Review: The World's End Market, Chelsea

Style Points: 5/5
Cost: ££
Overall: 4/5

World's End Market was previously a nineteenth century ale distillery and then a twenty-first century traditional pub, before being refurbished into the exciting new restaurant it is today. The restaurant opened in December 2014 after the success of their sister restaurant The Crystal Palace Market with head chef Bubker Belkhit.

Located on Kings Road which is historically known for it's regal, literary, musical and fashionable residencies, it is now one of the most gentrified and sought after areas in London. We thoroughly enjoyed peeping into all of the quirky shop windows on our walk to the restaurant.

The restaurant decor itself is ever so slightly less glamorous with it's dark wooden decor, however I believe this is in line with their philosophy and wholesome rustic approach. The room has leather seating and wooden chairs with quirky lighting in addition to a well-stocked bar and impressive fresh fish display.

Would I Want Seconds?

All the food at World's End Market is fresh due to being locally sourced and grilled in a Josper oven for natural flavour, giving you healthy and honest food, how do we know? The manager told us so. He explained that in the winter months, you can expect bigger fish and also a better selection of fish towards the end of week. We felt absolutely spoiled for choice when we laid our eyes on the menu, it all sounded so enticing.

We started with drinks and I ordered a Passion Fruit Martini which came with a shot of prosecco (probably best enjoyed added to the cocktail but for me ended up as an extra drink I wasn't complaining about), my guest asked for a Cosmo which was stronger but less sweet and fruity compared to mine. Both drinks looked and tasted great and we could even see the barman preparing them at the bar.

I later sampled the Lychee Martini which was lovely as it came with two lychees but was rather sweet and I think I preferred the passion fruit.

To start, I ordered the Colchester rock oysters with salsa and added a few drops of tobasco and my guest had the carpaccio of salmon with a side of bread. The oysters were large and served in a huge standing dish full of ice and freshly cut lemon and the salmon was light and nicely dressed on soft bread.

For our mains, we had the whole seabass (today's special) and lobster with home made skinny fries (that were cooked to perfection) and the waitress even asked the chef to crack the lobster for me when I told her I was struggling with my utensils (as she advised that the tail is the best part).

The lobster was an exquisite picture and the taste didn't disappoint, I know some people find lobster to be quite bland but it had flavour due to it being grilled, it had been lightly seasoned and also came with an oil/sauce to add to taste.

My guest's verdict on the seabass was and I quote "The best seabass [she has] ever had", I tasted some too and it was soft and tender and full of grilled flavour. Please note, the seabass is cooked whole, if you are impatient you would have to be very cautious of bones but you're a seasoned foodie, so you already knew that.

For dessert, although we were so full we always find space for sweet stuffs. Being dairy free I opted for the fail safe mango sorbet, it's the right amount of fruity - sweet with a sharp kick and very soft so it melts in the mouth. My guest had the caramel cheesecake which she said had a lovely buttery crumbly base which went perfectly with the caramel and hazelnut flavours.

Oysters with salsa

Oysters

Carpaccio of salmon

Lobster main course

Lobster dish

Seabass main course

Could I Afford Seconds?

The Colchester Rock Oysters came in at £2.50 each (4 = £10.00) and the Carpaccio of Scottish salmon with horseradish, shallots, lemon and truffle oil starter was £6.50.

The whole lobster was at the highest end of the costings at £26.00 and the whole seabass was £21.00. For dessert the hazelnut and caramel cheesecake cost £6.50 and ice cream/sorbet is usually £3.80 for 3 scoops (I only had 1 scoop).

So my 3 courses and 2 cocktails cost £55.30 but let's face it I did order some of the priciest dishes on the menu and the cocktails were £7.50 each.

My guest's 3 course meal and cocktail came to £41.50 which is decent for what we had but would be more of a treat rather than a regular restaurant visit.

Hazelnut and caramel cheesecake

Overall? 

After that absolute feast we walked back to the station at snails pace swapping our impressive food photos. Our dishes were incredible and we've heard the tuna and the steak are amazing so we'll be back! The bar also looks as if it would be a great spot to get an after work drink.

Website: www.theworldsendmarket.com
Address: 459 Kings Road. SW10 0LR
Closest Tube Station: Sloane Square