When I visited: June 2015 and May 2016

Location: London, on the South Bank

Team: Gus Crosby (Head Chef), Carlos Pinto (Head Sommelier)

Rating in the Michelin Guide: Not rated

Dining Owl Hoot rating: 3/5

What to wear: Men – shirt and jacket and nice trousers and shoes; women – a smart dress and/or smart trousers and a top / workwear; could go more casual

Ambience: Like a ship; mirrors in toilets; clean, sparkling; views of the Southbank on outdoor tables / tables near the window

Course of the meal: Tuna ceviche

If I could change one thing: Price

Review:

I went to Sea Containers with friends for dinner after work and we started off in the linked Dandelyn bar, which boasts very vegetable-/mineral-based cocktails. I witnessed a yellow and green fizz (yuzu vinegar and champagne) and tasted a Southbank (refreshing and gin-based), but avoided the Evil Manhattan (whiskey-based). The cocktail menu is so big that you could spend a whole evening sampling those alone if you were that way inclined.

The dinner itself was very pleasant, in a bustling, open atmosphere. There are some sharing dishes on the menu which are slightly confusing as they are for “between 1-3 people” – from what I saw, they are probably for 3 people or a very, very hungry single person.

For starters, we went for burrata, tuna ceviche, and in one case crab on toast – all light and delicious. The mains we tried were fallo (wheat with vegetables), pork (one of those sharing dishes, served rare with new potatoes and very roasted, glazed carrots), and a beetroot salad, which was delicious. The desserts are quite unusual and include options such as olive oil cake or cookies, which my friend ate as we sipped our green teas and espressos.

Overall the atmosphere probably beats the food but there is clearly effort being made to provide interesting drinks and desserts. This place is worth a visit and is especially good for groups.