Despite previously announcing that he would never open a restaurant in London, famed seafood chef Rick Stein has gone back on his word with this eponymous opening in Barnes. We don't blame him – this riverside venue is a steal. The main dining room is cosy and elegant, with trailing ivy covering the ceiling, but its coveted window seats are where you really want to be, located in a bright, semi-private area with a huge glass façade to amplify those river views. If you manage to snag a spot here, or even if you don’t, Rick’s certainly has an air of special occasion dining about it.
Fish and seafood abound, naturally. Although the menu isn’t going to break boundaries any time soon, it’s a fine example of great ingredients treated with the care and respect they deserve. An elegant starter of tuna and salmon sashimi proves that point to a tee, a simple, neat, elegantly displayed dish served with wasabi, pink pickled ginger and a soy dressing. Mains veer back towards the classic, a route we chose to stay on with a majestic piece of Dover sole, cooked a la meuniere, which was beautifully soft and swimming in butter. We finished with a smile-inducing chocolate dome, which was the texture of butter and finished with a dark mirror-glaze.
The wine list is extensive and contains hand-picked selections by Rick and Charlie Stein, son to the great chef and incidentally the director of all the family’s restaurants. We opted for a French Vermentino which, despite being the most affordable by-the-glass white on the menu, was utterly delicious.
Service on our visit was warm, friendly and eager to please, with our lovely waiter explaining where the fish we were eating came from – all British, of course. As with most restaurants in London, prices have skyrocketed over the years, and you’re easily spending upwards of £60 a head for three courses before nibbles and wine. Like we said, this is special occasion dining, although there is a very temping set lunch menu for £17.50 we have our eye on when we inevitably return.