Parsons

"Sometimes you need somewhere small and straightforward to escape to, which is where Parsons comes in. It’s a seafood restaurant in Covent Garden, away from the stress of Covent Garden. At this corridor of a restaurant, fresh catches are written on the walls and people happily tuck into oysters, chips, and other nice things. It’s a restaurant that really suits two people but can stretch to four—we’d recommend you book ahead if going for the latter. The seafood is lovely and simple, and the fish pie in particular is something you’ll regret agreeing to share." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, daisy meager

"You could walk past Parsons every day for 10 years presuming that it’s a barbers until one day you get a strong whiff of clam chowder, enter, and realise it’s a great little seafood spot. This place is not only an absolute sanctuary in the midst of chaotic Covent Garden, but there’s a menu of well-cooked, good-quality fish that you’ll want to get with a side of something potatoey. Parsons gets bonus points for writing the daily specials on the white-tiled walls. Very charming." - heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"The thing with Parsons is that even if your first proper outing together ends in them confessing that they’re actually engaged to an accountant in Sunderland, you’ll always be remembered as the person that took them to that cute little seafood spot in Covent Garden. It’s easy to miss this place unless you’re looking for it, but everything from the handwritten blackboard of fresh fish, to their great wine list, makes it a restaurant that’s just reliably nice to be in. If all goes well, share their ridiculously tasty lobster mash. If it goes badly, tell them it’s the worst thing here. They don’t deserve it." - heidi lauth beasley

"Sometimes you need somewhere small and straightforward to escape to, which is where Parsons comes in. The seafood restaurant on Endell Street can be easily missed. Once you do find it, you’ll discover a corridor of a restaurant where fresh catches are written up on the walls, and people are happily tucking into oysters, chips, and other nice things. It’s a restaurant that really suits two people but can stretch to four—book ahead if going for the latter. The seafood is lovely and simple, and if it’s on, the lobster mash in particular is something you’ll regret agreeing to share." - sinead cranna, jake missing, rianne shlebak, daisy meager

"Parsons is the Covent Garden equivalent of the wardrobe that leads to Narnia. Hear us out. This tiny British seafood restaurant is the kind of place you could walk past countless times and not realise that there are magical things like Fine de Claire rock oysters and buttermilk-fried monkfish hiding inside. It’s a simple, classy set-up but the window seats are where you want to be for an oyster-fuelled date night. " - heidi lauth beasley, sinead cranna