For fish and seafood fans, Wright Brothers need no introduction. Their swanky new offshoot is in the snazzy riverside development of Battersea Power Station, fast becoming a foodie destination in its own right.
We found ourselves on their opening night, taking refuge from the cold outside and soaking in their tasteful interiors designed by Macaulay Sinclair.
In fact, it felt so new that you could still smell the fresh paint! The capacious interiors have a cabin boat feel (apt, given the location) with timber floors, plump and squishy leather banquettes, shiny full length bar, bustling open kitchen and plenty of bright lighting.
An all-glass frontage offers panoramic views of River Thames and Chelsea Bridge.
Outside, there are sheltered tables with heat lamps for warmer days. In the background looms the mighty Battersea Power Station.
Over a generous basket of warm, savoury bread (always a benchmark for good restaurants), we perused the menu. Whilst fish and seafood feature heavily as expected, there were some strong meat options as well. Meat being a focus here makes complete sense as the Battersea Branch is home to their first Josper Charcoal Grill.
If you don’t mind messy hands over dinner, I would highly recommend tucking into the Oysters and Shellfish platters. They look as heavenly as they sound, and I will definitely be going back to sample those when I am not blogging or needing my hands for taking photos.
But the rest of the menu looked utterly delicious too. From the Small and Raw section, we first ordered the Tandoori Tiger Prawns, Raita, Crispy Onions (£12.75). The prawns were deliciously charred and of decent size. They had also put a lot of thought into the raita, rather than treating it as a side dip. It was sweet and yoghurty, with a hint of curry and heat.
To tick the fresh seafood box, we also ordered some Oysters which were served fresh and pristine, just as it should be.
The Gallician Octopus (£13.75) was strongly recommended, though we really didn’t need much convincing as I simply love octopus. The meat was tender and lightly charred, inventively matched with nutty ajo blanco (almond paste).
The one that we chowed down with utmost pleasure was the Soft Shell Crab, Sriracha Mayonnaise, Winter Slaw and Fries (£16.75). Inside the luxuriously crunchy, fried batter was soft, savoury ‘crabby’ meat. The fresh slaw and sriracha-laced mayo added further oomph to an already kickass dish.
Having gone for a rather fish and seafood heavy first course, I decided to opt for one of the meat dishes from their chalked up specials board.
I had the Best End of Swaledale Lamb in Jansson’s Temptation (£28.75). The lamb was decent but the rich sauce did not do it for me. Thankfully, Jansson’s Temptation turned out to be outrageously good. Thin slivers of potatoes, densely layered and specked with tiny anchovies, imparted a combination of garlicky, slight bitter and salty flavours. I have now discovered another delicious way to eat my favourite carb.
Kris had the Newlyn Bay Tranche of Hake (£23.50) – a fat slab of delicate white fish, served with brown shrimps and smoked paprika butter. As far as flavour combinations go, this was definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Strong support was given by Tempura Broccoli (£8.50) packed with verdant crunch, and well-cooked Boiled Potatoes (£4.00).
Staff were polite and unpretentious, though one of the waiters was hilariously forgetful. Service was mostly smooth and it didn’t feel that this was their first proper evening of service.
At the end of the day, I still think their fish and seafood is their strongest offering. So if you want to impress your pescatarian friends or simply indulge in a meal without meat, this is the place to be.
Location: 26 Circus West Village, Battersea Power Station, London SW8 4NN
More information can be found here.
