At Sexy Fish, behind imposing bronze doors in Mayfair’s Berkeley Square, culinary spectacle unfolds beneath the glow of emerald walls and Damien Hirst’s aquatic sculptures. The restaurant’s design is as arresting as its menu—lush interiors teeming with aquatic motifs, from the shimmering fish-scale tiles that curve along the bar to the glittering shoal of glass fish suspended overhead. Diners, enveloped in this theatrical world, find that artistry extends well beyond ambiance and firmly onto the plate.
London’s dining landscape boasts few establishments as visually daring, both in décor and presentation. Sexy Fish’s kitchen navigates pan-Asian flavors with a marked emphasis on precision and ingredient clarity. The contemporary menu leans heavily on Japanese inspiration, with nods to wider East Asian traditions, each interpreted through a lens that is both urbane and playful. There is an insistence here on letting each component’s essential nature shine—delicate slices of yellowtail sashimi, radiant and translucent, draped with a citrusy yuzu dressing, or plump grilled king crab legs glazed with a piquant sake-lime reduction.
What impresses most is the subtlety at work. Rather than chasing excess, dishes are meticulously balanced: a whisper of wasabi in the tuna tartare, a hint of charcoal amid tender robata-cooked wagyu, the soft crunch of lotus root brightening a medley of seasonal vegetables. It’s clear that behind the flamboyant surface, the kitchen’s hand is measured and respectful—a dedication to the spirit of Asian cuisine, not simply its aesthetic.
Sexy Fish has earned its place in the Michelin Guide on the strength of such details: refined compositions, unerringly fresh produce, and the confidence to pursue both tradition and creative risk. Meals progress with a sense of rhythm, shifting from raw bar delicacies to richer seafood platters and intricate small plates, each elegantly assembled to highlight visual and gustatory harmony.
Ultimately, Sexy Fish is more than an extravagant setting or a high-profile address; it’s an ever-evolving conversation with Asian flavors, rendered through London’s cosmopolitan gaze. Dishes linger on the memory not by shock or flourish, but by the quiet assurance of flavors in perfect accord, served in a space where contemporary art and cuisine intertwine.
