Saltie Girl

Saltie Girl landed in London with a splash, the alter ego of the name (a common monkier for a mermaid) adding a touch of playful personality to a serious side of London. While North Audley Street isn’t shorty of places to help you spend your hard-earned cash, we think this is worth the salary sacrifice.

The interiors must have set owner Kathy Sidell back a fair whack, but the investment seems paid off in kind via sheer Instagram appeal. A bar lined with gold, half-moon backed stools, marble tables and intricate mosaic flooring would sing to a place in any generation Z’s heart.

Thanks to the smell of warm butter wafting around, it’s hard to avoid ordering the lobster roll that comes generously packed with sweet meat plus a side of salted crisps. Elsewhere there’s a really very good scallop ceviche with just the right amount of citrus and a little crunch from shaved radish, while fat juicy prawns appear headfirst into a swimming pool of rich, spiced tomato cocktail sauce, ready to be rescued.

Your reason for being here might be the tinned fish shtick, which is less gimmicky in reality than expected. The restaurant has faced criticism on the prices, but boards start at £12 - not bad value for a meal in W1. Pickled chillies, a trio of salts, butter, sourdough slices and piquillo pepper jam allow for self-assembly for something akin to a posh picky tea.

A plate of puffed-up gnocchi comes wearing crisp golden jackets and a liberal sprinkling of caviar, for a pleasant saline pop. The finale is a fantastic chocolate mousse, glossed in grassy olive oil and topped with praline. All this is presided over by warm staff who bring excellent mocktails (some of the best we’ve had anywhere) in waves and seem genuinely invested in you having a nice time while in their care.

The whole thing has a touch of American shine, and it’s certainly unique, which is something worth splashing a bit of cash for.

Saltie Girl London is the sibling site to a sister across the pound. Founded in Boston by restaurateur Kathy Sidell, this unique Mayfair spot specialises in tinned fish. With around a hundred different types of hard-to-find picks from across the world, this is a canned seafood lover’s dream. It might all sounds a little lacklustre, but these aren’t your standard pots of John West. On the menu you’ll find everything from wood fire razor clams in olive oil through to small sardines in escabeche. Each option is presented on a sharing board alongside bread, butter, salt, lime, pickles, and spicy sweet pepper jam. Ranging between £12-52 a tin, there’s something for pretty much everyone.

But what of the rest of the menu? There are generous seafood towers, a raw bar, a section dedicated to shellfish cocktails, small plates, and mains. The latter includes dishes such as lobster frites, Dover sole meuniere and monkfish on the bone. Vegetarians and omnivores alike are catered for too, with plant-based dishes like whole roasted cauliflowers on the menu, closely followed by pork chops and grilled ribeye steaks.

Sidel says her inspiration was in part her east coast upbringing, but the thing that clinched the deal was visiting what she describes as ‘a small picture-perfect, stand-up wine bar in Barcelona that served wonderful seafood, all cold’. Richard Turner was chef consultant for the launch, who has previously worked for big London names like Hawksmoor steak house. In this role he helped to develop dishes such as clam chowder and lobster waffles.

Drinks-wise there’s a robust line-up of wines, beers, and premium spirits as well as seasonal cocktails and fresh alcohol-free serves.

Interiors have been designed by award-wining designers Atelier Wren who have given everything a lick of coastal cool. The floor is covered in pretty mosaic tiles, while bars are covered in scallop shell patterns and surrounded by pretty gold stools.