Ethical seafood supplier The Sea, The Sea delivers to leading London restaurants like Ikoyi and Kol, as well as its own diner and fishmonger in Chelsea. But in May, it’ll have to update its delivery list: it’s moving its fishmonger and bistro across the road into a larger space. The new spot will broaden owner Alex Hunter’s scope to both serve and sell ethically caught British seafood, which he’s been doing on Pavilion Road since 2019. The original venue will remain open until the space is ready to launch.
The Sea, The Sea reboot will span two levels. The ground-floor fishmonger will stock seafood sourced primarily from Scotland and Cornwall – including oysters, molluscs, house-aged fish and whole day boat fish – which will be displayed in dry-ageing cabinets and a central table. A new seaweed counter will encourage customers to embrace the algae, and they can pick up lunch boxes of sashimi and shellfish rolls if they’re on the move. Those not dining in-house can take home miso black cod and Singaporean chilli crab to pop in the oven at home. In the evening, this space will transform into a 10-seat seafood bar, while the venue will capitalise on the pedestrianised street outside with a 28-capacity terrace. The space’s timber and steel fit-out will echo the functional style of traditional fishmongers.
Upstairs, a 40-cover dining room will set the scene for the cooking of head chef Nick Marsden (Dovetale, Pitt Cue and The Laughing Heart). Like in the store below, Marsden will work with produce including hand-dived scallops and line-caught bass. That might include oysters to start, with the option to add caviar for £1 a mollusc, then shared small plates like confit sea trout, white asparagus and mustard greens. Larger options will include half a grilled Cornish lobster with vin jaune sabayon and brown butter and whole plaice with broad beans and mint. Even desserts will incorporate seafood – including potato ice-cream with smoked eel.
To drink there’ll be a series of Old World whites, plus a sharp selection of red and orange wine, sake and cocktails.
It marks a big move for The Sea, The Sea. The concept stems back to Hunter’s first pop-up in 2012, Bonnie Gull, which evolved into a three-strong collection of “seafood shacks” that closed during the height of the pandemic. The Sea, The Sea opened in 2019, then expanded to a second site in Hackney in 2021, which closed in late 2025.
The Sea, The Sea will open at 243 Pavilion Rd, SW1X 0BP in May. The original site will remain open until the new space opens.
