The Wet Fish Cafe

West End Lane in West Hampstead doesn't scream fine dining, but that's precisely why The Wet Fish Cafe works. You'll walk in to find locals perched at the counter or tucked into simple wooden tables, the sort of place where the staff remember your name and the fish counter doubles as kitchen theatre. The menu changes with what's landed that morning—you might find sea bream, halibut, or whatever the boats brought in, cooked simply and without pretension. It's the kind of restaurant that makes you understand why people genuinely get emotional about seafood done right.