Bonnie Gull Seafood Cafe

I think I’ve done it. I think I have solved all your work stress problems.  A tall order, but trust me, how can you not feel better after absolutely smashing the hell out of a crab with a hammer at the dinner table? 

Me and Nessa were in need of a girlie catch up- she’d been gallivanting across Egypt and I’d uprooted (again) and moved across London.  

I’m trying to make a conscious effort to eat a little healthier. I’m never going to be able to live off a diet of salads and water, but maybe less burgers dripping in fatty mayo and more lighter meals. So I was looking for a place that was healthier but frankly not a dedicated ‘healthy’ restaurant as I just hold this presumption they’ll be a little… bland. Well we don’t exactly associate diet with fun filled days do we?

This is when I remembered hearing of Bonnie Gull Seafood Café which opened only a week or so ago. Think traditional seaside café, with white wooden panels, anchors and life rings a-plenty, it was the kind of fun, relaxed atmosphere we craved, plus seafood is known to be a good healthy choice, full of omega 3 and lots of vitamins. All aboard then!

Currently Bonnie Gull doesn’t have a alcohol licence, however they do a very reasonable corkage charge of £3 if your feeling BYOB, however in the name of my distant bikini body I stuck to soft drinks. FYI, Lemon, Lime and Bitters? So so good. 

For starters, I went for the slightly exotic combination of langoustines and pork belly with crackling. The pork belly must have been one of the most tender pieces I’ve had in a good while, my fork just cut tight through it like butter.

But forget taste for a moment, how beautiful is it?

Nessa started with the crab and avocado and beef dripping toast. Soft and flaky, the crab was almost melt in your mouth. On its own crab doesn’t have a strong flavour; however the beef dripping toast was a match made in heaven.

After a good natter we were ready for our stress relief- I mean mains.

But first, Nessa chose the seafood medley. I pot filled with cod, muscles, clams and also chorizo in a spicy tomato sauce.

Of course, the diet soon went out the window with these EPIC beef dripping chips. They had the texture of the best, true British seaside chippy chips, and yet so much better. I used to spend my childhood running up and down Llandudno beach, sand in my toes and then once dried off, we'd head to the nearest chippy for salty fish by the sea. London is terrible for proper chippys, so I just obviously had to have chips when the opportunity presented itself! 

However my was attention soon drawn to something else.

This epic plate.

Smash your own 1kg cock crab.

With an armoury of tools, including hammer, crusher claws, and various picking tools, there was only one thing for it. Raise that hammer high, and think of your worst enemy. 

Oh my lord! I have never broken down in fits of giggles in a restaurant before, but the shell is so hard, the soft of the metal hammer echo’s across the room. Shell went flying everywhere and I made a truly epic mess. I think the ladies on the next table were slightly appalled at my lack of grace!

After that combination of hammer wielding, giggling session I challenge anyone not to feel stressed anymore. So with the tube strikes looming again next week, maybe book in a table, I promise you it'll take your traffic stress away. 

Bonnie Gull Seafood Cafe

55-57 Exmouth Market

London

EC1R 4QL

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