Eight of the best seafood restaurants in Knightsbridge

The lobster roll was invented in 1920s Connecticut but is now just at home in London thanks to Burger & Lobster, which single-handedly popularised the dish for Brits back in 2011. This Harvey Nichols outpost is celebrating World Lobster Day on 25 September with a “Bring a Mate, Get a Plate” offer: buy a lobster roll, whole lobster or lobster combo dish and get another free. All lobsters are wild-caught in Nova Scotia, but there’s more to the place than crustacea: there are oysters and calamari, too – and, of course, burgers.

Fifth Floor, Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ; harveynichols.com

Amalfi Coast glamour arrived in Knightsbridge with this new(ish) restaurant; the Italian fantasy extends to tableware by Ginori 1735 and furniture by Exteta. Many of the Italian ingredients, sourced by head chef Stefano Tortelli, are equally as authentic, including red prawns wild-caught in Mazara del Vallo in Sicily. Try them in a dish of homemade tagliolini topped with a prawn tartare and shaved bottarga sitting in an Amalfi lemon butter sauce. The option of adding caviar is rather less Italian but molto Knightsbridge.

70 Brompton Road, SW3 1ER; alba-ldn.uk

Fish and chips may no longer be the poor man’s supper of old, but at least at this swish sibling of the original Mayfair Chippy you can be confident that you’re getting your money’s worth (£25.50 for a full fish supper). Firm-fleshed and flaky fish – responsibly caught cod or haddock – is encased in crisp batter and served in a decorative mini chip-pan basket, with thick-cut chips on the side to dip into mushy peas and tartare or curry sauce. Nearly everything is made from scratch on-site, and British produce is used wherever possible.

138 Brompton Road, SW3 1HY; mayfairchippy.com

Still dreaming of summer in the South of France? This Riviera import at The Berkeley will transport you straight to the Côte d’Azur. As with all seafood, the simplest things are best, showcasing the quality of ingredients and the skill it takes to cook them; the signature whole grilled sea bass displays perfectly timed fish (crispy skin, tender flesh) infused with the fragrant flavours of Provence (fennel, garlic, thyme). An all-year heated alfresco terrace means you can imagine you’re on the Cannes Croisette whatever the weather.

The Berkeley, Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL; lamomelondon.com

Sixth-floor CLAP deserves a round of applause for its entrance alone: on one side, there’s a views of Knightsbridge, on the other, a line of sushi chefs slicing and dicing. Japanese is the name of the game, so fish and seafood are a given, but if the menu of small bites, platters, nigiri, maki and rolls feels overwhelming, make a start with the lobster tempura sushi rolls. These involve juicy Canadian crustacean deep-fried in kataifi pastry sitting atop warm sushi rice wrapped in seaweed and served with a gram of caviar on each roll.

12-14 Basil Street, SW3 1AJ; claprestaurant.com

Tom Brown made his name in London as head chef of Outlaw’s at the Capital (he’d already worked for seafood master Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall) before opening his own fish-focused place, Cornerstone, in Hackney. Now he’s back in Knightsbridge with a menu of sustainably sourced British seafood and a low-waste, fin-to-gill ethos. Try his cuttlefish cacio e pepe, with the tortellini “pasta” constructed from the cuttlefish head, filled with a rich ragù made from the tentacles, and served in a silky, pepper-flecked cacio e pepe sauce.

The Capital Hotel, 22-24 Basil Street, SW3 1AT; tombrownatthecapital.com

“Tuscany” and “seafood” don’t immediately go hand-in-hand, but the risotto ai frutti di mare (one of Cantinetta Antinori’s new additions to its à la carte menu) here is as classic as the vintages from the Antinori family, who have made wine outside Florence since the 14th century. Acquerello carnaroli rice from Piedmont is lightly toasted with extra-virgin olive oil and shallots, deglazed with white wine and then cooked gently with garlic, mussels, clams, prawns and squid in a rich shellfish bisque with a touch of tomato sauce and a hint of lemon zest.

4 Harriet Street, SW1X 9JR; cantinetta-antinori.uk

Forget about the sad-looking tanks you see in Chinatown; the seafood on offer at Nanyang Blossom is an altogether different kettle of fish. Nanyang is the Chinese word not only for the south-western province of Yunnan, but the coast of the South China Sea which stretches down to Singapore – where head chef Daren Liew perfected his signature dish, wok-baked butter lobster. Sweet potato and lobster are gently simmered in fresh seafood stock infused with garlic before being topped with a cheese gratin featuring Liew’s own blend of spices.

12 Knightsbridge Green, SW1X 7QL; nanyangblossom.co.uk

Ben McCormack is a London-based food and drink journalist with over 25 years’ writing experience. He has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is also a regular contributor to The Times, Wallpaper* and Club Oenologique.