Meat the Fish coming to Chelsea

Meat the Fish, a concept that heralds from Beirut, Lebanon, will open in Chelsea, just off the Kings Road, on 39 Cadogan Gardens, this month.  

Meat the Fish started in 2011 as a delivery service in Lebanon – curating the very best meat, fish and other premium ingredients to deliver to customers at home. It eventually became a fully-fledged restaurant and grocer. There are now three Meat the Fish locations in Lebanon – the original shop in Beirut, a seasonal mountain spot in Faqra and a beach venue in Batroun up north.

Now with a London opening on the horizon, Meat the Fish will bring its Mediter-Asian inspired fare, with a big helping of Lebanese hospitality and style, to west London. The restaurant will open for early morning breakfasts and coffee, long lunches, dinner and late-night cocktails. This will follow the group’s first opening in London, Mayha – the Japanese omakase which opened on Chiltern Street in January.

Much like in Beirut, produce sourcing at the new Chelsea restaurant will be everything. Head chef Rachel Bado has created a menu listing the UK’s most exciting suppliers including the Butcher HG Walter, fish and seafood from Wright Brothers and vegetables from Natoora, among others.

Beginning with breakfast, the menu will be organised into ‘Organic Farm Eggs’, ‘Something Sweet’ and ‘Something Savoury’, with dishes including Green Asparagus and Eggs; Zaatar on Toast; Breakfast Taco; Miso Egg Salad Sandwich; and a salmon bagel.  There will be fresh juices, energising smoothies and the very best coffee from All Press.

Looking to lunch and dinner, the menu will be split into little sections of ‘Raw’, ‘Salads’, ‘Sandwiches’, ‘Bowls’, ‘Mains’ and ‘To Share’. The raw bar will kick off proceedings with; Oysters; Sashimi, Tartare or Carpaccio of the day; and Scallops Crudo. Signatures from Beirut like Unagi Donburi; Black Prawn Bao; Miso Aubergine; Hummus Ikura; Beef Carnitas Tacos; and the Merguez Dog will also be on offer. 

For pudding, diners can choose the salted chocolate crisps with olive oil ice cream; berries and crème Chantilly; gelato selection or the tart of the day.

Meat the Fish, designed by Mariagroup in collaboration with Karim Bekdache Studio, is housed within a grand, red-bricked townhouse, with big windows and doors that flood the restaurant with light. Entering via the stone steps, diners will be greeted by an enormous and sculptural bar that will dominate the space. 

Circular stone-topped tables and seaweed-green round chairs surround the hearth. Suspended above the tables will be phantasmic, fluid lighting sculptures that call on the animals of the deep sea, and large concrete urns of dark green trees will punctuate the space.

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