The Shell in Camden

We had lunch yesterday (Saturday) at The Shell. Our waitress Mery welcomed us and showed us to our table. She was very welcoming and friendly. Food came promptly and everything was delicious. We ordered the ribeye steak, the charcoal grilled octopus leg and the lobster linguine. The offers make this meal a very good value for money. We will definitely come back again.

Our evening at Covent Garden’s The Shell started off fairly normal, with our guard up as per a past negative experience at a different branch. However, as the night progressed, three incredible individuals completely transformed our experience, elevating it to unexpected heights. We truly felt welcomed, acknowledged, and the service blew us away. To top it all off, I discovered that the executive chef, Luis, and one of our waiters, Diogo, share my Portuguese heritage—something we only found out towards the end of the evening. It wasn’t about being Portuguese that made the difference, as they only learned this late into the night. It was simply their genuine dedication to excellent service that made the experience unforgettable. We even shared a beautiful Portuguese wine to cap off the night. A special mention goes to Luis for the incredible creme brûlée. He promised it would be top-notch, and it truly was—hands down one of the best I’ve ever had. Diogo and Doro, our waiters, were attentive and made us feel right at home throughout the evening. And a huge thank you to Michael, the general manager, for ensuring our experience was flawless from start to finish. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about our experience and will definitely be returning time and time again. This is hands down one of the best seafood restaurants in London, and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the entire team for a wonderful evening that my partner and I will never forget. We will be back!

3rd time I came here and still it had great food and really nice and giant seafood banquets. This time Diogo the waiter was really helpful and welcoming! Definitely I will return

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mery, a staff member who provided exceptional assistance and demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills.

Disappointed after seeing such great reviews. We ordered the lobster gratin, tasteless lobster topped with mozzarella- not gratin! No hint of garlic in the garlic prawns, mussels ok, scallops cooked perfectly, oyster with mozzarella???? Who does that? Don’t waste your money!

Lovely Seafood restaurant lovely food, and Diogo very welcoming and helpful. 100 percent recommend and shall be visiting again

Absolutely delicious sea food choices.

The steak and half lobster was nice but there was probably only 2 bites of meat on the lobster and my rare steak was more medium. I think the hot seafood platter will be a better option, may have to try that next time.

A Seafood Lovers' Paradise - I recently dined at The Shell with my spouse to celebrate our one-year anniversary. The food were amazing; we had two different types of oyster. One is the original way to eat it raw, while the other is grilled with garlic and chilli. For the seafood platter, you have two options: boiled or grilled. Both were quite tasty. This location is a must-go for seafood enthusiasts. Portions are generous, and the pricing is reasonable for a seafood feast. Book a seat before you come visit because it can get packed. The servers were courteous and friendly, which enhanced the whole experience. Strongly recommended!

The staff they’re disrespectful and so dirty

Dine in | Dinner |£50-60 Extremely disappointed and humiliated. Update ⚠️ We have emailed the shell seafood support as they replied to our feedback here on Google review, and they never responded to us. We emailed 2 times. We do not believe they care about customers. Their reply here it's probably just an automated response so the other viewers can see, not to actually fix the problem. ❌️My partner and I went to this restaurant on New Year's Eve dressed very elegant and with a hope that we will have a great and romantic time but it was the worst experience we ever lived. We were disappointed with service and cold food.. the prawn dishes were not devined or cleaned, so they were full of prawn poo.. for the high prices I expected much better experience. The flavouring is limited in taste, the potatoes were raw and tasteless. Once we paid for our dinner and gained a receipt and left the restaurant, one of the staff came running after us in the street saying we didn't pay.. so they called us back to the restaurant to speak to the manager. We went back and showed our receipt, they didn't give any appology for their poor communication between staff.. the shouting and chasing left us embarrassed and extremely humiliated. They absolutely destroyed our New Year's Eve night. We are never go there again.. manager was unapologetic for their blunder.. no compensation for the poor food and poor behaviour.

Omg! Totally surprised how fabulous this amazing seafood restaurant was . My seafood was cooked to perfection . Outstanding value for money to .

Very delicious food , great location, and I was served by waitress , Mery was very good , ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A lovely gem we went for a birthday Mery and the rest of the staff were lovely the food was lovely we had the steak lobster and the lamb it was gorgeous 😍

Had chilled king prawns and mussels,absolute perfection tasty large amounts of mussels and it tasted absolutely amazing.service was the best and the mains had great options I had lobster and steak there was nothing else to say just the best restraunt ever!

The shell Sea food restaurant they're awesome food also yummy. Specially Mary she is super professional and friendly. We will definitely come back again. Thanks also Italian lady (manager) obrigado from Portugal 🇵🇹

Fantastic seafood. Grilled calamari was amazing and cooked perfectly.

My spouse and I stopped off here for a refuel after a rich day of walking around the city. We got the Royal For Two to split and half a dozen oysters. Service was absolutely top notch. No glasses were permitted to remain empty, everything was promptly served and promptly cleared, napkins appeared on demand and we were lacking for nothing. Shoutout to Mery for running such a smooth operation and a shoutout to the kitchen for what we were served :) Yes, this place is more on the upscale side but the order was definitely a good value for our money all the same; the Royal was massive and just what we needed! Everything brought out was absolutely delicious and paired perfectly with the house white. This is definitely a good stop for seafood lovers.

Had dinner with my husband there today (2/26/25). We ordered 6 oysters and the Royal for Two and all of it was the greatest quality and super tasty. The service was excellent - they kept our shell bowl tidy and kept the napkins coming! (It was a lot of crustacean to work through!) Mery kept the front of house running smoothly, no matter how busy it got. I loved the experience and I'll be back another time!!

I really enjoyed the food it was a nice space steak and lobster and lamb was nice Mery and the rest of the team was lovely definitely will visit again

Visited on a weekday to try out the lunch deal. We chose the seafood linguine which turned out with plenty of prawns,a piece of chewy squid and linguine covered with a sauce. Portion was OK but taste after a few mouthfuls proved rather bland and uninteresting.Service charge was 12.5 % which was rather steep.

I have to say I was extremely disappointed with the food here. Went there last Saturday as part of my birthday seafood exploration. Also having read the reviews on here. I was particularly excited the surf n turf offer, as I’ve always wanted to have that. I’ve never had lobster, so I was happy to have the turf bit as backup in case I didn’t like the lobster. I opted for the lamb chops option. They tasted so bad, like some weird bitter after taste, definitely did not taste like any lamb chops I know. And I wish they had provided mint sauce instead of the peppercorn, which also tasted…not right. In the end, I relied on the lobster for some sustenance, which isn’t much meat anyway. I gave my lamb chops to my friend who I was with. I don’t know if it’s the problem with this place, but I don’t think I’ll be doing surf n turf again. N I’m definitely not going back to this restaurant. Oh and their iced tea was also quite disappointing. Very watery. Not good value for my money I’m afraid. Paid about £55 (my bit of the shared bill) for the surf n turf which is on special this month for £29.90, a starter portion of prawns, 2 diet cokes, an iced tea, and some ice cream as dessert for comfort, after the not so great meal. With regard to the atmosphere, it was incredibly busy when we were there. People were being turned away. So definitely better to book in advance. It’s quite a small place.

Food was good and big size , service is quick and friendly, atmosphere is not my type but it is ok . Overall they deserve 4 star .

Delicious food. Great service. The server, Tuhin and the manager, Soufiane were polite, and friendly. Brilliant!

Food was great.. well done chef 🎉 but survives was slow and the lady waitress rolled her eyes as I tryed to get her attention... overall good I will defo dine again

I don't think I'll come to this restaurant again! Last Saturday, my partner and I had lunch at this seafood restaurant. We both experienced severe vomiting on Sunday and Tuesday respectively. My stomach still feels very uncomfortable now. I couldn't eat for a while and would vomit as soon as I ate. After thinking it over, we both believe that the food at this seafood restaurant was problematic, and it's very likely that the oysters were not fresh. I remember that the so-called one-pound oysters at this restaurant were of poor quality, with shrunken meat and a blackish color. I have been to this restaurant twice, but this time I was extremely disappointed and my health was even threatened! The bill was also very expensive! We spent nearly 100 pounds and got such a result! I won't recommend this restaurant to anyone!

This is a good place to enjoy seafood at a reasonable price in central London. However, the ownership seems to have changed a few times. When I first ordered the seafood grill platter, it came with chips at the bottom of the plate, and the combination of grilled seafood and crispy chips was excellent. The seafood was incredibly fresh. But on another visit, the seafood wasn’t fresh, and the overall quality was disappointing. We recently decided to give it another try, and while it wasn’t as outstanding as our first visit, we were satisfied with the steak and grilled seafood. I wouldn’t recommend the other dishes, but diners at nearby tables seemed quite happy with their meals. If they can maintain this quality at this price point in London, I would return and recommend it. However, there is one very personal reason why I don’t visit more often. The toilets are downstairs, and the space is extremely dark, with walls designed to look

The service is attentive and the food is fresh

Nice food and nice staff. Very kids friendly - not only drawing, also toys provided.

Me and my partner were disappointed with service and cold food.. none of the prawn dishes were devined or cleaned, so full of prawn poo.. for the high prices I expected better.. the flavouring is limited in taste. Once we paid for our dinner and gained a receipt and left the restaurant .. one of the staff came run after us in the street saying we didn't pay.. so they called us back to the restaurant to speak to the manager.. We went back and showed our receipt.. they didn't give any appology for their poor communication between staff.. the shouting and chasing left us embarrassed and humiliated.. will never go there again.. manager was unapologetic for their blunder.. no compensation for the poor food and poor behaviour..

I visited The Shell with my friends for a seafood dinner, and it was fantastic! The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming

Very nice discovery, very pleasant service, relaxed atmosphere. Little + the waitress speaks French. I highly recommend

My friend and I had a thoroughly enjoyable start to our evening here. The food was plentiful and delicious, Mery our waitress was warm and hospitable.

I visited The Shell yesterday evening after stumbling across their Surf and Tuff Ad on Instagram. This restaurant is a little gem. The Steak was seasoned and cooked perfectly, my only criticism is that they could give more fries as the little cup doesn't hold very much but overall it was a great meal, I definitely recommend and will visit again soon.

Every seafood is very delicious and fresh.

The food is always fantastic and the staff here at Southampton row branch are amazing!

This is hands down one of the best places for seafood in London. The lobster was perfectly cooked, andflavorsrlic butter was so flavorful. My partner had the classic steak, and it was so tender. The service was impeccable—very attentive without being intrusive. A great place for a special occasion

The Shell is the place to go if you’re craving seafood! I had the whole lobster with garlic butter sauce, and it was cooked to perfection. The chips were crispy, and the salad was a refreshing side. It’s a little on the pricier side, but worth every penny. Highly recommend!

Had lunch here during a work break, and I tried the seafood linguine. It was delicious, and the seafood was cooked just right. My only critique is that it could have used a bit more seasoning

A solid dining experience overall. I had the seafood platter, which included shrimp, mussels, and squid. The seafood was fresh, and the presentation was great. The only thing I wish was different was the portion size—felt a bit small for the price. Still, a lovely meal and attentive service

Just tried the Classic Sirloin Steak, and it exceeded my expectations! Cooked exactly to my liking (medium-rare), with crispy fries and a nice pepper sauce. I also ordered a side of grilled vegetables, which were delicious and fresh.

I came here for lunch with my colleague, and we both enjoyed our meals. I had the seafood linguine, and it was packed with flavor. The shrimp and squid were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was rich but not too overwhelming.

We had a large seafood platter. After we ordered, we were told that three of the mussels and langostinoes on offer were no longer available. We were given more lobster as a replacement. The appropriate cutlery was also delivered upon request. We also received our oysters upon request. The quality was ok but unfortunately not anymore.

Used to really love the food here but unfortunately it’s gone downhill. Quality isn’t as good as it was before and it’s quite expensive. £24 for lukewarm seafood soup, service is a bit slow I won’t be coming back here for a while..

It changed! Bring back the old stuff. . Was the best seafood restaurant ever, now we waited 40min for uncooked mussels. Unfresh shrimps to replace langoustines. No more of the nice smoky taste in the platter. Only good thing left is the service, but no discount after this meal, so no mercy in the review. I’ll come back in a year see if the greatness has returned.

Today is the Chinese Lunar New Year in 2025. The two of us went to The Shell restaurant for dinner. We ordered lamb chops, steak, shrimp and mussels. The portions were generous, and the seafood was very fresh and delicious. The service in the restaurant is very attentive, changing plates and giving new napkins. I'll go for the lobster set meal next time. It was Chinese New Year today and we went to The Shell for dinner. We ordered lamb chops, steak, prawns and mussels, the portion was very generous and the seafood was fresh and tasty. The service was very attentive, changing plates and giving new napkins. Going back for the lobster set menu next time.

The seafood is fresh and delicious. The price is high and acceptable.

Amazing experience. Octopus, lobster and oysters were simply amazing. Service was great also staff were extremely positive and helpful!

We THOROUGHLY enjoyed our time and food at this restaurant. The staff was OUTSTANDING! They made us feel very welcome. Food was 10 out of 10.

It's my 3rd visit to The Shell restaurant in Holborn. On this occasion, I am so disappointed with the food and being charged £2.90 for Dijon mustard. The seafood grill I had was tasty. But, when the steak my husband ordered came, he couldn't even cut it with his steak knife and never mind about eating it. We highlighted the issue and his main course was swiftly replaced with no fuss. Thank you. The Dijon mustard was only requested because my husband thought he was having steak. We did a query about the extra charge and was told his steak came with peppercorn sauce hence Dijon mustard is additional sauce. I joked about why I was not charged for ketchup since my seafood grill came with butter sauce. Disappointed would be my ending word here.

Love this restaurant and great atmosphere. The food was 10/10 - steak and lobster was delicious.

We went here for lunch, it’s a lovely looking restaurant and the lunch specials looked like great value. On the day we went they had oysters for £1 each so we tried them (not had before) and they were so fresh and lovely. We then went for the same main of prawns, mussels, squid and chips. Price was amazing for the quality of the food. The wine was a reasonable price and a bottle of white went very well with the sea food. Service was great, we liked they had proper bowls on the table for the shellfish waste and they were emptied regularly. The only thing missing was a water bowl to wash hands after deshelling lunch. A wet wipe was provided at the end but personally I would have preferred a was bowl throughout. However that is the only criticism so pretty good. We would definitely recommend and will return.

Amazing lunch deal and wonderful service by Mery and others!

Diogo was our waiter, he was amazing, kind, efficient, always with a smile and ready to help . Thank you Diogo for being so nice .. business definitely lucky for having him. Food was also amazing . Will come back

The best seafood in London. Nice people and delicious seafood.

We 3 people had an early dinner in The Shell yesterday. Our last dinner in the Shell was 3 years ago. This time we ordered the Royal for Two, Chargrilled Octopus (1 leg), and some drinks. The Royal for Two should include a crab but it was missing. We asked and we were told that crabs was not available but was replaced by half lobster. It would be better if we were told when we were ordering. Anyway, the foods were delicious but a little bit pricey. Nice to try if you have budget.

The service was amazing!! Mery was so sweet and the food came out not even 12 minutes after we ordered. I absolutely will be back when I come to London. The food was also amazing!!! Steak cooked to a perfect medium. Absolutely deserves a 5 star.

2025/1/2 I received positive feedback from the store. Although I was invited to visit again, since I am in Taiwan, I had the opportunity to go last time because of a business trip, so I thought it would be a good chance to visit again. It's not too big, but I hope that the store can provide better service attitude and cooking quality so that everyone can enjoy wonderful food. This is also the original intention of my review. The store owner is also very welcome. If he has the opportunity to come to Taiwan, Taiwan has many world-famous delicacies and he will not be disappointed. 2024/12/20 Looking at the menu on the Internet, I couldn’t wait to make a reservation the day before. I visited with my colleagues that day with great expectations. As a result, I asked the waiter to provide water, but it took two times to ask the waiter for the meal. It’s not as delicious as in the photo. We ordered the steak to be medium rare, but the steak that came out was so hard that it was difficult to cut with a knife and even harder to swallow. The lobster was also very small, and my colleagues felt that the lobster tasted pink and not very fresh. In addition, the service fee was 20%, so our evaluation of this store is not good.

This is my second visit to this restaurant and both times have been impeccable, I was Ben had two creme brulees this evenytheyre that good!!

I popped in on a very busy night on the odd chance of a table for one, they managed to fit me and and it was so good I came back the following night as well!! Snow Crab was amazing, hit platter was good, with a decent variety. Dessert on both nights was creme brulée as it was perfect. The bass was so flavourful that if I could have eaten more I would have.

Excellent oysters and steak Sajun was great with his hospitality and suggested us the best dishes to try

false advertisement. these signs are placed outside but when we came by on 1st January we were told by the male staff the promotion ended on Christmas. He also said since it was a bank holiday the promotion was not available regardless. Do note the signs said EVERY DAY in capital letters! Please remove these signs if they are not available and stop luring customers through such methods

Bosto bell esteticamente e anche Nino, personale disponibile, trovato per caso ma già uno dei miei preferiti a Londra. Ci tornerò

I used it for lunch. It's large in quantity and delicious. I feel it's worth the price.

It was ok but forgot to make our burger and came late while we nearly finished our meals. Get the seafood it is better than meat menu.

Reserved for Christmas Eve We enjoyed the seafood platter for 2, with crab, lobster, shrimp, mussels... very generous, cooked to perfection, accompanied by a bisque and fries. We were warmly welcomed by everyone, including Mery, who took great care of us. If we have the chance to return to London, the Shell will be unmissable.

I entered the store around 4pm on Boxing Day. There were few customers in the large store, perhaps because it was still early, but as time passed, the number of customers increased. The waiter had a nice smile and made the meal enjoyable. My companion and I ordered octopus salad, steamed mussels and shrimp, and lobster and shrimp linguine. Everything was delicious and the quantity was sufficient to satisfy me. It's close to the British Museum and faces a street with a calm atmosphere, so be sure to give it a visit.

We had a horrible experience. The mix shell of player for two cost £100 and is extremely, extremely poor. It’s says is for two but is not even enough for one . A waste of money. It was not even good. Never again .

Very pleasant surprise, perfect service, discretion and kindness. Relaxed atmosphere, possibility of booking online, wide opening hours. Good food (great octopus salad), varied and copious seafood platters.

Super friendly staff, good value for money, definitely recommended

I came with my mum for a little farewell dinner and I had the best time. From the moment we arrived, the host & our server - Mery, were so warm and welcoming. I had the best prawns I’d ever had in my entire life and I am so excited for the next time I can go back. Truly a fantastic experience and would 100% recommend !

The foods came quicker than I expected and the sea food is really fresh.

Hello. I recommend this restaurant because of the people who served us and the delicious food they gave us. People full of kindness, super attentive, friendly, respectful, the food was served quickly, full of flavor and super fresh. Diogo's attention was unforgettable. The manager from Italy was very friendly and it shows that they work very well as a team. This restaurant is incredible.

This would have to be one of the best hidden gems in London. The food is excellent and the staff are excellent. They cook some of the tastiest steaks in town. And the peppercorn sauce would have too be one of the best peppercorn sauces I've ever tasted.

Excellent and simply great food

Very nice restaurant, with fresh seafood, great food with a really large selection of different seafood. The service was very friendly.

I found the place by searching on Google for restaurants around me, and it was a gr8 pick. We took the lunch starter special of the six oysters for 8.99. They were one of the best I ever had! Scottish oysters for a great price. For the main, I picked the Chargrilled Octopus - 1 leg, and thank God I picked the one because it was huge. Again, one of the best Octupes I have eaten, grilled perfectly without a lot of seasoning that kept the taste. We also picked the Lobster One Burger, half a lobster in a great burger bun with rustic fries. The dish was again perfect, the sweetness of the lobster with a lemony sauce and lettuce. All in all, it was a great visit, and the only problem was that we didn't have room for dessert 😊 The service was attentive and friendly. I need a GF, and they made sure it suited my limitations

I came with my sister for lunch. The place was quiet and the food was amazing! Also the waitress Mery was so helpful in helping us decide and giving recommendations for us. Service was 100/10

Amazing food. Very clean and welcoming. The lady Mery was very welcoming and accommodating to my disabled daughter. Very pleasant experience

Amazing service and quality. Especially the Creme Brulee was the best one I had in London. Thank you!

We visited London for 5 days and ate here for 2 times. Affordable price with quality seafood. Their lunch special is very good value. Great service from Dorothy (the restaurant Manager) and the team. The Restuarant is very clean and comfortable environment obviously it doesn’t have any view. Definitely we will come here to dine again for the next visit to London.

⁠My friends and I also enjoyed the seafood platter—it was perfect for sharing. Top-notch experience!

Lovely atmosphere and even better food. Special offers are good value for money and very tasty.

Had a great evening celebrating my mum's bday at The Shell in Holborn. The food was real treat, the seafood was fresh and super tasty. The service was friendly and accommodating.

Seafood is fresh and cooked nicely. I had mixture of hot seafood. Everything was delicious, I would highly recommend scallops, lobster and prawns. Very generous portions for the price they charge. Nice music and chilled atmosphere. Service is great, very attentive. Special thank you to lovely lady Mery, she is very professional.

Lovely meal with my family, steak was really tasty, nicely seasoned and cooked to our liking. Lobster also good. Restaurant is clean and staff are helpful and accommodating. Mery was fantastic, great customer service and attentive and she was a hit with my 7 year old, she even gave him a toy gift when he was leaving, he also liked his food and said that he will go back again soon.

My friends and I also enjoyed the seafood platter—it was perfect for sharing. Top-notch experience!

Very understaffed, we had to wait 10 mins to order and waited another 20 mins to get our change back. Also, they cheekily gave us the note from The Bank of Scotland so we basically cannot use it as many shops in London don’t accept it. I’ve been there many times and the food and services qualify just got worse and worse.

⁠ I ordered the seafood cream, and it was deliciously creamy. Friendly staff and cozy decor made our visit special. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Mary for pointing me to Royal for 3, what a great spot! The food was amazing, and the service was on point. Ill definitely be coming again. Thank you.

We went as a group of 5 on the 9th of November. We were made to feel very welcome as soon as we stepped foot in the establishment and the staff were extremely attentive to our diverse dietary needs. A big thank you to Mary, Harry and Biki (apologies if spelt incorrectly) who went above and beyond to ensure that we enjoyed the experience- to which we did! We ordered 'The Royal Plate' which we would highly recommend to all Seafood lovers. The dish managed to impress the veteran of our group well versed in seafood,whilst also being a great introduction to somebody who wasn't keenly fond of it prior to this visit. All in all it was a great visit and I am planning to come again in the near future.

Exceptional service, super delicious cream seafood soup, nice lunch deals. thank you!

Very nice service. Ambiance also cozy. The lunch menu is very worthwhile and so is the food. Gladly again👍

The place was great good food friendly staff

Food was ok , the platter turned cold very quick. Service was nice

The Shell, offers vouchers Groupon. Via the Groupon there are 2 options, or you can book it straight away, or you buy it and book it whenever you want. I called at 14:50, 19.11.2024. The representative of the restaurant, the lady, after finding out that I have voucher via Groupon, mockingly started speaking and said you pay to Groupon and you should deal with them, not with us? I just wanted to book a table by using my voucher. The worst service ever had! Dear Replier, Thank for introducing yourself, first of all. I think you did not get a message! My problem is how your employee handled the situation, in a rude way. If she explained in the nice way, or at least tried to speak with me in the same level with street accessed customer, that would not be big deal. According to your reply, you did not even clarify the real reason of the review or situation. If you (I mean, management) handle it like this. There is no more to say.

Mary and Sweetha were very courteous and served us very well. We had Surf & Turf -well prepared by the Chef. Great experience all round.

Very expensive and you don't even get bread with the sea platter. Toilets are disgusting. Diogo was nice tho, even though after he asked us to review the place he didn't give us any attention anymore.

Very expensive and you don't even get bread with the sea platter. Toilets are disgusting. Diogo was nice tho.

This seafood restaurant is a great place for seafood lovers. The oysters were very fresh and tasted amazing. The prawns were juicy, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. The restaurant has a nice and simple atmosphere, making it comfortable for anyone to enjoy a meal. The staff Diogo was friendly and helpful, making the experience even better. The food was served fresh and fast, and everything was cooked just right. It’s a great spot for enjoying delicious seafood, whether for a special occasion or a casual meal. I will definitely visit again for the oysters and prawns!