full dinner, while the raw bar is better for oysters, Champagne and a shorter evening.
Does The Sea, The Sea have outdoor seating?
Yes. The Chelsea restaurant has a covered terrace as well as indoor dining and a raw bar.
The Sea, The Sea Restaurant London Bookings
Capital A List members can make bookings for The Sea, The Sea below.
