LDNReview
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Scott’s Richmond is a seafood restaurant that makes any meal a special occasion. The old-school glamour dining room, inside a huge white building overlooking the River Thames, is filled with two-tier chandeliers, Bernard Buffet paintings, and people posing behind a hefty plateau de fruits de mer. On a sunny day, a table overlooking the water is the best way to spend an afternoon in this city, which makes this a tad bit better than the original Mayfair spot.
The experience starts with the view of the river as you walk in through the palatial double doors. And it continues with the extravagant crustacean bar you’ll walk past as you’re led to your table by the window. Always ask for a window table when booking, especially at lunch. The heavy curtains are drawn back to show what everyone’s taken the afternoon off for: the view of the river. It’s the reason you’ll take a look at the dessert menu even though you’re stuffed, and why you’ll keep the alfresco terrace front of mind come spring. Scott’s is somewhere to spend a few uninterrupted hours of indulgence. Take in the OTT room, pretend you’re on holiday while you catch a view of the water, and eat enough seafood to keep you on an omega 3 high for the rest of the week.
photo credit: Johnny Stephens
The menu is a love letter to the big blue sea. You’ll find oysters, caviar served with blinis and crème fraîche, and a whole dover sole that’ll make you consider turning pescatarian. Not because you no longer want to eat meat, but because you want to make things exclusive with this buttery piece of fish. There’s no technique to ordering—just pick what sounds good and chances are, it will taste even better. So you can bring your friend who needs a holiday, your hard-to-impress father in law, or even your neighbour with the nice Porsche. Just make sure whoever you bring will be down to share some warm cinnamon doughnuts so you can linger a little longer.
Food Rundown
Baked Spiced Crab
A Spanish-influenced dish of a creamy baked crab paste, topped with toasted breadcrumbs—this is a great scoop and spread on sourdough situation to share, as it’s a little heavy for one.
Butternut Squash Agnolotti
The ultimate comfort pasta—the agnolotti is soft, and the squash filling is creamy and a tad sweet. It also comes in a small or large portion which is handy.
Deep-fried Haddock
£20 feels like a steal when you see the size of this deep-fried haddock. It’s a golden, crispy hunk of fish with chunky peas, a tangy tartare sauce, and thick-cut chips. If you manage to finish the whole fish we applaud you.
Dover Sole
This is hands down one of the best pieces of fish you can eat in London. Order it deboned and meunière-style. It’s buttery, so soft that it requires very minimal chewing, and is the kind of light, satisfying dish that’s perfect for a long lunch. Pair it with creamy mashed potatoes and everyone else around the table will have major food fomo.
Goujons of Cornish Sole
Bird’s Eye fish fingers walked so these fried Cornish sole goujons could run (and get away with charging £20). If you like fried fish—who doesn’t—you’ll like these.
Cinnamon Doughnuts
Unbelievably airy and fluffy, these warm little doughnuts are rolled in sugar and cinnamon—strong churros energy—and come with three dippings sauces. We’re particularly into the raspberry jam and the passion fruit curd.
Bramley Apple Pie
A very British way to end a very British meal, the apple pie is crispy on the outside, tangy and soft on the inside. It comes with your choice of custard or ice cream. We like to get both.