There are an abundance of eateries in London offering great seafood dishes, I have visited a few including Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, Kaspar’s and Wright Brothers.
Last week friend, and fellow blogger Madolyn Grove and I visited Fancy Crab, a stylish seafood restaurant nestled behind Selfridges on Wigmore Street. Fancy Crab offers a relaxed dining experience in a stylish setting, as well as some of the best Red King Crab Legs and Claws I have ever tasted!
Last October I spent two and a half weeks driving all over the Florida Keys, eating all the seafood raw, fried, grilled and baked. I usually beeline for a seafood restaurant when travelling, San Fransisco is still a winner for me! I wouldn’t consider myself a seafood connoisseur, but I very much enjoy eating it. Although no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get on with an Oyster, unless they are baked and covered in garlic.
Awarded ‘Best Designed Casual Dining Restaurant’ in 2018, Fancy Crab’s interior oozes style and sophistication. Dark wooden flooring, marble dining tables and plush leather seating booths create a cosy lunch spot. A large Red King Crab is emblazoned on one of the walls, overlooking the diners as they indulge. The open kitchen area takes pride of place in the centre of the restaurant, allowing you to watch the chefs prepare what you’re about to feast on.
The staff are friendly, attentive (without being too much) and know the menu well. Our lovely waitress suggested some of their popular dishes, which included the King Crab Legs and Claws, Singapore Chilli Crab and King Crab Leg Gratin.
What we ate:
Oysters – Morecambe Bay, Walney Island, England (Madolyn enjoyed these, I did not)
King Crab Legs and Claws, Baked over Charcoal (yummy, succulent and yum again)
Sea Bass Carpaccio (my least favourite of the dishes, we should have gone with the Scallop Ceviche)
King Crab Tempura (I indulged on these whilst Madolyn ate the oysters)
Singapore Chilli Crab (packed full of crab meat but a little too sweet for me)
Skinny Fries (a very good fry)
Although the Singapore Chilli Crab and King Crab Tempura were delicious, the highlight for me were those baked King Crab and Claws. I find that many seafood restaurants (especially in London) can be really stingy with their crab meat ratio. However, these babies were packed full of sweet, delicious meaty goodness!
Fancy Crab pride themselves on their sustainably caught Red King Crab, harvested from the depths of the Arctic Ocean. Awarded ‘Best Designed Casual Dining Restaurant’ in 2018, Fancy Crab have their own unique technology, ensuring that the crab meat is fresh and maintains its sweet flavour. I can definitely vouch for this!
I have seen some other Fancy Crab reviews online, fussing over the price of the dishes, but credit where credit is due, you get a pretty decent portion of fresh, high-quality food. I think the prices echo what is served, for example Starters range from £10.00-£15.00 with Mains at around £15.00-£30.00. I think that is pretty standard for a central London restaurant, of course items such as the Grilled Lobster and the Sharing Platters are going to be pricey, but no more (and actually cheaper) than some of the other seafood eateries I’ve been too.
With over 150 covers, this swanky restaurant is also available to hire for private dining experiences, Christmas/Corporate/Private events as well as family celebrations. If you have your own venue space, or even plan on hosting a party at your home, Fancy Crab can provide the catering, allowing you to put on a pretty ‘Fancy’ spread (excuse the pun, I couldn’t help myself)!
With their buffet packages starting from £30.00pp and three course meals from £55.00pp, the imaginative menu, swanky interior and friendly service offers a fantastic setting for your event.
I will most definitely be heading back, I have been dreaming of those King Crab Claws since I left!
