You might come here for the happy hour but you’ll stay for the view and you’ll want to come back for the amazing staff!
I first noticed Seabird London on social media (you can follow them on instagram here). The thing that initially caught my eye was actually their kentia palms… of all the things. Nonetheless, in the era of micro-attention spans it was the beautiful plant life that seized me. Whoever manages the greenery in this venue deserves a special mention here.
After the greenery I realised how impressive the views were.
Next I noticed that the venue specialises in oysters.
Finally, I realised that they served them with martinis during happy hour.
How could I not visit?
The Location
Seabird is the rooftop bar of the Southwark branch of the Hoxton Hotel chain. It is their only hotel south of the River Thames, with the other venues being located in Shoreditch, Holborn and Shepherds Bush – all are trendy and well looked after, with their decor aimed to reflect what each of the buildings had been prior to their conversion, so each has its own personality.
The Southwark branch used to be an office, with part of the ground floor occupied by the Prince Albert pub. This has now been converted into a hotel bar – Albie’s – but still very much with the look and feel of a traditional English watering hole.
For the rest of the hotel there is a sumptuous updated mid-century office feel. This perhaps inspired the use of the kentia palms I mentioned above. They certainly adorn many an office. Otherwise the hotel utilises low lighting, wooden panelling and dark green to create a cosy but structured ambience, interspersed with arresting views.
On arrival, go into the hotel entrance, head to the lift at the back on the left and hit the Seabird button. It’s up on the 14th floor.
The view speaks for itself. It has a vista over the buildings north of the River Thames, as well as the evolving post-industrial landscape of south London. It’s very soothing to sit and watch the trains roll in and out of the city centre.
I liked the surfaces in the venue, the ceramic scallop table tops, the marble, the wood, and even the contrasting industrial ceilings. It sometimes feels like bars simply have to have a stripped back concrete and piping ceiling these days if they are to compete to be trendy, but here we are, and in the case of Seabird, it perhaps brought the heady layout of the interior down to earth, balancing it all out.
I liked the simple but elegant fixtures, as well as the in-house branding.
The bathrooms, while located on a floor below the bar (dangerous after a couple of martinis) were nonetheless very well looked after, cleaned regularly and with more of the industrial-but-cosy feel of the hotel.
I guess the location on a lower floor allowed greater floorspace on the rooftop to maximise the view as well. A very fair choice.
In the bar itself, I feel like the main show is on the west-facing side, and indeed it is a very beautifully situated aspect, ideal for watching the sun set. If you want to be part of the glorious light of the violet hour, as well as the convivial atmosphere and overall scene in general then I recommend it.
However, I adored my corner away from the hubbub. I sat at the far end of the narrow lounge, facing the chefs as they worked, with my back to the east. I found it absolutely delightful to just sit and enjoy the gentle activity all around me, with the staff showing nothing but passion for what they were doing.
It’s some of the best theatre London has to offer and it’s a one-time show every night. This part of the bar also smelt amazing.
However, food and atmosphere aside, I was there for the martinis.
The Verdict
Seabird have selected a house gin and a house vodka. This is how to do it. More bars need to do this. Especially if they keep the bottles in the freezer to get them nice and cold for a martini. The Seabird house gin is Bombay Sapphire, a very valid choice, and the house vodka is Grey Goose – also excellent.
Note that you can only order the promotional classic martinis when ordered with the oysters. Nonetheless, I consider this more than fair. It is a really good deal.
The martinis themselves are small, but for £7 in London this is still excellently priced, plus it’s in such a fabulous location it’s astronomically good value for money.
The glass is very delicate and beautiful, so while I always prefer my martini in a classic V-shaped glass around 100ml in size this would not work with the Seabird proportions so I can find no fault with it here, although that said, I would happily pay double for a bigger size.
The Vodka One
My first martini I ordered with the Grey Goose. I thought it would be good to start with a clean palette of vodka, especially as I was going to be tasting an array of oysters.
The vermouth used was Noilly Prat – an absolutely solid choice of smooth flavour and balanced dry-sweetness.
The lemon garnish had not been trimmed but it was small so didn’t pose a logistical obstacle to enjoying the drink.
All in all it was cool, balanced and pleasant.
The Gin One
My second martini was with Bombay Sapphire so I could compare the two. The botanicals of the gin meant it was drier in taste than the Grey Goose but still delicious.
It was also a differently shaped glass this time, more like one that might be suitable for a chartreuse. Again, this does not fit my normal preferences but it goes well with the proportions being served as part of the deal.
The lemon garnish was also nicely trimmed to shape and it had been squeezed into the glass. There was a spray of flavoursome lemon oil floating on the top which gave the drink a beautiful aromatic lift that also complemented the tasty oysters.
While I enjoyed my drinks (and oysters) I was bowled over by the extremely attentive, observant and friendly staff. One of the waitresses came to say that I looked so peaceful during my sitting. Indeed I was. It was such a beautiful experience!
If there is one thing I would recommend it would be to at least keep the house gin and vodka in the freezer. This venue pays so much attention to temperature, be it the terrace, the ice, the wine and the illustrious chilled seafood, the a with a house gin and a house vodka, keeping the two in a freezer would help the drink keep its cool for longer. The martinis would also look a lot more arresting when they were served.
The Food
The menu is Basque-inspired and focusses heavily on seafood. It looks, smells and tastes amazing.
Their platters are stunning, but they also have a selection of raw, cured and fried dishes, no-doubt influenced by Basque pintxos culture, but the portions are more substantial. There is also an extensive wine menu.
The establishment is very accommodating towards those with allergens, with menu items clearly labeled and staff being particularly attentive.
The Oysters
I’ve previously written about how perfect oysters are as a martini accompaniment so the oyster happy hour is a true pleasure. The chefs selection (you can choose 6 or 12 oysters and I chose 12) come with a wide variety of different species, each one carefully explained to me by a member of staff.
The oysters were beautifully prepared. They had been meticulously scrubbed of grit and shell fragment. They were turned over (creamy side up). They had been sliced from the shell with minimal mess, and as close to the shell as seemed humanly possible.
The Mermmelier
The main reason for such oyster expertise? It was Rob, the establishment’s ostelier. This is the oyster equivalent of a sommelier. I have also heard the term mermmelier used, which sounds fabulous.
Rob grew up in Thailand but came back to the UK to study and basically has a PhD in oysters. He carefully assesses, prepares and recommends the pick of the day. Every home should have one.
Between swift shuckings for hungry customers he took the time to talk me through the species, as did some of the incredible other staff members.
Condimentaria
I’m not normally one for seasoning my oysters. I like them to taste of the sea and all their mineral goodness. I might squeeze some lemon juice into an empty shell and sip it between oysters to cleanse my palette but that’s about it.
However, I was very partial to the mignonette which went very nicely with the vodka martini. Don’t be surprised if you see a mignonette martini showing up on the Martini Variations page in the near future!
Number Three Jersey Oysters
These were small but had a wonderful flavour. Each of the molluscs seemed to have a slightly different texture but they all had a nice mouthfeel and a beautiful, soft mineral aftertaste.
Cumbrae
Being a spoilt Hebridean, these were the ones closest to what I am accustomed to. They had long flat shells and were fat, juicy, briny and creamy, with their taste and mouthfeel evolving from salty inhale to the satisfying swallow. They felt the most carnal of all the oysters I tried.
Carlingford
These oysters hailed from Lough in Ireland. They were cool, soft and understated in flavour. They weren’t overly salty and had a mild sweetness to them which was lovely.
But my God, just look at the incredible shell shape. Of all the shells in all the world, I was amazed at the depth. It was almost like a cup, making it the perfect vessel for lemon juice and mignonette to sip between molluscs.
Celine
These French oysters tasted quite different to the others so far. They were not creamy at all, with an almost al dente texture, nice and firm. The flavour was subtly complex as well, with a pleasant amount of brine and an almost botanical aftertaste with grassy and herbal tones.
Fine de Claire
These were what I would describe as the all-rounder oyster of the evening. They come from Île d’Oléron in France and had a nice amount of brine, a bit of creaminess and a lovely mineral finish.
Ostra Regal
These oysters come from Brittany and were so soft and pure, with a subtle creamy texture and moderate saltiness. They were also more umami than the other oysters, with a meaty flavour.
When I first tried oyster sauce I never thought it tasted like actual oysters but now I’ve had these meaty French morsels I think I’ve found where the flavour for oyster sauce comes from.
The Winning Oyster?
Could I choose a favourite? If you pushed me, I might be biased towards oysters from the west coast of Scotland, because they are familiar and comforting to me, not least because of their size and creaminess.
The French oysters had fantastic flavours and the Irish oysters were absolutely captivating.
However, it was the Jersey oysters – the smallest and least smooth or creamy of the lot, that I felt went perfectly with a martini. They were bite-sized taste bombs that would stand up to the flavour of a strong martini without interrupting your appetite for a meal.
Could I be as intense as to try and pair the different oysters with different types of martini? Maybe – but I’m not going to. I think that’s down to you. Oysters and martinis go together beautifully, but part of the joy is discovering the different flavours and textures – and critically what your own preferences are. So go and enjoy!
Happy Hour Indeed
So make sure you go to Seabird London for the oyster and martini Happy Hour. You’ll stay for the view, and you’ll want to come back for the excellent service and sheer happiness of it all.
You can enjoy £2 oysters alongside £7 martinis from 3-6pm, Monday to Friday.
See you there!
The Martini Socialist 