The Seafood Bar — Restaurant in London

One star because you have to check your bill at this restaurant to avoid paying two service charges. Otherwise it would have been a minimum 4* review. The food was fine, it was a nice place, the staff were friendly and service was good other than a slight wait for one main, which they compensated us for with extra vegetables without having to be asked. By the end of the meal we thought it was a place we'd like to revisit. But now we're unlikely to return, because we felt as if we were treated with disrespect when it came to paying the bill. The bill included an optional 13.5% service. Fine. Seemed reasonable enough. Our server asked for personal feedback (gave us a business card with a QR code) after the bill arrived but before we paid. It felt a bit strange timing, and not particularly appropriate at a restaurant of this type, and I'm not happy using my mobile phone to access whatever website the QR code would have taken me to. But I might have not questioned this if I wasn't so annoyed by what happened next. The credit card machine was produced and we were asked by our server if we'd like to leave a tip. The machine had a number of options to choose from; a variety of percentage amounts, a custom amount, or "no tip". I pointed out that the bill already had a 13.5% service charge added and was told that's the service charge, and this is a tip. I declined, as did our neighbouring table. I feel that the restaurant either assumes their customers are not locals, and might think it's normal to pay a service charge AND a tip in the UK, or else they hope that some customers won't look at their bill before paying and won't realise they're giving a percentage tip on top of a bill that already has 13.5% added. If the 13.5% service charge doesn't go to staff then they should increase their menu prices by that amount, instead of listing lower prices and then inflating them on the bill. Then we can make our own minds up about a tip. But if it does go to staff, why are we being asked to tip twice? Customers shouldn't be faced with TWO additional charges, where the second is compounded by the first. It ends up as a huge inflation of listed prices. So, we won't return despite it being reminiscent of some of our favourite Amsterdam restaurants. Who wants to feel they were seen as...

Last night, I had the pleasure of dining at Seafood Bar, and the experience was nothing short of exceptional, thanks largely to our server, Karolina. From the moment we were seated, Karolina’s warm and welcoming demeanor set the tone for the evening. She greeted us with a genuine smile and immediately made us feel at home.

Karolina’s knowledge of the menu was impressive. She guided us through the various options, providing thoughtful recommendations that perfectly matched our tastes. Her passion for seafood was evident as she described each dish with detail and enthusiasm. We opted for her suggestions, including the grilled octopus and the seafood paella, and they did not disappoint.

Throughout the meal, Karolina’s attentiveness was impeccable. She struck the perfect balance between being available when needed and giving us space to enjoy our food. Whether it was refilling our glasses, checking in on how we were enjoying our meal, or offering additional suggestions, her timing was always spot on.

One thing that truly stood out was Karolina’s ability to create a personal connection without being intrusive. She took the time to engage with us, sharing stories about the restaurant and even a bit about herself, which added a personal touch to the evening. It felt like we were being taken care of by a friend rather than just another server.

The food at Seafood Bar was outstanding, but it was Karolina’s exceptional service that elevated the entire experience. She went above and beyond to ensure that our dining experience was memorable. If you’re planning to visit Seafood Bar, I highly recommend asking for Karolina. Her dedication to her craft and genuine care for her guests truly made our night special. We left the restaurant not only satisfied with the delicious food but also grateful for the outstanding service that...

Had a really great dinner here last night. We were craving seafood and I have had this place in my list for a while, so we gave it a go and we’re really glad we did.

We loved our appetizers, starting off with lobster soup, calamari, and the crab cakes. The crab cakes were good but we felt the other two shined just a bit more. Really great lobster flavor on the soup, which we were pleasantly surprised was not a thick cream base so you could really taste the depth of flavour in the stock. The calamari we could have snacked on all night - the squid was tender inside but very crispy and well-seasoned on the outside.

For our mains, one of us got the Vongole Linguine and two of us shared the “Combination” platter which combined elements from the regular Mixed Grill + Seafood Bar, where you really get to try a bit of everything. For me the elements that I ended up loving most in the platter came from the Mixed Grill on the top plate - the seabass fillet, the skewered shrimp, the squid, and overall the sauce they were served with was delicious. While the star elements on the bottom plate like lobster and crab were high quality and delicious, they were served on ice, so that would be our only comment is that on the menu it wasn’t immediately obvious that these would be served cold (maybe more an oversight on our part), however we still very much enjoyed them and it didn’t detract from our overall experience. The linguine was also very well done.

Overall we had a wonderful dinner here, and the serving staff were great throughout. Would happily return on our next trip to London and highly recommend to any...