Seabird
A new entry to WLC this year, rooftop restaurant Seabird combines Stateside cool with Iberian flair. Boasting what it deems to be London’s longest oyster list, the restaurant can be found on the fourteenth floor of The Hoxton’s Southwark hotel.
Below is an extract from Douglas Blyde’s review, written before lockdown:
The glamorous Seabird was founded by Krystof Zizka and Joshua Boissy, the minds behind Brooklyn’s celebrated oyster bar and absinthe café, Maison Premiere. Reached via its own lift, the open-plan kitchen, bar counter, marble seafood display including oysters from the UK, France Holland and Portugal, a surprise foliage-adorned atrium and extensive terrace feels shiny and haven-like, even on a dull day.
Fourteen is Zizka’s lucky number. He draws from fourteen wine suppliers here on the fourteenth floor of the latest in the Hoxton hotel range, perks of which include free international calls for guests. He has been a wine buyer for fourteen years, with his first role in hospitality occurring at age fourteen, “later on to support my way through college while studying filmmaking.” He subsequently found himself working in the recording industry, “until finally owning my own place, Maison Premiere.”
Being based in New York, Zizka consulted Michael Sager (Sager + Wilde), Roman Pawar (Les Caves de Pyrène) and Rupert Taylor (Uncharted Wines) to help realise his vision “and answer my silly questions.” To harmonise with Seabird’s dishes, Zizka was “particularly excited to push towards Iberian producers.” Zizka describes one of the most satisfying listings. “We have a very special Canary Island Wine called Artifice (Borja Perez). Grown in volcanic soils, with citrus, honey, almond and oxidative characteristics, it’s definitely not a safe wine and takes you somewhere else. Perhaps because of the Brits love of sherry, many people love this food wine which goes with raw oysters, charcoal-grilled New Haven whole John Dory for two with mojo verde and lemon, and Iberico Pork Presa with celeriac, apple and king oyster mushrooms.”
