Applebee’s Fish Seafood Platter

Finding a good fish/seafood restaurant in London can often be quite an expensive venture. I have an infinite love for seafood so I don’t mind paying for it as long as it’s cooked well and it’s fresh.

Every now and again it feels like the Instagram algorithm is working against me, but sometimes it strikes gold and drops a gem on my timeline that I appreciate. As soon as I saw Applebee’s Fish seafood platter, I knew I needed to try it. Copious amounts of juicy seafood, rich in colour looking full of flavour, fresh as ever and it looks like it’s actually been cooked. In London? It couldn’t possibly be real.

Applebee’s is located in the wonderful Borough Market, London’s oldest food market, a culinary institution in its own right and quite frankly, a foodie’s paradise. The restaurant is on the smaller, more cosy side with a relaxed atmosphere and simple décor. This is a reflection of their ethos which is to serve the high-quality fish whilst prioritising sustainability, personality & the art of keeping things simple. They have indoor, outdoor and high table seating within an open grill and bar, stone walls and quaint coastal art work.

I went to Applebee’s Fish for one thing and one thing only – the seafood platter and that was all we ordered. Did it live up to my expectations? Surprisingly, yes. The platter looked exactly like the pictures on Instagram and tasted great. There was a whole lobster, lots of prawns and plenty large scallops which were all cooked perfectly and of amazing quality. We asked for extra garlic butter (which was beautiful) and I would highly recommend doing this as the seasoning on the seafood is quite light and the extra butter allows you to dip your seafood, intensifying the flavours and adding to the experience. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much without it to be honest.  

It comes with a side of fries and a mixed salad which was lightly dressed in a rich olive oil. My only gripe was the stinginess of the sides. The fries and salad were only enough for one person in my opinion and I think for £85 they really could afford to give larger portions.

From what I tasted of the seafood platter I would definitely return to Applebee’s Fish to try some of their other dishes. Would I have the platter again? Maybe, probably. I did enjoy it, and definitely could have eaten it all by myself but I don’t think it’s something I would order often. For someone that loves seafood splitting that platter with another person might leave you feeling like you didn’t quite get enough. However, it looked just like the pictures on Instagram and although £85 sounds a bit steep, good seafood in London is not cheap and what they served me tasted fresh, good quality and was cooked perfectly.

Is it the best seafood platter in London? I can’t say just yet but it’s definitely one of the best I’ve seen.

As we booked between 5pm & 6pm in October we received a free bottle of prosecco but quoting “POP THE CURFEW” on our booking.