The story
Sweetings on Queen Victoria Street has been serving seafood since 1830, and as food-travel creator Mark Wiens described it, the restaurant “feels like a complete throwback to a different era” with a warm, buzzy atmosphere and “incredibly fresh” seafood. It’s classic London dining without pretence.
Wiens worked through a parade of dishes, all earning his thumbs-up: a Black Velvet, Oysters, Fried Whitebait, Smoked Eel, Fish Pie, Smoked Haddock with Poached Eggs, and Skate Wing with Black Butter and Capers. For anyone craving seafood in a dining room that hasn’t forgotten its history, Sweetings delivers.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2026.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 7 dish mentions say about the food
Sweetings' oysters emerge as the undisputed star, praised for their pristine freshness. The overall vibe is a warmly nostalgic celebration of classic, unpretentious seafood done right.
“The oysters are silky, refreshing, and cold with incredible flavor. With the shallot vinegar and the crunch of the shallot, they're fantastic. Following it with the black velvet is even better — what a famous combination.”
What creators say
1 creator has covered Sweetings. Most active: Mark Wiens
Sweetings is a legendary seafood restaurant dating back to 1830, serving incredibly fresh seafood in a classic, heritage setting that feels like a complete throwback to a different era.
Dishes mentioned
Black Velvet
The black velvet is a combination of champagne and Guinness served in a metal tankard. It has a nice acidity from the champagne plus the strong stout of the Guinness. It's very good, but you have to pace yourself — it's deceivingly gigantic and quite a lunchtime beverage.
Oysters
The oysters are silky, refreshing, and cold with incredible flavor. With the shallot vinegar and the crunch of the shallot, they're fantastic. Following it with the black velvet is even better — what a famous combination.
Fried Whitebait
These are little shrimp-sized fish that are battered and deep-fried, with a little bit of chili on them. They're fantastic — crispy all the way through, you can chew through the entire bone structure. You could snack on them all day long.
Smoked Eel
The smoked eel has a wonderful smokiness and buttery fattiness. You can feel a little bit of that jelly texture, and as you keep chewing, you taste that very distinct eel flavor in a delicious way. With horseradish and lemon on buttered bread, it's a perfect combination — the horseradish immediately heads up to your brain.
Fish Pie
The fish pie is an all-in-one dish with three types of fish in a creamy sauce, topped with buttery mash. When you put your spoon in, you feel the juiciness on the bottom — it's sloshing with fish and that creamy sauce. It's so warm and comforting, you can feel the heartiness going into your stomach immediately.
