OPENING 24 JANUARY 2020
Since opening in 2017, Highbury fishmonger Bourne’s has been known for championing all things to do with British seafood– and that now extends to cooking the produce they’re selling. Following the success of owners Lee Bourne and John Long’s second shop in Belsize Park, which transforms into a seafood bar by night, the pair have decided to operate the same concept in their original Highbury shop for a few nights each week.
Located just north of Highbury Fields, Bourne’s, as you might expect, looks just like pretty much every other local fishmongers when you walk past, which adds to the novelty of being able to dine inside after the neighbouring shops all close for business.
With one long table seating up to 16 diners squeezed into the room each evening, Bourne’s is not trying to be an overly fancy eating experience, but rather is all about the quality and freshness of the food which you’re eating.
The menu changes daily depending on what has been bought in by the boats each morning and also what has caught the eye of the chefs at Billingsgate fish market. However, diners can expect to pick from a mixture of small snack-style dishes like curried cod croquettes, followed by larger plates such as lobster mac’n’cheese and red mullet with pak choi. All of this is accompanied by a short wine list to complement the fine produce.
Bourne’s isn’t alone in transforming its fishmongers into a restaurant by night. FishWorks recently launched its third London restaurant, in Covent Garden, combining a wet fish counter with a kitchen, while in 2019 Bonnie Gull co-founder Alex Hunter launched The Sea, The Sea in Chelsea, selling sustainably sourced fish and seafood by day then serving it up to eat-in at the oyster bar come the evening.