The best oysters in London: 14 shucking-ly good restaurants

Oysters – you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. They're like the Marmite of seafood, dividing the crowd massively. Some people simply adore the way this morsel-sized snack, nestled in their rough shells, literally taste like the sea when you swallow them whole. Dress them with a few drops of Tabasco or perhaps some sharp and acidic pickled onion or a squeeze of lemon, and they're even better.

Others cannot stand oysters, claiming their slimy consistency and wobbly appearance are too much to handle. We assume you’re not one of these guys though, seeing that you’re reading this article, and we also assume you’re on the hunt for some good-quality variants, so read on to find out what restaurants to track down for the very best oysters London has to offer. We’ve given the city a good scouring to come up with a decent amount of options, so that wherever you fancy eating out you should be able to find one of our top picks close by. From Seabird in Southwark – which is home to London’s longest oyster list and an incredible rooftop space – to Bentley’s in Mayfair, the best oysters in London don’t discriminate by postcode thankfully, and can be found in all corners of the capital.

And yes, the old saying does go that you should only eat oysters in the months whose names contains an ‘r’. While that might be true for native oysters, which spawn over the summer months and are at their best when the water is at its coldest, you can eat rock oysters all year round thankfully. So, whether you’re a native aficionado in search of the best bivalves to knock back raw, or you’re dipping your toe in the water with a cooked rock oyster, here’s our guide to the pearls of London’s oyster scene.

Langbourns, City of London

Pearl of Wisdom: Boasting a unique oyster bar stocked with fresh Colchester rock oysters, Langbournes knows its seafood. Whether you're after a traditional cold oyster with mignonette sauce or something more along the lines of the hot crispy katsu curry oysters, there's something for everyone. With a £2 oyster happy hour running Monday through Friday from 4-6pm why not enjoy a few oysters before settling down to dinner.
Where: 77-78 Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0AS
Book Now: Langbourns

Seabird, Hoxton

Pearl of wisdom: Boasting London’s largest oyster list, Seabird is the perfect restaurant for enjoying a little shellfish variation at (and variety - they do say - is the spice of life). Options change with the seasons but you can expect plump, salty oysters from across the UK, with choices ranging from delights like Jersey oysters from the Channel Islands to Gillardeau shells from Île d’Oléron in France. All the usual trimmings are available, and to top it all off there are some seriously Instagrammable interiors to help keep your feed fresh. If dining in summer make sure to ask for a rooftop spot, or in the cooler months bag a comfy sofa seat along the side of the room. 
Where: 40 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8NY
Book now: Seabird

Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, Mayfair

Pearl of wisdom: Oysters are expertly shucked by long-serving staff who have a genuine passion for what they’re serving at this 103-year-old Richard Corrigan restaurant. Expect to see the likes of expertly sourced Galway natives alongside rock oysters baked with garlic at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill.
Where: 11-15 Swallow Street, W1B 4DG
Book Now: Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill

Chiltern Firehouse, Marylebone

Pearl of wisdom: The courtyard at Chiltern Firehouse (fondly nicknamed Chiltz) is the easiest way to score a walk-in table at the celebrity mecca and the presence of an oyster cart, manned by oyster expert Bobby Groves, only adds to the breezy appeal. Groves intends always to have three native oysters available until the end of the season in April.
Where: 1 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PA
Book Now: Chiltern Firehouse

Fishworks, Mayfair

Pearl of wisdom: Eating oysters in Mayfair needn’t mean taking out a second mortgage. At the Swallow Street outpost of this fishmonger-cum-seafood restaurant, oysters go for £4 a pop, or you can get six for £23 or 12 for £45. Wash it all down with a glass of Champagne for £12. Choose between the house selection on any given day.
Where: 7-9 Swallow Street, W1B 4DE
Book Now: Fishworks

J Sheekey Atlantic Bar, Covent Garden

Pearl of wisdom: Arguably London’s most famed fish restaurant, J Sheekey is a reliable spot to see the city's most famous faces from the West End stage. A plate of mixed oysters with spicy sausage makes a good introduction to oysters. And who says oysters need to be expensive? Here you can get half a dozen for under £30.
Where: 33-34 St Martin’s Court, WC2N 4AL
Book Now: J Sheekey

The Oystermen Seafood Bar & Kitchen, Covent Garden

Pearl of wisdom: This oyster and seafood specialist has proved such a hit since opening in 2017 that it doubled in size by expanding into the premises next door. Delicious trios of cooked oysters makes The Oystermen a great place to try the molluscs without having to eat them raw.
Where: 32 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8NA
Book Now: The Oystermen Seafood Bar & Kitchen

Randall & Aubin, Soho

Pearl of wisdom: Established in 1996, Brewer Street’s seafood mainstay, Randall & Aubin, is classic Soho: cool, relaxed, a tad cramped and buzzing with life. Seafood fans will appreciate the overflowing displays of shellfish on ice, while a dedicated oyster menu is supported by Randall & Aubin Champagne by the glass priced at £14. 
Where: 16 Brewer Street, W1F 0SG
Book Now: Randall & Aubin

Scott’s, Mayfair

Pearl of wisdom: A sparkling crustacea bar glistening with fresh produce forms the seafood altar at the centre of celebrity hangout Scott’s. Choose between either six or a dozen oysters starting from £22 for six Jersey Rocks or up to £72 for a dozen of the French-coast Gillardeau ones. Feeling adventurous? How about a tempura fried oyster with ponzu aioli and pickled fennel?
Where: 20 Mount Street, W1K 2HE
Book Now: Scott's

Wiltons, St James’s

Pearl of wisdom: Wilton’s received its first Royal Warrant to supply Queen Victoria with oysters in 1868 – and if it’s good enough for the royal family, it’s good enough for us. Learn all about oysters with an oyster masterclass on the first Monday of the month, starting from September when oyster season begins.    
Where: 55 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6LX
Book Now: Wiltons

Darby’s, Nine Elms

Pearl of wisdom: Touting itself as an oyster bar (among other things), Darby’s wife and husband Sarah and Robin Gill founders have made oysters into a focus at their Nine Elms restaurant. The central bar, filled to the brim with a selection of oysters, is a prime example of it – so is the Wednesday-Saturday happy hour of a pint of Guinness and six oysters for £15, between 5-7pm.  
Where: 3 Viaduct Gardens Road, SW11 7AY
Book Now: Darby's

The Guinea Grill, Mayfair

Pearl of wisdom: This old-school Mayfair restaurant hides behind a pub façade, but within is a place where black waistcoat-clad waiters serve you on tables with white tablecloths. There are pubby features at The Guinea Grill, though, such as pints of Guinness served with native and rock oysters, served daily for more than 50 years.
Where: 30 Bruton Place, W1J 6NL
Book Now: The Guinea Grill

Bibendum Oyster Bar, Fulham

Pearl of wisdom: Bibendum (named after the Michelin tyre company’s mascot) is a prime spot for oysters, especially in its ground-floor seafood and Champagne bar, where Dungarven, Morecambe Bay, Jersey, Oyster Regal and Gillardeau oysters are often up for grabs. Wash them all down with heaps of Champagne for a truly lavish experience.
Where: 81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD
Book Now: Bibendum

Sutton & Sons, Hackney

Pearl of wisdom: Not just a fish & chips shop, Sutton & Sons still operates as a fishmonger, so you can expect the freshest oysters here. Seeing that they’re coming straight from the source, too, they’re not badly priced, starting at £1.85 each and the selection changes with the seasons.
Where: 218 Graham Road E8 1BP
Book Now: Sutton & Sons

Still feeling fishy? Swim on over to our list of the best fish restaurants in London (sorry).