Parsons
Covent Garden, London
Designed with table seating to one side, high-top stools to the other, window seats (for walk-ins) and an alfresco pavement terrace, Will Palmer and Ian Campbell's seafood spot (opposite their 10 Cases Bistrot à Vin) maximises a bijou dining space beautifully. The single-sheet menu lists a satisfying array of small plates and snacks, plus a handful of more substantial dishes, sides and desserts. What the dayboats bring in largely dictates what’s on offer. Two deliveries a day from the coast translates into some superb specialities – perhaps a whole turbot to share, served with mussel beurre blanc and Avruga caviar, or a great hunk of impeccably cooked skrei cod atop Jerusalem artichokes and a lemon beurre blanc – a hit at inspection. Other highlights included potted shrimp croquettes, smoked haddock chowder, and a superb Loch Fyne scallop croque monsieur where the sweet succulence of the bivalve worked beautifully with the rich, buttery, cheesy toast. Welsh rarebit makes an appearance on the dessert menu, alongside a spectacular tart-sweet blood orange sorbet and chocolate mousse with hazelnut crumb. Whites dominate the wine list, which has something to suit every pocket; it's an eclectic selection that encourages veering off the beaten path – although a few more options by the glass would be welcome.
