Bonnie Gull co-founder to launch Chelsea restaurant and fishmongers
Named after Iris Murdoch’s Booker prize winning 1978 novel, The Sea, The Sea will be a fish shop and deli by day and seafood and champagne bar by evening.
The idea of combining a fishmongers and a eating space is not a new one, but it’s not an easy model to get right. Fishworks expanded at pace in the mid-noughties but now only operates a handful of sites.
The Sea, The Sea will serve seafood “sourced from fish markets”, focusing on day-boat British catch. It will make and sell own-brand seafood products including pies, sauces and cured fish.
Its seafood bar will feature a daily changing menu made up of the best of the day’s catch, a selection of small plates featuring raw, smoked and cured fish and shellfish, seafood platters and some hot dishes.
A selection of British rock and native oysters will feature with a monthly changing wine list including a selection of grower champagne and sparkling wines.
There will also be contributions from a number of high profile chefs including Londrino’s Leandro Carreira and Ikoyi’s Jeremy Chan in the form of a guest fishmonger series. Weekly masterclasses in oyster shucking, fish filleting, curing and pickling are also planned.
“We’re using our restaurant experience and chef network to create a more accessible fish shop where customers can come and talk to people who cook fish for a living. We’re all about promoting British fish, including the lesser known species, and giving people the confidence to prepare and cook more fish at home,” says Hunter.
“We’ll be sourcing the freshest, highest quality produce from all over the UK, including a lot of same-day catch which is seldom seen in London.”
The Sea, The Sea has been designed by Coriander Buildings who also designed and built Bonnie Gull’s Soho restaurant. The style will be modern and fresh with features including a fish aging cabinet and crushed ice oyster bar for customers to sit at throughout the day.
It is located on Pavilion Road and is owned by landlord Cadogan Estate.
