There is a specific energy to Pavilion Road that you do not find elsewhere in Chelsea. It is pedestrianised, yes, but it is not precious. It hums. It is the sound of crate-stacking, of oyster shells cracking open, of the morning delivery arriving before the lunch rush. And it is here, just across from its original outpost, that The Sea, The Sea has opened its new bistro and fish shop, a move that feels less like an expansion and more like a homecoming.
Alex Hunter founded The Sea, The Sea in 2019 with a deceptively simple thesis: source directly from small boats using low-impact methods, handle the fish with obsessive care, and sell it to both the home cook and the Michelin-starred kitchen with equal reverence. It worked. Within years, the Chelsea fishmonger had become a local institution, quietly supplying the likes of Ikoyi and KOL while building a loyal following of locals who trusted their eyes and noses over any fancy label. Now, with a 40-cover upstairs bistro, an expanded retail shop, and a 28-cover terrace, Hunter is betting that London is ready to take its seafood seriously without taking itself too seriously.
The shop is the first thing you encounter, and it is a sight to behold. A central round table groans under the weight of day-boat fish from Cornwall and Scotland; dry-ageing cabinets display house-aged fish with the reverence of a butcher's counter; and a new seaweed counter invites you to delve into varieties that most Londoners have never touched. Then there are the lunch boxes, sashimi sets, shellfish rolls, oven-ready miso black cod, for the time-pressed but taste-conscious. It is, in essence, a seafood lover's playground.
Upstairs, the bistro is quieter, more composed. Head Chef Nick Marsden, a self-taught 29-year-old from Lancashire, has honed his craft at Dovetale, Pitt Cue, and The Laughing Heart, and his cooking here reflects a rare confidence. The menu is designed for sharing or hoarding, depending on your mood. Begin with the langoustine and crab consommé, a clear, amber broth that tastes of the sea in its purest form, or dive headfirst into the raw bar, where Isle of Skye scallops meet flowering red currant, and oysters arrive with cucumber and apple vinaigrette. The option to add caviar for a single pound per oyster is the sort of democratic indulgence we can get behind.
Small plates sing with invention: cuttlefish ragu with salsify and green almond; Palourde clams with spring greens and tarragon. Larger dishes come from the grill, and the whole plaice with wild garlic caper and pickled dulse is the kind of dish that demands you put your phone down and use your hands. And then there is the potato ice cream with preserved spruce and smoked eel for pudding, a dessert that sounds like a dare and tastes like a revelation.
The wine list skews heavily towards Old World whites, which is sensible, but the cocktails are where the fun lives. The Red Snapper, with Gin Mare, spiced tomato, and lemon, is a briny, savoury twist on the Bloody Mary, while the Fish House Punch, cognac, crème de pêche, Earl Grey tea, and clarified milk, is dangerously moreish.
Of course, none of this would matter if the sourcing were not credible. Hunter's commitment to traceability is not marketing fluff; it is operational fact. He opened a wholesale operation in Hackney in 2021 specifically to control his supply chain, eventually taking over a former fish market in Looe, Cornwall, to dispatch to up to 200 restaurants. That wholesale arm was acquired by Reach Food Group in 2025, but The Sea, The Sea retains close links with the team in Looe and continues to buy direct from fishermen in Cornwall, Devon, and the West Coast of Scotland.
Reflecting on the journey, Hunter describes the past seven years as "incredible and rewarding," and notes that the opportunity to expand on Pavilion Road "made perfect sense." For him, the restaurant has always been "a stage to showcase our talented team and ethos of working with ethically sourced seafood direct from the best small boats of our shores." Hugh Seaborn of Cadogan points out that The Sea, The Sea was "one of the very first businesses to open" when the mews was transformed a decade ago, and credits their success not just to skill but to the fact that they "put community first." He adds that this larger iteration will "undoubtedly contribute further to Pavilion Road's energy and buzz" and become an even firmer local favourite.
Sitting on that new terrace, watching the evening light filter through the pedestrianised street, it is hard not to feel a quiet optimism. In an age of industrial fishing and opaque supply chains, The Sea, The Sea offers something radical: transparency, flavour, and a genuine sense of place. It is not just a restaurant. It is a reminder that the best things in life still come from the water, delivered by hand, and cooked with care.
Experience The Sea, The Sea at 243 Pavilion Rd, London SW1X 0BP.