Beautiful atmosphere and ambiance to have the most divine food and drinks at the best quality and prices with the help of a really nice and friendly staff not to mention prompt and punctual service as well.
Extremely impressed with the quality of the food. I tried their several dishes and in last cafe latte made my day. Although it was slightly expensive but it paid off my money and thanks for the cleanliness. Will try them again whenever I go back to Soho. #Soho #cafe_latte #London #UK #Memories.
Great seafood place• Amazing ambiance and music!
••• The perfect place to dine on a Friday place before heading to party!
••• Their seafood linguine is a mist try! Always look out for their daily/weekly selection!
• Definitely recommended•
Everything was good, we tried crab, oysters and ameretto tart. France oysters was better, english oysters was a bit salty. Music was loudly which i like much at dinner also.
This is quaint restaurant and bar in the corner of Soho, lovely for a chill or romantic get together. Try to sit by the windows so you can watch people go by.. always a good pastime :D we were recommended the fish and chips and liked it, the fish was extremely tender and flaky and fell apart (in a good way) and the chips (aka fries) were deliciously sweet. There were a few bones in the fish fillet which was a bit irritating to get through, other than that.. not bad.
Was looking for the best fish and chips in town to take a friend who was visiting London and it didn't disappoint 👌🏼 we shared the fish and chips and their burger-
✔️Great atmosphere - the disco ball was particularly amusing
✔️ The food was delicious. The fish and chips was so good - i generally hate eating it as I usually find it really tasteless and oily (so not worth it) but this was actually good. You could tell that the fish was super fresh and that the oil is clean. The burger was also really tasty.
✔️Great selection in the menu- love their salad options and the fact that they have a free range chicken option
✔️Friendly staff, great service
Beautiful food and service. Shame there's no low tables to sit on or we may have stayed longer and spent more. We will definitely be coming back
You’ll know when you’ve approached Randall & Aubin as the combination of its vibrant seafood display, together with the tantalizing smell of garlic buttered shellfish, will be too hard to resist. When Randall & Aubin opened in 1996, it was the harbinger of change in London’s gentrifying Soho district and having recently celebrated its 20th birthday, the Soho seafood institution is still as popular as ever, with lines out the door every weekend.
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With a no-booking policy at dinner time, R&A supports the spontaneous style us Londoners so often lack. Getting there at 7.30pm, we were fortunate to skip any queuing and sit straight down. The layout encourages a table sharing dynamic, yet each party still has a good sense of privacy and non-invasion from other diners.
The staff are smiley, not at all pretentious and upbeat, suiting the light-hearted, disco music, and adorning disco ball hanging in the centre of the room!
Whilst a fun vibe to the restaurant, it is classic in the gentle lighting, marble surfaces and old school, Parisien feel to it.
For a light starter to whet our appetites, we ordered a tray of English oysters; fresh, salty mouthfuls which were a perfect match to the Randall& Aubin's house champagne. Clean and crisp, and dangerously good!
For our main course, with a little recommendation help from our young but well-informed waitress, we chose a selection of seafoods; the giant diver scallops were creamy, softly cooked and served with crispy potato coins and large chunks of well-cooked onion. The squid was not chewy in the slightest, but soft and well-seasoned, served alongside a generous portion of skinny fries. The Caesar salad was one of the best I've tried; a beautifully creamy dressing, generous shavings of Parmesan, a soft boiled egg and the world's largest croutons.
All in all, this place is great, easy-going and the ideal place to catch up with the girls, or for a smart-but-casual first date. Romantic, cosy and great quality without being overly expensive, for great quality food and a classic ambience.
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Regular readers of SilverSpoon will know that I'm a huge seafood lover...and my friends at Zomato know this too... after the restaurant review site gave me a voucher to top fish restaurant Randall & Aubin , I quickly booked in for lunch with my friend Alisha who works near by. I'd been to Randall and Aubin several years ago for a dinner, and I remember having to queue to get in to the popular restaurant, but if you choose to go at lunch you can make a reservation and there's no waiting time. White tiles line the walls, patrons perch on wicker stools on high tables, it's noisy, it's cramped but it has that delicious vibrancy typical of Soho. Actually the restaurant was originally London's first French butchers but when it was converted into a restaurant many of the original features were retained with the marble bars added to give a friendly communal dining feel. At the front of the restaurant is an open kitchen where you can watch chef skilfully shuck oysters and slice salmon. The delicious smell of the rotisserie chicken turing on the spit fills your nostrils; it's a place that is a feast for the senses with a fabulously lively atmosphere. With champagne lining the wall and the finest of products being used, it feels luxurious whilst be casual and fun. Perching our stools Alisha and I checked out the menu, which is predominantly la poissons and fruit de la mer but also a few meat options such as the aforementioned chicken, lamb, pork and burgers. I always find it hard to choose my meal at a seafood restaurant, there are so many things that I like!
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It’s got the reputation, the queue developing as early as 6pm on a Thursday night, and the undeniable lure of a dining room full of diners. We passed our short wait outside with a beer and a glass of the slightly sparkling vino verde, before being seated in a little nook near the back of the restaurant. The Randall & Aubin crowd looked like they have been coming here for years, in a nice, familiar sort of way, with a couple of tourists and newbies thrown in the mix; all giving the atmosphere a wonderful buzz.
The menu also looked like it’d been there for years, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing - simple seafood is good seafood in my book. To start we ordered the Randall & Aubin crab cakes, grilled queen scallops, and langoustines roasted in garlic butter with pommes frites. The crab cakes came encrusted in a well fried crumb but once you broke through there was a pleasant crab filling. Both the scallops and langoustine were enjoyable; I thought the little bit of pancetta with each scallop added a necessary but not overpowering level of saltiness, and when has garlic butter not enhanced… well, anything really.
The starters were followed by the crab and lemon risotto and the bouillabaisse, two classic dishes you’d think an experienced establishment would have perfected by now. I’m quite partial to things in a broth, I obviously really like fish, and I really like croutons so naturally I quite like bouillabasse and while this one was enjoyable I thought it could have been bolder. Where was the hint of aniseed from the fennel? Or the little kick of spice from the cayenne pepper? I did wonder for a sec if I was eating tomato soup with bits of fish instead of a rich fish stew I was expecting. Though I shouldn’t complain, I could have ordered the risotto… it was swiftly sent back to the kitchen and swiftly forgotten about.
Overall, our experience at Randall & Aubin was decent but I don't think I'll be rushing back in a hurry. Though the service and atmosphere were excellent, the food was just a little lack lustre for our tastes but I know people wax lyrical about it... particularly their oysters so perhaps we missed a trick there?!
I`ve been meaning to go to Randall & Aubin for a long time but this little seafood place in Soho is so popular that every time we passed it there was always a huge queue. Finally we got lucky one day and managed to find a table straight away for dinner. It has now become one of my favourite seafood places in London - I mean just look at that lobster! amazing!
White tiles line the walls, patrons perch on wicker stools on high tables, it's noisy, it's cramped but it has that delicious vibrancy typical of Soho. Actually the restaurant was originally London's first French butchers but when it was converted into a restaurant many of the original features were retained with the marble bars added to give a friendly communal dining feel.
At the front of the restaurant is an open kitchen where you can watch chef skilfully shuck oysters and slice salmon.
Regular readers of SilverSpoon will know that I'm a huge seafood lover...and my friends at Zomato know this too... after the restaurant review site gave me a voucher to top fish restaurant Randall & Aubin, I quickly booked in for lunch with my friend Alisha who works near by. I'd been to Randall and Aubin several years ago for a dinner, and I remember having to queue to get in to the popular restaurant, but if you choose to go at lunch you can make a reservation and there's no waiting time.
I was lucky enough to find this gem through a Soho Walking Tour. The oysters were fresh and absolutely divine and I highly recommend! The french seafood menu is complimented by their friendly staff and retro decor. One of the top five places I would take friends visiting London - Bliss!
One of my favourite places to dine in London whenever I am here. The seafood is out of this world, but they also have some incredible meat dishes, and it's well worth coming a few times to experience the menu. It has a feeling of classic, thorough-bread restaurant that knows how to please customers, and yet the value is brilliant. You are pretty much guaranteed a good time here, thanks in part to the awesome waiting staff. If you haven't visited Randall and Aubin yet, you're missing out.
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Dining at Randall & Aubin is one of those experiences you just don't forget. It had just the right blend moments of simplistic genius and intrigue set in a chilled, relaxed and cozy atmosphere. Their décor has little quirky touches like the beautiful chandeliers hanging off the ceilings next to a massive disco ball that should have felt out of place but it worked.
Dining on marble counter tops and sitting on a stools made the whole experience feel more communal without being invasive and relaxed without trying to hard.
The servers were brilliant, very engaging and personable.
Ofcourse, the highlight of the night was the food. I mean you go to Randall & Aubin to satisfy your seafood craving and I was not disappointed. I had the Randall & Aubin crab cakes for starters which was crunchy and succulent, packed full of flavors and extremely light. Next I had the delicious Cod specialty for mains, which was beautifully cooked with crispy skin. The meal was topped off with a gorgeous baked cheesecake and salted caramel ice cream for dessert. The menu could not have been more perfect for me.
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I recently had a lovely Sunday Lunch at Randall & Aubin as part of a Zomato meetup. An oldie but a goodie, Randall & Aubin has been a Soho institution since it opened in 1996 and is known for its fresh seafood and fun, convivial atmosphere. I have often walked past Randall & Aubin and been deterred from going in by the queues outside. But queues can be a good thing too as that must surely mean that the food is good!
The meetup event began with a cooking demonstration by Chef Ed Baines. He took us through the intricacies of making a good seafood sauce and the key to prepping seafood such as the cod that we had for lunch and other crustaceans. The session was really informative and enjoyable, particularly the bit where we got to try the oysters! Ed began his career at the age of 16 with an apprenticeship at The Dorchester under Anton Mosimann. Thereafter he travelled the world, spending time in Australia where he was instrumental in developing the Pacific Rim cuisine there. Ed has also cooked at Bibendum, The River Cafe, and has worked as the official chef to Giorgio Armani. Thereafter he went on to open Daphne's in South Kensington before teaming up with Jamie Poulton to open Randall & Aubin in 1996.
For starters, I had the hand picked Devon Crab (£12.85) with shrimp, avocado, pimento salsa and toasted brioche which was a tasty way to start the meal. The sweetness of the crab married beautifully with the earthy creaminess of the avocado and the sweetness of the salsa. This was a well-seasoned and enjoyable plate of food.
I also tried the crab cakes and the mussels. The crab cakes (£9.85) with watercress and a radish salad were also well made with a healthy crab flavour and a crunchy coating, made more enjoyable with some zingy lime mayonnaise. Classic moules marinières with garlic, parsley and cream (£10.85) were cooked well to maintain their texture and flavour, but the sauce was a touch salty.
For our mains, we had the roasted British cod (£18.95) with Dorset crab, garden salad, shrimp cream and Jersey royal potatoes. The cod was perfectly cooked and moist, and I really enjoyed the seasonal earthiness of the asparagus and the sprightliness of the samphire in the salad. The shrimp cream, robust with seafood flavour, was really nicely done.
To desserts, and my favourite was the chocolate Sacher torte with crème fraiche (£7.50). Although it didn’t resemble a traditional Austrian Sacher torte which typically has a very solid texture, a layer of apricot jam and chocolate coating, it was nevertheless gloriously decadent and rich. Delicious! The texture of the cake was wonderfully dense, yet moist, and the cake boasted of a deep chocolate flavour.
Baked vanilla cheesecake with caramel and salted caramel ice cream (£7.50) was respectable with a creamy texture, but it wasn’t strong enough in the flavour arena as more vanilla was needed. A flambée crème brûlée (£7.50), so called as the sugar crust was set alight at the table to caramelise, was bewitching to watch. It was very tasty, but it rather runny. Finally, a sticky date pudding (£7.50) with toffee and ice cream was the least successful of the desserts as it was dry.
I really enjoyed the meal at Randall & Aubin. The restaurant has a relaxed and casual vibe, yet manages to maintain an air of casual elegance that speaks of ‘joie de vivre’. The menu offers a broad appeal. The dishes are simple in their design but tasty, and are cooked using seasonal ingredients and the freshest of seafood. Fresh and well-cooked seafood married with a lovely ambience – well that always makes for an enjoyable dining experience.
I rate this restaurant a 3.75/5.
Delicious. I've only ever ordered from this restaurant, but the food has always been delivered hot and delicious. I imagine it's even better at the restaurant itself.
Fresh seafood. Excellent pre-show meal, will go back
Excellent food. Good value for price. Staff super friendly.
Dance Seafood. Trendy Seafood bar and restaurant in the heart of Soho, with a great vibe (and loud music). Not the sort of romantic eatery for a dinner date, but a great way to start a night about town with style, champagne & seafood.
There are few better places in London to procure a sweet, briny, creamy, slimy knob of the sea, than Randall and Aubin. It’s not easy to keep your head bobbing above the water line in this fickle business of food and restaurants, especially in a city as prone to fashions and fads as London. To have done so for eighteen years, whilst maintaining an exceptionally high quality product is an achievement indeed.
If you’re looking for seafood in London, then a restaurant worth heading to is Randall & Aubin. This place has been running since 1911 (as their menu says so) and is very well known in the Soho area. After dark, the dining room sparkles with the reflected light of a disco ball and hums to the sound of lively music. Though if that isn’t for you, lunchtimes, particularly Sunday, are a tranquil affair. This is the flagship restaurant of television chef Ed Baines. On offer is a selection of well-priced, “fruits de mer” seafood platters, covered with great range of shellfish, including lobster and crab. Though while the oysters aren’t cheap, there is a decent variety to choose from. But where Randall & Aubin really stands-out for us is with its exceptionally good value, really well “cooked” dishes. The a la carte menu is a real pleaser. We recommend the grilled line-caught tuna with roast Mediterranean vegetables, feta cheese, olive oil and oregano tapenade. The tuna is wonderful quality an
We ended up at Randall and Aubin – a place that I’ve been to a few times, but not particularly recently. It’s in an old butcher’s shop and has what looks like many of the original fixtures and fittings – you sit at little marble ‘nooks’ along the wall, or at high bar tables. Menus are framed on the wall, together with daily specials. Lively and buzzing on a Friday night we were lucky to find a spot to sit and watch the world go by...
The other day I was in Soho and a tourist asked me what was the best place to have fish and chips around there, and struck me out that I didnât have any clue, simply unacceptable. So I did my research and a good friend and colleague recommended Randall & Aubin . The Place Originally a butcher shop, opened in 1911 being one of the famous butchers at that time. But in 1996 James Poulton and Edward Baines saw a huge potential to transform the place into a restaurant keeping some of the original atmosphere, the result one of the best places to eat seafood in the British capital. Inside Memories of a Butcher Went with an old friend who was visiting, as starter we got the Calamari frites with pimento salsa, one of the best I have had, delicate and succulent. Then for main it was a no brainer for me bring me the traditional fish and chips with the mushy peas, again the flavour there, exquisite. As a side we also got zucchini frites which were quite good. Calamari Fish and Chips Zucchini
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Sometimes you find a place and for some reason you love it more than you should. The menu may be limiting, the food may not fantastic, but the atmosphere and vibe make up for a whole lot more, and to me this counts for nearly everything. It's been a while since we were last in Randall & Aubin, a long while. We have good memories of the place, seen some wild shit happening inside its doors, some really wild shit. It is one of the few places where I don't actually mind queuing up. In fact I get rather disappointed when I don't have to wait outside on the street for our turn to sit down and eat. Queuing does have its benefits, you do end up ordering a bottle of wine and drinking it while you wait. Life in Soho gets more fun after a bottle of wine or two. Nothing seems to have changed really inside Randall & Aubin. The chefs all look the same, the waiters have changed, but they do seem to still look the same. The women are still tanned and gorgeous, and the men camp as hell. Hey it's Soho,
The natives are my favorite. Followed closely by the "oyster of the day," that we never quite get a clear answer on. The chips are good. The oysters are lovely. The service is slow but congenial and slightly charming. The atmosphere is Soho on a Saturday
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The Vibe
The face of Soho is ever-changing; new restaurants and bars are popping up daily, the buzz is palpable and the choice endless. It is comforting to know then that some things never change. Randall and Aubin, run and co-owned by chef Ed Baines, is a Soho institution – they do what they do exceptionally well and its longevity is a testament to this. Randall and Aubin started life in 1908 as a family butchers so when Baines bought it in 1996 for his new restaurant he decided to keep many of the original features and butcher’s shop fittings. Original white tiling adorns the walls, a traditional awning with the restaurant’s name emblazoned on it shades customers from the glare of the sun and long marble bars have been installed for drinking and dining. This is a classy joint with a bit of a twist (they have a disco ball and their own entertainment on Friday evenings) so just the place to bring that someone special in your life – especially if they are not into the latest fad restaurant or they’re a total cynic who thinks they’ve already experienced everything Soho has to offer.
The Order
Seafood and Rotisserie is what this restaurant is all about so check out your date’s allergy profile well in advance just in case you need to arrange a change of venue. Go for the Plat de Fruits de Mer to share (rock oysters, Atlantic shrimps, whole crab, diver picked scallops, cockles, whelks, Cherrystone clams, Mediterranean prawns and Green Lipped mussels) and a bottle of Champagne. If this seems a bit too adventurous, there are plenty of other options to choose from: char grilled prime beef Rib-eye from the grill, 6, 12 or 24 oysters of your choice or lobster in garlic butter. The produce is sensational and the cooking dextrous.
The Game
Meet at Soho Square at 5.30pm and meander the short distance to Old Compton Street. Reserve a table at Bar Termini for cocktail hour (6.00pm) and confidently sweep inside out of the cold, unveiling your dress or suit for the first time this evening as you de-bundle your layers and your coat is taken. Keeping it coy, settle in and try the Marsala Martini (gin, almond bitters, vermouth and sweet Marsala) to whet your appetite. Tell her how beautiful she looks and don’t forget to smile lots. Sip at your drink – don’t rush through this portion of the evening and this will help to put your date at their ease. Once you’ve thawed out and your appetites are sufficiently tickled, maybe put a hand on your date’s arm to see if they are ready for something to eat. Get your coats and head back out into the early evening for the stroll over to Randall and Aubin. Take his hand and look at him, taking him in in all his gorgeousness. Find a spot to sit at the window, if you can, to get the view out onto the frenetic streets of Soho – perfect for people watching and conversation lubrication of the highest order. Order Champagne or have an R&A Martini (Belvedere Pure & Lillet Blanc) and order a classic dinner as above. Ask your date what they love about London. Tell them about your favourite shops and spots and what you’d do as Mayor for a day. Leave room for a homely dessert to finish up: Chocolate Sachertorte with crème fraiche is delicious as is the Mirabelle Plum & Almond tart with plum ripple ice cream. Pay the bill then keep the Martinis coming over at the Experimental Cocktail Club on Gerrard Street in Chinatown. By now, hopefully, the flirting is coming thick and fast…
The Faults
No reservations. Grr.
Sex Factor
4. Oysters and Champagne in old London town – dating doesn’t get any classier or sexier than this.
I went to the restaurant with my bf for my birthday dinner under one of my friend's suggestions. Couldn't be more happy and pleased with the whole experience.
We booked our table through the booking online. Our reservation was at 7.30 pm on a Tuesday.When we arrived we didn't have to wait.
Our waiter, Frank, was amazing, welcoming, knowledgeable and efficient.
We ordered 2 starters (Hand picked Devon crab, rock shrimp tempura) and 2 mains(spaghetti alle vongole and a main of the day), for which we asked for advice, and were really happy with.
We got 2 glasses of white wine to accompany everything and that was good too.
The service was fast and spot on and the food was very fresh, tasty and amazing!!!
Couldn't recommend enough this place.
To be honest for being a seafood place I wouldn't say was very expansive.
For the overall experience the price was just right!!
Highly recommended and I will definitely be back!
Simply amazing seafood. Everything was super fresh, delicately prepared and presented with passion. Whatever your thing when eating from the sea, you just have to start with a dozen oysters! The mixed rock platter shows how the different tastes and textures come to life. The flavours of the starters just melted, then it was time for the main event - whole crab. Sublime. All the staff were incredibly helpful, courteous and friendly. Can’t recommend highly enough.
It’s always a pleasure to return to Randall & Aubin!It is one of the best restaurants in London in my opinion. The food is absolutely delicious, wholeheartedly recommend the seafood. Great fresh oysters with a current selection of Gallagher and Cooley Gold rocks. The music is superb, the interior is very chic and charming, gorgeous to visit in any season; however, gets very very beautiful around Christmas time. The staff are always friendly and with a big, natural smile on. I love everything about this place, honestly, you have to try it.
We have been coming to this restaurant for years. We loved the calamari and lobsters here, the calamari used to come in a big plate with the salsa sauce covering the bottom of the bowl while the calamari is still crispy, it was ecstasy, this has changed a bit now, the salsa sauce now in a very tiny bowl and not enough to make calamari feel less greasy. The lobster is still good. Our waiter was very nice, but the manager seemed a bit picky with who he has a conversation or smile with, even if we instigated a chat. Too bad the old staff that knew us aren’t there anymore, felt like we didn’t get the special Randall and Aubin treatment we used to. Would have been 5 stars a couple of years ago.
We were celebrating my husbands 65th birthday, and we were made to feel like royalty! It was super to get a window seat to people watch while enjoying our lunch. David had the steak, and I ate cod on artichokes. Oh, and the truffle fries are to die for. Finished with the cherry tart. The whole meal was perfectly delicious. Honestly, we didn't want to leave! A wonderful restaurant for a celebration - we highly recommend it!
First visit to Randall and Aubin and it will not be my last.
The food was amazing, my starter of Rock shrimp tempura with smoked tofu was outstanding, the tempura was so light with a slight crispness to it.
The shrimps were cooked to perfection and I’m not a fan of tofu but the smokiness has made me want to try it again.
This was also the first time that I have tried crab and it was wonderful, the experience of getting the meat out of the shell was fun and was certainly a show for the people walking past. The taste was surprising, I expected it to taste of the sea with some grit but it was lovely and clean.
The sticky toffee pudding was the largest slice I’ve had in a restaurant and was worth the extra workouts to burn it off.
Came here for a birthday celebration. The staff were exceptionally friendly and the service was good. Really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant contributed to a very enjoyable time.
Oysters to begin, superbly fresh and delicious. Shared calamari, cod cheeks and scallops to start, skate and monkfish to follow. Truly exquisite fish cookery, seasoning on point. My wife and I can’t wait to return
Had an amazing time today at the restaurant. Service was amazing, thank you to Robin and Anthony who treated us as royalty on Coronation weekend for our 30th awarding anniversary. If you are looking for good food, attentive service, quirky setting this is defiantly the place to go if you love sea food.
Marcelo de Azevedo Silva
+5
I went there to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday, the restaurant is very good! We had the best table, the service and the food were exceptional! Thank you Fred, our waiter, you made our night great and we will be coming back in the future!
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