Parsons

Parsons is a small fish restaurant on Endell Street, opened in December 2017 by the team behind The 10 Cases wine bar just over the road. Built around a daily-changing blackboard of freshly landed fish and shellfish, it set out to be the archetypal British fish restaurant in the city and has earned a strong reputation for doing one thing very well in an unpretentious room.

The owners spent years daydreaming about the place before opening it, and the name pays tribute to their mothers, who by coincidence were both Parsons. The kitchen serves simply prepared plates of seasonal fish and shellfish alongside more classic fish dishes inspired by the British Isles and beyond, matched with what the team consider one of the best wine lists in town. Critics agreed: Jay Rayner in The Guardian wrote of plates of food you cannot forget, and the chips earned a mention of their own.

Seafood restaurant in Covent Garden

The menu is short and driven by the day's catch, from oysters and shellfish to whole roasted turbot and the house fish soup, with wines by the glass and carafe chosen to match. It is the sort of place where you are as welcome dropping in for a plate of oysters and a glass of Canadian Riesling as you are settling in for a whole fish and a bottle of white Burgundy. The fresh fish and seafood change with the season and the markets.

What to expect on a visit

Parsons opens all day from midday to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and is closed on Sunday. The room is narrow and tightly packed, informal and lively, and tables are in demand, so booking is sensible for dinner. It sits among the more characterful fine dining restaurants in Covent Garden, and for oysters in another small room nearby, The Oystermen on Henrietta Street makes a natural companion. For a seafood restaurant in Covent Garden with serious wine, this is the one locals recommend.