Scott's

The other day I read in a newspaper a list the places serving best fish and chips in Britain.

On Saturday I was telling a friend about this list and made the comment that in my view the best fish and chips in the land are to be had at Scott's.

He was somewhat dubious about my claim and started rambling on about some establishment on the Orkney Islands that he had been to thirty years before.

In order to cut short what seemed set to be a long reminiscence I interjected, I said that there then I would take him to Scott's, thus proving my point.

I telephoned Scott's and managed to get a couple of seats at the bar.
We arrived there half an hour later.
The place was packed.

There was however a table for two that was sitting there empty and they were delighted to let us ‘upgrade’.

Bread arrived almost instantaneously, this followed by the most delicious butter, probably whey.
The bread is fabulous, so much better than it is possible to buy from any London bakery that I can find.

We ordered an English Pilsner beer each – the only type that they sell, and then gave our order for halibut in batter sitting on a bed of mushy peas with chips on the side.

After a few minutes of conversation about the recession and how it was packing out London restaurants – and theatres, our order arrived and it was unexpectedly accompanied by a sauce-boat of tartare.

We ordered two more beers and then started.

The fish batter was really well cooked, not too hard, just right. The halibut inside the batter was full of flavour and the portion size big,
The taste of the mushy peas had been so altered as to taste mainly of mint which was a relief as normally I find mushy peas unattractive to look at and perfectly vile to eat, These were delicious though, perhaps their colour was a little too sensational. The chips had clearly been twice fried and were as good as any obtainable in France.
The tartare sauce was obviously restaurant made, as was the bread.
The English pilsner was delicious.
We then ordered a plate of restaurant made chocolate truffles and two coffees.

Four pilsners came to just under £20.
Fish and chips for two £35.
Bread, coffee and chocolates and 12.5% ‘optional’ service charge came to about £20.
The bill was just over £75.
A quid under a saucer for the guy who has to clear the table, another to the hat-check lady and one for the doorman.

Apology from friend who had doubted me, free.
Chateau Tap, free
Feeling of immortality when hitting the street afterwards, 100%
.
Of all the restaurants in London none can beat the friendliness and efficiency of the staff, they are quite simply the top crew in London. I don't care what other reviewers say below, it has in more than ten visits never been my experience to have anything other than immaculate service.

I intend to keep on returning and returning.

As to the peroxided women, uncles with their nieces and Russians, as noted below, I have no idea whatsoever. I go to restaurants to eat and enjoy the company of my guest/s. People who go to celebrity watch and order obscure dishes of which they have no knowledge whatsoever and then out of tgnorance complain, deserve, in my opinion, everything they get.

The fact that the restaurant is open from noon until midnight makes it so very convenient and user friendly.
Too often one has been stuck in a meeting for hours and hours avoiding the M&S or Pret sandwiches.
The thought of a quick dish of a few razor clams at 3.30pm to tide one over until dinner is more than appealing, it is a must. Sadly it is not really possible to eat fish and chips so late in the afternoon, it is too filling, particularly if you have to eat again later.

It really has to be faced.
If you want good fish and chips you have to go to an up-market fish restaurant that has a proper chef who cooks everything from razor clams to lobster.

If however you want the very, very best, go to Scott's.

It really is a no brainer!

Like most of us, I hate to admit when I am wrong. However, as the exam-board found with too many of the answers on my A level maths paper, I was, it seems, possibly not as correct as I could have been about Scott’s.

I'd wanted to go for ages; the glamour, the elvers, the top-hatted doorman, the possibility of a real celebrity. Instead, when I went a few years back, I hated it. All braying hedge fund managers, bragging about the size of their tigs, with their x-ray wives face-lifted to with in an inch of their lives, grins frozen to their perma tanned visgogs by botox. Now I don't know if the recession has found its way to Mayfair yet (nearly 30 notes for a slice of turbot suggests maybe not), but this time, they'd all gone, to be replaced by Russians. Lots of Russians.

Yes, there was still a sufficiently loud amount of braying going on; this time from the peroxide crew, presumably fuelling themselves for a busy night ahead, but the atmosphere had changed dramatically in the intervening recession.

The room reminds me of the Ivy: heavy wood panelling, that air of money, lots of uncles out with their nieces. Service too has the comically inept level that the Ivy has perfected so well. Not bad in the rude sense, just not good for a place charging the aforementioned 30 notes for a slice of fish. Sides extra. How can you end up with two knives and no fork when the food arrives? How can all the waiting staff suddenly disappear from view when you realise what has happened?

To finish the analogy with the Ivy, the food is never going to be the main point here: it is perfectly fine, but, with few honourable exceptions, never really rises above this.

The menu is split into caviar, crustacean, starters, fish and meat. Oh, and sides, as the mains come with nothing other than the fish or meat mentioned. I always like to try something new, so started with cod tongues. The tongue is a misused part of any animal, seemingly regarded as a nothing cut. Whilst of course I realise that a cod has a tongue, I have never seen one on a menu. Cheeks yes, but they are so last year. You can probably get them in M&S now.

It, or rather they, for the cod’s is small, were delicious, the standout dish, although the oysters (the West Mercia native no.2, as recommended by the waiter) were fine examples of the bivalve.

Then the real test: something so absurdly sounding on the menu that I was drawn to it irresistibly, like a moth to a flame. How could “shrimp burger” be any good at all? Well, it wasn’t, but I just had to try it. Potted shrimp is one of the most glorious British dishes; peeled brown shrimp, mace, nutmeg, maybe some anchovy sauce and butter. Chopping up prawns, turning them into a burger (complete with a slice of pickle) is just so, so wrong. I should have gone with the slip sole recommendation of my companion, who seemed far more to enjoy his than I mine.

To finish, a classic sticky toffee pudding, swimming in extra toffee and floating on some pretty good custard.

The wine list is fine and, for where we are, prices not at all bad, with many by the glass and few hitting the stratospheric heights of other local restaurants, which is odd, given how expensive the food is.

So certainly not as bad as I recall, and a fun evening, but don’t go here for the food; go to be seen, go to view how the other half live, go to meet blond Russian girls. Just take a credit card with a high limit.

We went to Scott's to celebrate my wife's birthday and were not disappointed. The oysters followed by a main course of ray and one of cod were sublime. As ever the atmosphere and service added to what will remain a memorable evening

Most people already know Scott's, or heard about it. So I won't write about the basics. This is more of an update. And – the hype is starting to get to their heads. Service standards are slipping, one can wait for 10 to 20 minutes to get its long pre-booked table (especially for second shift of diners), waiters forget who ordered what, filling in glasses is more and more often left to the customers. This is not what one would expect for the price tag, but the hype continues and lets the service “get away with it”. At least the food and the overall ambiance of the place are still as good as ever.

This is one of the great rooms in the world. If you are lucky enough to get a atable around the oyster bar just sit back relax and take the world in.Service is excellant and the menu simple but cooked beautifully.The only minus is some of the wine mark ups outrageous. The doorman bids you farewell and you leave lighter in the wallet but filled with great comfort knowing you had a great experience.

Leaving a place like Scotts, is almost like stepping out of a roller coaster ride, the initial euphoria fills you with infinite pleasure which slowly dissipates, leaving you with the reality that it was all one big illusion. Dining at Scotts for the first time is a treat to the senses and you are left in your seat in awe of the calibre of people around you; the rich, the famous, politicians and London socialites fill the plentiful tables and you can't help but watch.

Staff are busy bustling around with poise and precision and the whole operation runs seamlessly from door to bill. The restaurant itself is expansive yet filled with tables (some may say, rather too closely), eccentric and uncoordinated art and a sense of pride that bounces from oak panelled wall to wall. The menu is an equally diverse array of items of a fishy nature, from the traditional to contemporary options. At first you want to eat everything but when sense prevails you nervously make your choice because this meal has to be perfect. This meal is at Scotts.

Plates arrived and left with very few remains of john dory, gurnard and mussels in saffron broth, and herb crusted monkfish and scallions with plum tomatoes. Both dishes were succulent, flavoursome and balanced, without a whisper of over or undercooked fish – as one would expect. At the time I was chuffed with the selection and its delivery. Thinking back, now that the veil of awe is firmly off, the dishes were really just satisfactory and nothing more.

Herein lies the problem. There is mark up and then there is unjustified mark up. if the prize here is the fact that you are sitting in Scotts then it can be handled once or twice I suppose, but if its the quality of the food, then I'm not sure it is the only restaurant to claim fish that has pretty much swum out of the sea and straight on to the plate.

Scotts is and for me always will be a destination dining venue for the odd special occasion but for quality, innovation and real wow factor worth paying for, there are other contenders in London worthy of more frequent visits.

A well oiled machine Scotts…that's for sure. The service was spotless, the food excellently executed and fresh. The Stone bass ceviche was excellent and the side serving of garnishes was a good touch. Tables were a little cramped but doesn't an address like this require a certain amount of return on the obvious investment that has been made to produce a very pleasant environment and overall dining experience. Clearly it does as demonstrated by the £4 cover charge for bread and more so by the £42 bottle of Vouvray! Not that paying £42 for a good bottle of white wine is outrageous except when you can buy the same bottle for £7.49 at Majestic wine. Lets be generous and say that Scotts buy it for £5 a bottle, an 800% mark up is obscene and shows in my view a distinct lack of originality by the sommelier. Perhaps the price is justified by the discretion you get when you dine in a place like this but the £150 tab for lunch a deux was over priced – no doubt.

An ideal way to end a weekend is with a Sunday evening dinner at Scott’s. From the moment the doorman wearing a bowler hat greets and escorts you into the dining room and you see the fabulously ornate oyster bar, you know you’re in for a treat, and the food, service and ambience deliver just that. Scott’s is glamorous, exciting and a place ‘to see and be seen’.

It's been said many times here before, but there's no harm saying it again – Scott's really is a special place. From the moment you walk in you're firmly in the “treat” zone – you feel privileged just to be in this buzzy, glitzy dining room which has an atmosphere unlike any other in London right now.

Scott's is classically cool – the lights and decor give it an unmistakably upmarket feel, but the huge fish bar in the middle of the room seems to provide an exciting edge to the place – yes you can come and indulge in a classic three courser, but you can also pull up a stool and have a chat to the staff expertly wrestling out fat oyster after fat oyster.

Of course, fish is the order of the day here, and it would be daft to miss out. On our most recent visit for starters my girlfriend barely managed to restrain herself from launching headfirst into the oysters along the fish bar, whilst I played it safer with octopus carpaccio. The thought of fishy chewing gum does nothing for me so I had to take her word for it that the oysters hit the mark. The carpaccio was light, delicate and on the right side of slimey.

Pan fried slip soles with mussels for her, and herb-roasted monkifish for me then followed. Both absolutely sublime – the mains in particular are not cheap, but this really is fish at it's best. I could've eaten the monkfish again. And again.

This just left room for the best chocolate fondant either of us had guitlily drooled over. A perfect liquid centre with a depth of flavour that would make even the most stringent dieter forget about Weight Watchers points for the day.

Scott's offers a full first class experience from the moment you walk in, to the time you (reluctantly) walk out.

Went here for a romantic birthday dinner. Asked for a nice table when we booked.
However, was seated at a table which was very close to other tables and not remotely romantic despite there being several empty tables which would have qualified as cosy and romantic.
When we asked to move tables we were told we could not and that the table next to us (on the end) was reserved for a regular.
When the regular showed up, we were virtually sat on top of each other and he did nothing but swear and talk loudly about sex the entire time we were there. I was mortified. We should have left. I have never sat anywhere and heard such offensive language. If this man was a regular, the staff would have been aware of this and should not have sat a couple on a romantic birthday dinner anywhere near this man.
Food was good.
Table service was good.
Decor is nice enough.
The overall experience, however, was ruined by tables being too close together and by sitting by such a vulguar man which was not expected in a restaurant of Scott's standards.
Incredibly disappointing and would not eat here again in the evening.

An institution revered and loved by the great, the good and the rich. Uniformed man opens the door and welcomes you in. Coats and bags are taken from you in a small reception area, a well dressed man will tick you off and hand you to another member of staff you will guide you to your table. All done very smoothly. The room is fabulous, stylish, open yet intimate and big. You feel that you are “somewhere” .
The whole point of Scotts, if you didnt know, is the fish, the menu is very similar to J Sheekey's but more expensive. The food is beautifully cooked and presented, there is nothing terribly imaginative going on, its not The Square, but it's done very well. Whether its worth £100 a head by the time you have had an aperetif and a bottle of decentish French burgundy and paid the service charge, I am not sure.

Our late February visit was the first for about 8-9 months. In the past, we’ve always enjoyed some very good long Saturday lunches, but unusually for us we went for a Saturday evening.

Scotts attracts a very mixed dining crowd, but is famous for its media and thespian crowd. This could be a bit off-putting, but fortunately they’re all very English and very low key – ie not keen to be noticed like a sad Z-lister. The atmosphere is very pleasantly relaxed, informal and buzzy, which we’ve always liked. The restaurant is invariably very busy.

The décor and furnishing is quite neutral and light, which works well when it is quite crowded. I sense that it wouldn’t work quite as well if it was quiet.

We love their style of very simply cooked very high quality fresh fish. Some may be looking for more sauces or complexity, but we go there because Scotts don’t do that. Just enjoy the fish and the skill with which it is prepared and cooked. At home, for several years we’ve been copying their “in the shell” method of grilling scallops, which really does add to the flavour and moistness. On this occasion, we both ate some particularly good turbot (£34 pp). I also had some very good Mersea Native oysters (£17 for 6).

Front of house and service is almost always charming, friendly and professional, even when they’re busy. No pretension despite their popularity and the difficulty of booking.

The wine list is good, although with a bias to the high end. To match the quality of the food, we normally spend £80-£90 on a bottle.

Pricing is not cheap, but I think represents good value for money given the high quality. We normally seem to pay about £100 for 2 for 2 courses, ex all drinks, ex service.

Overall, an excellent restaurant in which to enjoy wonderfully simply cooked high quality fish. Excluding sushi, I'm not sure we've ever eaten at a better fish restaurant in London. We'll be back soon.

Having been here a few years ago and enjoyed a wonderful meal I have always had it in my head that Scott's is the best fish restuarant in London. I returned this Saturday for lunch and again was impressed, but not dazzled.

The setting is slick and the service impressive, admitedly there wasn't a big crowd in at 12.30, but by 1pm there was hardly a spare seat to be seen. The selection of starters is impressive – from oysters (try with wild boar sausages), to smoked fish to a number of excellent others including the octopus carpaccio. Their main courses are the obvious array of delicious sounding fish, but also some interesting meat dishes for those who need a break. My halibut was good and beautifully presented but nothing on the halibut I had at The Square before Christmas. I think this summed it up for me – the food was very good, but I know I have had better.

It doesn't come cheap clearly either – £210 for 2 people! Is it worth it? I don't think I would race back to pay with my own money, but for good fish you always have to pay top whack. Its a fun restaurant with a good atmostphere, backed up with good quality cooking, but as I walked home contemplating if it was the best for fish in London, I passed a sign outside another famous fish restaurant, it read “The best fish restaurant in London”… Well there is only one way to find out – will be booking up One-O-One very soon!

Without question this is currently the restaurant of choice in central london. Unfortunately everyone else seems to agree making the only difficulty; actually getting a table. The food is of the highest quality and simply but skillfully prepared. Great ambience and excellent value.

I first went to Scotts YEARS ago, I seem to recall they had a tacky waterfall in the middle of the restaurant which reached down to the bar…I could have been hallucinating of course it was the 90's…
Anyway, revamped Scotts is a very nice place and ticks most of my boxes, so I have had a couple of visits recently. I love the central bar where you can pop in and sit and eat, particularly if you're in the local area but didn't think to book ahead for a table. It reminded me a bit of Cecconi's. Not tested during busy times though.
On my last visit I had the ham starter which was absolutely fab, I had a similar dish in my local Italian this weekend and was soooo disappointed…it wasn't a patch on the Scott's version (but of course was a 3rd the price, you get what you pay for!)
The food isn't as memorable as some places, but no major complaints. Service was efficient and pleasant, decor is pleasing, atmosphere nice and comfy.
I seem to spot a famous face whenever I visit too, which somehow makes you feel you got value for money!!
I like it..I'll go again…

It is hard to keep standards up in these recessionary times as indeed those who frequent Gordon Ramsey's restaurants have found to their dismay. Unlike the Ramsey empire, Scott's is a one trick pony. It only needs to produce fresh fish dishes at a consistent level.

Unfortunately this is not always the case. I was fortunate enough to have an almost acceptable sea bass – well the fish seemed fresh but was swimming in a ‘soup’ of butter that pretty much nullified any real taste. Why does Scott's need to do this? Are they incapable of producing simple dishes? My partner had a DOver sole which she proclaimed was the Scott's signature dish. Again, it was swimming in butter. I took one bite, turned the rubbery morsel around in my mouth and proclaimed it to be cooked from frozen.

Can anybody corroborate that Scott's sells frozen fish at these fantastic mark ups?

The service is excellent.

Great decor, nice food, shame about the service.
The decor is lovely, posh but not stuffy. Very old world, like a restaurant in upper classes on the titanic.

The food quite nice, old british, prepared well.

• Smoked eel with horseraddish was lovely, succulent, fresh smokey flavour without being overtly strong with nice big chunks of tangy horseraddish and cress
• Fried Duck egg with liver and black pudding rich and succulent without being overdone.
• Atlantic halibut was over salted but a simple creamy sauce – Sole with capers was a lovely piece of fish nicely done
  

the presentation was simple, the portions were sizable. there was nothing really unusual about the dishes but they were all nicely done.

Shame the service let it down. a little remote in attitude and inattentive. They got the wine wrong, the waitress rather than the head waiter who had made the wine recommendation returned to question whether we were wrong! we finished our water and was never offered more.

the mains were brought before we had finished the entree. and when he saw we still had plates on the table the dishes were whisked to the other side of the bar while we finished, they hastily cleared the plates and brought the same ones back – ok so it had only been a few minutes but i wouldve preferred a break between courses (although they did take the cost of desserts off as recompense). but we even had to request our wine glasses to be topped up at one point. Floor walkers didnt really smile or engage, didnt ask if we wanted anything else or make polite conversation when my partner went to the toilet and i was left alone.
the coat check didnt hold my coat while i put on scarf and cardigan and instead left it on the chair in front even though there was no one waiting. and the toilet was not the cleanest – although i guess that couldve just happened

I dont know about value as my partner paid, however i am sure it wasnt cheap – for a restauarnt with the reputation and cost of Scotts i wouldve expected more.

lovely decor, simple and nice food but overall i probably try somewhere first.

We dined at Scott's recently for a special meal out and really enjoyed everything about the place. The service was very efficient, the waitresses helpful and the food amazing. We chose Scott's because of the countless photos of A-listers falling out the doors in all the London papers and magazines, and also because it was the Square Meal Restaurant of the Year – we had to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, we didn't see any celebs that we recognised, but we definitely saw some people who looked like they though they should be! It was a really enjoyable night.

If you're going to Scott's for a meal and want to splurge, I'd recommend a cocktail beforehand in the nearby Connaught Hotel bar.

best food service and atmosphere in london

Next to J.Sheekey this is the best seafood restaurant in London. The atmosphere in the dining room is very grown-up. It's a place your dad would know from going there for regular business lunches. But the giant comfy chairs and soft colours make it cosy, rather than stuffy. I always have the same: raw & cooked seafood platter, which is shared amongst diners and includes the usual (oysters, clams, prawns, langoustines, lobster, different types of crab etc). However the wine list is very well represented in french whites, but does need to be upgraded in their italian-whites selection.

Scott's is hands-down my favourite seafood restaurant. Service is excellent – friendly but professional and the food is to die for. Would dine here every lunchtime if my wallet could afford it. This is the standard all London restaurants should strive for. Always a pleasure to visit.

From start to finish this is a restaurant experience that catapults you back to a yester year and makes you feel like a Hollywood star…maybe that's why it attracts so many…I can imagine Ian Flemming ordering his first Martini "shaken not stirred" in this most glamorous of Mayfair restaurants…my tip is the cod…

The staff at Scott's are as delicious as the food. They gave us the warmest welcome and a can't-do-enough-for-you attitude throughout lunch.
I took a client who loves fish – but being veggie I thought I would prob' struggle to find something I could eat (I know, selfless!), but they actually have a seperate and extensive vegetarian menu if you ask. More impressively our waiter didn't even pull a what-are-you-doing-in-a-fish-restaurant-madam face. Hoorah!
Great wow-factor if you need to impress.
Note to self: staring at famous people isn't cool.