5 of the best for seafood
Gallini’s
If you’re after fresh fish, you won’t find a restaurant better located than Gallini’s, which occupies the same building as Swansea Fish, the area’s leading supplier of fresh fish and seafood. Fish comes straight from the quay to Swansea Fish, and straight from there to Gallini’s where chef Giuseppe cooks up a lively selection of fresh dishes with a strong Italian favour. Typical choices include mussels in a white wine, cream and fresh herb sauce; fillet of grey mullet with a marinara sauce; char-grilled whole sea bass drizzled with Giuseppe’s special dressing; and fresh local lobster with garlic butter. All dishes come with a choice of potatoes, but the top tip is to order the restaurant’s trademark herby potatoes, which are a favourite of many customers. Located on the first floor, this is a romantic setting with views over Swansea marina.
La Parrilla
A swanky restaurant in the J Shed in SA1, La Parrilla is just a stone’s throw from the water’s edge and has plenty of outside seating for sunny days. Its snappy, brasserie-style menu is built around a dazzling array of fresh meat, fish and seafood all displayed in a glass cabinet near the open kitchen. This means you can choose the exact fish you want to eat. To their credit, they treat the fish very simply here, never drowning it in sauces or coaxing it into elaborate arrangements on the plate. Your choice might typically come on a sizzling platter with butter and lemon and a side order of chips or potatoes, and maybe a lively mixed salad. There’s an excellent selection of wines and service is friendly and speedy.
The Mermaid
Nick Bevan’s ever-popular Mumbles eatery is stylish and superb value for money. You can relax over snacks and light meals in the lounge or dine in the main restaurant, where the sumptuous modern décor provides a sense of occasion. Either way, fresh fish is always an option. The Mermaid has its own personal fisherman, Ian Wisby, who provides most of the fresh fish and seafood on the menu. Typical examples include a starter of cockle, laverbread and bacon tartlet with salsa verde and skate (perhaps served with black bean sauce). The restaurant is located on Oystermouth Road so you can walk off your meal with a stroll around the edge of Swansea Bay.
La Braseria
A true bodega-style experience, La Braseria is decked out with low beams and hanging Rioja bottles. Always lively and bustling, it’s a popular place to begin an evening but also does a roaring trade in the day thanks to its excellent value lunch deals. The older sibling of La Parrilla, its kitchen and menu work along similar lines: take your pick of fresh ingredients from the superb raw materials on display in the chiller cabinet, then see it being cooked in the open kitchen. As with La Parrilla, the cooking style is very simple, but with ingredients this good it’s often the best approach. Typical choices include moules marinière and a variety of fish cooked simply on a sizzling platter and served with your choice of potatoes. The help-yourself salad is also worth trying.
Hanson @ The Chelsea Restaurant
Andrew Hanson made a name for himself at his previous restaurant, Hanson's, and his customers happily followed him when he relocated to the Chelsea restaurant just off Wind Street. His previous restaurant was direcetly opposite the quay where SWansea fishermen moor their boats, so he established excellent links with local fishermen and a fine reputation for his fresh fish and seafood dishes. This reputation continues at Hanson's, where there's always a blackboard menu of fresh fish and seafood offerings. He does excellent fish and chips, as well as more elaborate offerings such as fresh local lobster and crayfish risotto or pan-friend monkfish with Oriental-style vegetables and noodles.
