A Hot Dinners Exclusive (updated with new pics)
Caprice and Richard Caring have been having a pretty good year with the rapturous reception of the revamped Ivy and now they're moving onto a brand new venture, Sexy Fish which is opening on Berkeley Square.
The new restaurant will have an Asian-inspired menu that, of course, will have a strong focus on seafood. It's all been run by chef Ben Orpwood, who you might remember recently ran a Gone Fishing pop-up at Caprice's 34 and who comes with experience from Zuma, Japanese izakaya, Daniel San and more. The menu itself - which you can see below (but is subject to changes before the restaurant launches) - seems designed very much like a seafood version of one we've seen at The Ivy Market Grill but with prices more in the Ivy range (where we've also seen a couple of dishes from here).
The sections including robata grilled fish, a raw bar, sharing platters, market fish over charcoal and caviar - from those, we do like the look of:
- Isle of Man Queenie Scallops Ponzu, Yuzu Snow (£18)
- Tartare of Tuna Belly Soy Cured Egg Yolk, Lotus Chips (£16.25)
- Steamed Duck Egg Custard, Crab & Sweet Corn (£4)
- Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass Artichoke 3 Ways (£30)
- Madagascan Giant Prawns Umami Butter, Lemon Sorrel (22)
There's a tasting menu for £90 too - and the most interesting section of buns, skewers and dumplings, handily rounding up several London trends in one and which are more sexy meat than fish. Buns include pork belly (£4), Californian lobster (£5.50), Katsu chicken (£4.50) and Wagyu Beef Burger (£14). While the skewers include Cod Tongue & Cheek Teriyaki (£4), beef rib with wasabi creme fraiche (£6.75) and a Gorgonzola Tortilla with honey (£4). We have to admit, the whole menu does look very interesting indeed.
As for the restaurant itself, it's been designed by Martin Brudnizki and, like the Ivy before it, will feature work by famous artists. There will be works by Frank Gehry (who was behind the Guggenheim in Bilbao) with installations of shimmering fish, hanging above the bar and a giant crocodile crawling across the north wall of the dining room. Plus a huge ceiling mural is promised from Michael Roberts, highly respected in fashion and who is the Style Editor-at-Large of Vanity Fair (and previously Fashion Director at The Sunday Times, Tatler and Vogue.)
The restaurant is pretty huge, seating 190 and the private room seating 48 sounds pretty great too, with its own huge coral reef tank (apparently the largest live coral reef tank in the world).
Sexy Fish opens at 1-4 Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BR on Monday 19 October 2015. Reservations open Monday 21 September 2015 at 9.00am. To book call 020 3764 2000. You can find out more from them on Twitter @sexyfishlondon
