Chamberlain’s of London

London

Avoid the weekday rush and book at dinnertime for Britain’s nest seafood in a regal Victorian setting

Les Steadman began his foray into fish aged 15 hawking eels on a modest stall in Billingsgate Market. Exactly 62 years on, he is at the helm of Chamberlain and Thelwell, a multi-million-pound seafood operation based in Billingsgate Market, which serves the best of its catch at his City restaurant. At lunch, bankers and brokers thrash out deals over oysters and chablis but at night – when the suits have migrated back to the Home Counties – it’s easy to see Chamberlain’s for what it is: a family-run restaurant serving fairly-priced fish dishes in the historic Victorian setting of Leadenhall Market.

Often overlooked by tourists for the more fashionable postcodes of Brick Lane or Columbia Road, Leadenhall is one of the last bastions of Victoriana. Flamboyant design dominates and every surface is adorned or embellished with gilding, curlicues, star motifs or dragons. The restaurant itself – appropriately – is on the site of a former fishmonger and from its green tiles and vignettes of fish in the windows, you could be conned into thinking these are new additions to the facade. Inside, it’s a restaurant spread across four flours, with a recently refurbished modern brasserie in the basement and tables spread with snowy linen throughout the ground floor and mezzanines.

Steadman’s name is spoken with reverence in seafood circles and rightly so. He and his family are experts in the field, supplying fish to many Michelin-starred restaurants as well as St James’s Palace. The quality of the produce is evident in every bite. Dover sole from Brixham is poached until succulent in a delicate champagne sauce, while oysters from Steadman’s native Essex are brought to life with a shot of house-distilled shallot vinegar. Superbly cooked Orkney scallops come with tea-smoked bacon and a skate wing is treated with the respect it deserves. Chef-patron Andrew Jones was born on the coast, also an Essex boy, and his trademark attention to detail comes through. Everything from the bread to ketchup is made in-house and both find a welcome home in the more casual fish and chip shop at the other end of the building, which is open at lunch. Family run with pristine produce and assured cooking. It’s a restaurant well worth a visit.