Restaurant in London, United Kingdom
Mayfair seafood with genuine staying power.
Scott's on Mount Street is Mayfair's most consistent answer for a seafood special occasion at the £££ tier, backed by a Michelin Plate (2025) and a 4.6 Google rating across 2,600-plus reviews. The counter is the seat to request for two. Book one to two weeks out for weekday dinner; further in advance for weekends. Autumn through spring is the stronger window for shellfish.
With a Google rating of 4.6 across more than 2,600 reviews, Scott's on Mount Street is one of London's most consistently well-regarded seafood restaurants — and Michelin's 2025 Plate recognition confirms it has held that position without coasting. If you are looking for a seafood-focused special occasion dinner in Mayfair at the £££ price point, Scott's is the clearest answer in its tier. The counter is worth booking specifically; for a date or solo meal, it is one of the better seats in the city.
The dining room at 20 Mount Street carries the kind of weight that comes from genuine longevity. The space is clubby in the specific Mayfair sense: dark wood, a long bar, a counter that faces the kitchen, and enough ambient noise to feel alive without making conversation difficult. The Michelin guide describes it as having a "terrific clubby atmosphere," which is accurate shorthand for a room that feels like it belongs to regulars but does not make newcomers feel excluded. For a special occasion, the formality is right: polished without being stiff.
The counter is the spatial centrepiece. For two diners, it gives you proximity to the kitchen and a front-row view of the shellfish preparation — the kind of seat that turns dinner into something worth narrating afterward. If you are booking for four or more, the main dining room handles groups comfortably, though the counter remains the more memorable option.
Scott's built its reputation on prime-quality fish and shellfish, and the range on offer is broad enough that the right answer to "what should I order" shifts with the season. British seafood has a pronounced seasonal rhythm: native oysters run from September through April, following the old rule that ties them to months containing the letter R; brown crab and lobster peak through summer; and the autumn months bring the leading of the hand-dived scallop harvest from Scottish waters.
If you are visiting in autumn or winter, the shellfish counter should be your starting point , oysters and dressed crab are where Scott's credentials show most clearly. Spring and early summer shift the emphasis toward lighter fish dishes, when day-boat catches from Cornish and Scottish suppliers are at their most varied. The Opinionated About Dining ranking (149th in Casual Europe for 2024, Highly Recommended in 2023) reflects the consistency of execution across those seasons, not a single breakout dish.
Chef David McCarthy has overseen the kitchen long enough that the menu reflects genuine seasonal discipline rather than marketing seasonality. That means the leading time to visit is whenever the British seafood calendar is at a peak for the species you want , rather than booking blind and hoping for the leading. If a specific shellfish experience is the point of your visit, autumn through early spring is the stronger window.
Scott's trades at moderate booking difficulty for London's £££ tier. You should expect to book one to two weeks out for a weekday dinner, and further in advance for Friday and Saturday evenings, when the room runs until 10:30 pm. Sunday last orders are at 9:30 pm, which makes it a workable option for a longer weekend lunch that runs into early evening. Lunch from Monday through Sunday opens at noon, and midweek lunch is the easiest entry point if your schedule is flexible , the room is quieter and the counter more accessible.
Walk-ins are not impossible at lunch, particularly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but do not rely on it for a special occasion. The counter specifically is worth requesting when you book rather than leaving to chance on arrival.
Scott's is at 20 Mount St, London W1K 2HE, a short walk from Bond Street or Green Park underground stations. Hours run Monday through Thursday noon to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 10:30 pm, and Sunday noon to 9:30 pm. The £££ price point places it below the city's £££££ tasting-menu tier but firmly in the bracket where a dinner for two with wine will reach £150 to £200 depending on shellfish and bottle selection , verify current pricing directly when booking. For more on eating and drinking in the capital, see our full London restaurants guide, our full London bars guide, and our full London hotels guide.
In London, the seafood-focused alternatives worth knowing are J.Sheekey in Covent Garden, which trades on a similar heritage and clubby atmosphere but skews slightly more theatrical; Angler at South Place Hotel, which brings a more contemporary technique to similar British-sourced seafood; and Olivomare in Belgravia for a Sardinian-inflected seafood menu at a comparable price tier. River Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay offers a broader menu with Thames views if setting matters as much as seafood focus.
For seafood dining beyond London, Gambero Rosso in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica and Alici Restaurant on the Amalfi Coast represent the Mediterranean benchmark for comparison. Within the UK, destination dining at The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and hide and fox in Saltwood cover different formats and price points if you are building a wider UK itinerary. Also worth knowing: Behind Restaurant in London offers a contrasting approach at the other end of the formality spectrum. See our full London wineries guide and our full London experiences guide for further planning.
Yes, and for two diners it is the recommended option. The counter gives you a direct view of the kitchen and shellfish preparation, and Michelin's own notes single it out as "a great spot" for pairs. Request the counter when booking rather than hoping for availability on arrival , it fills before the main dining room does.
Yes. The counter is well-suited to solo diners , you have sightlines into the kitchen and natural conversation with the team rather than the awkwardness of a solo table in a formal dining room. At the £££ price point, a solo lunch with a glass of wine sits around £50 to £80 depending on what you order; verify current pricing when booking. For a quieter solo lunch in Mayfair's seafood tier, it is a stronger call than J.Sheekey, which can feel more theatrical.
The menu is built around fish and shellfish, so Scott's is a poor fit for pescatarian-adjacent guests who also avoid shellfish, or for anyone with significant fish allergies. For specific dietary requirements, contact the restaurant directly before booking , the phone number and website are not listed in our current data, so use the reservation platform you book through to flag requirements in advance.
Lunch is easier to book and the room is less pressured, which makes it the better choice if you want the counter or are visiting midweek. Dinner has the fuller Mayfair atmosphere that suits a special occasion , Friday and Saturday evenings run until 10:30 pm and the room reaches its most animated. For a first visit, a Thursday or Friday lunch gives you the experience without the booking difficulty of a weekend dinner slot.
The shellfish counter is the starting point: oysters and dressed crab are where the kitchen's sourcing credentials are most visible. Timing matters , native oysters are at their leading between September and April, and hand-dived scallops peak in autumn. If you are visiting outside the prime shellfish window, the day-boat fish selection reflects what is in season from British waters. The Opinionated About Dining recognition across two consecutive years points to consistency across the menu rather than a single hero dish, so order around what is freshest on the day.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott's | Seafood | £££ | Scott's is proof that a restaurant can have a long, proud history and still be fashionable, glamorous and relevant. It has a terrific clubby atmosphere and if you’re in a two then the counter is a great spot. The choice of prime quality fish and shellfish is impressive.; Michelin Plate (2025); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #149 (2024); Michelin Plate (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Highly Recommended (2023) | Moderate | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Yes, and for parties of two it's one of the better seats in the house. The counter gives you a direct view of the seafood prep and a more informal pace than the main dining room. It's worth requesting specifically when you book rather than assuming availability on arrival.
Scott's is a reasonable solo option by Mayfair standards. The counter at 20 Mount St is the right seat for a solo diner — it keeps you engaged rather than stranded at a table for one. The clubby atmosphere reads well on your own if you're comfortable at the bar; it can feel formal if you're not.
The menu is built around prime fish and shellfish, so pescatarians are well served, but the database doesn't confirm specific allergy or dietary accommodation policies. check the venue's official channels at 20 Mount St before booking if you have strict requirements.
Lunch is the more practical entry point at the £££ price range — the room is typically easier to book on weekdays and the pace is less pressured. Dinner on Friday or Saturday (last orders at 10:30 pm) suits the clubby atmosphere better if you want the full experience, but expect to book further ahead.
The database confirms Scott's reputation is built on prime-quality fish and shellfish, with a broad selection. Beyond that, specific dish recommendations aren't documented here — trust the counter staff for what's freshest on the day, which is standard practice at any serious seafood restaurant operating at this level.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
