Sweetings is a historic City seafood joint where oysters and sticky toffee pudding reign supreme, serving up nostalgia in pewter tankards for over a century.
"Sweetings is a seafood, lunch-only restaurant, because that’s the way it’s always been. In the heart of the City, it’s been serving whitebait, potted shrimp, pie, and crumble to business types for much of its 100-year-plus tenure. There’s a very British atmosphere about the place. One that’s almost farcical. You’ve got someone shovelling the excellent fish pie beside you. Waistcoated waiters slapping down glass bowls of prawn cocktail left, right, and centre. This is a place full of walking, talking, sentient signet rings, and the sound of the same anecdote, from different generations." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, daisy meager
"What To Get: A black velvet, a fish pie, and something, anything, with custard. Time Capsule Factor: Mahogany counters. Pressed white linen. Antique sterling silver cutlery. The pop of champagne bottles. The rattling of plates going up, and down, and up the dumbwaiter. It feels like the City has been built around Sweetings, rather than it being built in the City." - jake missing, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak
"At Sweetings, two slices of buttered brown bread will be placed in front of you within a minute. An order of prawn cocktail isn’t mandatory, but it would certainly help what’s in front of you. Despite being open for more than 130 years, time at this lunch-only City institution seems to stand still. A heady mixture of pewter tankards, white tablecloths, and courteous waistcoat-clad waiters makes this seafood specialist truly one-of-a-kind." - jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager
"Sweetings is a seafood restaurant that serves nostalgia. A feeling that is immeasurably rich and powerful. Incidentally, it’s also how a majority of Sweetings’ clientele aim to feel on a regular basis. Lunch-only and in the heart of the City, this is London’s original canteen. It’s been knocking about for well over 100 years and, often, you can taste that too. The complimentary bread is two slices of buttered brown straight from the packet. That isn’t a bad thing. And a prawn cocktail is, and always will be, a prawn cocktail. photo credit: Koray Firat photo credit: Koray Firat photo credit: Koray Firat photo credit: Koray Firat There’s a harrumphing atmosphere here. Immaculate table settings, silver spoons, and talks of deals fill every table. Some of London’s more stylish sets have co-opted Sweetings in recent times, but this place will always be more boarding school than Le Bon Marché. Guinness and champagne do wonders for everything. A half of black velvet in a pewter tankard will do the same at Sweetings. This is an immersive City boy experience, so lean in. You don’t have to be a sentient signet ring to enjoy Sweetings, but you do have to accept that sometimes things don’t change for the better, too. Food Rundown photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch Crab Bisque It's served with all the flair of a tin of Heinz, but it's a flavourful bowl of soup. photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch Prawn Cocktail Pyrex bowl, check. Shredded iceberg lettuce, check. A pile of prawns and Marie Rose sauce, check. It looks and tastes as you’d expect. Potted Shrimps It doesn’t come in a pot, but there is some lightly spiced shrimp. As is Sweetings’ way, this comes with some sliced brown bread. Which is nostalgic ‘n all...but not that nice. photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch Fish Pie Like a hug from your mum, or getting into your duvet at 7pm in December. A fine fish pie. Lobster Mash If you haven’t double-mashed then you’re doing it all wrong. This comes with lobster bisque and chunks of the good stuff. Anyone got a trough? photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch Sticky Toffee Pudding We can almost hear the cheers of someone dropping their lunch tray at school eating this. Soft, sweet, and made better with lashings of (presumably) Bird’s custard." - Jake Missing
"Stools snake around Sweetings’ 130-something-year-old dining room, along the bar where oysters sit, and also facing the windows that look out onto the City. This stalwart British seafood institution isn’t just full of trust funds, it's completely trusted too. Comforting fish pies and pints, followed by sticky toffee pudding and a pool of custard. Considering it’s only open in the daytime, in the week, it’s one of London’s most unique solo meals." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak
