Best Seafood Boils in London
Published 12 Jul 2026 · Last Updated 30 Jul 2026
What a Seafood Boil Actually Is
A seafood boil is a big, hands-on meal for sharing. The kitchen cooks crab, shrimp and lobster together in a spicy broth, then tips it all onto your table, usually straight out of the bag. You eat with your hands, it gets messy, and that's the whole point.
Where the Style Comes From
The style started in the southern United States, where it's known as a Cajun boil. Restaurants there mix Old Bay seasoning, garlic and cayenne pepper into the cooking water. London has picked up the trend fast, especially in East and South London, where a few restaurants now build their whole menu around it.
What to Expect on the Bill
One thing worth knowing: real all-you-can-eat seafood buffets are rare in London. Most seafood-boil spots don't offer unlimited food. Instead, you order a bag of seafood by weight, pick your spice level, and share it with the table. Expect to pay somewhere between £25 and £40 a head, depending on how much you order. If you've never eaten one, our first-timer's shellfish guide covers what to actually expect at the table.
Real Cajun-style seafood boils
1. Whitechapel / Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets
Soulful SeafoodA strong place to start, rated 4.8 stars from over 200 reviews. The menu is built around seafood boils, with crab legs and prawns as the main event.
2. Camden / Marylebone
Shrimp Shack CamdenOver 2,600 reviews and a 4.7-star rating. As the name suggests, shrimp is the star here, served fresh in a boil alongside crab legs.
3. Streatham / Norbury, Lambeth
Shrimp Shack StreathamThe South London branch of Shrimp Shack, with over 3,600 reviews and the same solid 4.7-star rating. A good pick if you're south of the river and craving a boil.
4. Dulwich, Southwark
Hot n Juicy Shrimp LDN – DulwichRounds out the South London boil scene with a 4.7-star rating from over 2,700 reviews. Shrimp and crab legs, boiled together with your choice of sauce and spice level.
Prefer something a bit more refined?
5. Canary Wharf / Isle of Dogs, Tower Hamlets
OysteriaIf you'd rather sit down to a proper seafood platter than dig through a bag, Oysteria is rated 4.7 stars from nearly 1,900 reviews, and specialises in oysters, scallops and seafood platters.
6. Kingston upon Thames
Ocean Basket KingstonOne of the highest-rated spots on this list at 4.8 stars from over 3,700 reviews, with fresh seafood, calamari, grilled fish and prawns on the menu.
Want more options beyond these six? We've listed every seafood restaurant in London with ratings, hours and booking links in one place. Prefer something more sit-down? See our casual vs. fine dining seafood guide for the other end of the scale.
Browse the full Seafood restaurant category in London →