Latest opening: Saltie Girl
What: A plush seafood bar and restaurant that's just launched on North Audley Street in Mayfair and marks the first London site for the US-based Sidell Hospitality Group (SHG). The original Saltie Girl restaurant, which was launched by SHG in Boston, Massachusetts, back in 2016, primarily focuses on New England shellfish, caviar and tinned fish, all of which are present here, although the London restaurant also looks to make use of the UK's bountiful seafood supply with Brixham monkfish and dover sole both featuring on the menu.
Who: Sidell Hospitality Group is led by Kathy Sidell, who has joined forces with UK restaurateur Varun Talreja, co-founder of contemporary Greek restaurant Meraki, for the London launch. Sidell, who opened her first restaurant in Boston back in 2004, says her inspiration for Saltie Girl comes from both her upbringing on the East Coast of America sailing with her father on the Atlantic Ocean, and time spent in Barcelona; particularly a visit to a bar serving cold seafood including a selection of tinned fish. For the launch of Saltie Girl London, Sidell and Talreja have brought in chef Richard Turner to consultant on the menu.
The food: A lot of effort has been made to retain as much of the Boston menu as possible, with the London restaurant featuring a number of Saltie Girl classics including the New England lobster roll served with house made crisps; Boston lettuce salad with shaved vegetables, herbs and honey mustard dressing; and fried lobster-topped waffle served with sweet corn butter and spicy maple syrup. The menu is extensive, split between a range of small and large plates that include raw dishes, seafood cocktails, New York-style smoked fish, and seafood towers that feature oysters and other cold shellfish including clams, crab and head-on prawns. Dishes developed specifically for the London restaurant include Brixham monkfish roasted in herbed bread crumbs; and dover sole meunière. Prices are suitably Mayfair, with a lot of dishes offered at market price. Additionally, as with the Boston restaurant, Saltie Girl London features a huge selection of premium tinned fish including ranges of anchovies, clams, sardines and tuna, all of which are served with French bread, butter, a trio of salts, and condiments. Prices start at £14, with some tins hovering around the £50 mark.
The drink: The menu includes a selection of fruit-forward cocktails including one with vodka, pineapple, lemongrass and yuzu; and another combining gin, basil and lemon. There's also a diverse international wine list offering everything from biodynamic labels from the Adriatic to classic bins from California. A small selection of wines are offered by the glass, but a much larger range is available to order by the bottle.
The vibe: Located in the heart of Mayfair, Saltie Girl is suitably chic, with plush seating, intimate lighting, an alluring instrumental playlist and neatly-finished interiors with plenty of sea blue textures courtesy of Atelier Wren. Split over two levels, the restaurant holds 100 covers in total.
And another thing: The launch of Saltie Girl London has been timed to coincide with the launch of the group's second US outpost, located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
15 N Audley St, London W1K 6WZ
saltiegirl.com/location/saltie-girl-london
