About Us | Our Story | The Wet Fish Cafe

For the love of food , wine, ambiance and café culture...

When we first saw 242 West End Lane way back in 2002, those gorgeous 1930s wall tiles were hidden behind decades of paint and plaster. Turns out the space had been a classic 'wet fish shop' for most of the 1900s.

What a discovery -- we just had to bring those Art Deco tiles back to life!

And that was the spark for this exciting, crazy journey and the unapologetic reason for our kooky name.

Welcome to our little bubble.

"A great neighbourhood deserves a café it can rely on like a good friend..."

Andre the owner

We just love food... and restaurants, coffee, wine, music, art... and all things cafe culture. The beautiful thing about a 'cafe' is that it can encompass a wide variety of ideas...

We always start with what we love, then see what our customers love, and focus on the overlap.

Still independently owned and run the Wet Fish has become a very busy place, a privilege for which we pinch ourselves daily.

A Day in the Life at
the Wet Fish

"An inventive menu which always delivers combines with friendly service to make it a dream local"

Hardens

The Wet Fish is a labour of love, a space to indulge our passions and hopefully for guests to indulge their senses...

We've done all kinds of events from wine producer dinners, a guest chef dinner Peter Gordon, dinner-cab-theatre evenings, wedding receptions and even weddings...

“Excellent local cafe and brasserie”.
Hardens

In recent years our live music dinners and art exhibitions have taken on momentum and become mainstays. We're passionate about them and love that so many of you look out for what's coming next.

Interview with owner Andre about our community in West Hampstead and what inspires us >>

“Situated in a former fishmongers”, this West Hampstead “oasis” is – for its enthusiastic local following – “second to none”; the fish cooking is “delicious”, but the place is also “especially good for breakfast and brunch”.
Hardens

Lockdown turned into an opportunity to try new things and reinvent ourselves. The community needed provisions so we became a grocer, deli and fishmonger... with live music.

It was a valuable lesson - we learnt so much. As a result our menus are now based on Today's Catch, and we'll continue to sell our incredible fish for you to cook at home.

Now post-lockdowns, it still feels like we have to keep adapting and changing every day... Let's see eh.

"A West Hampstead standard bearer"

Hardens

Our approach remains: to hire, train and nurture the most talented chefs and floor staff we can find, and to listen to feedback from you, our valued customers.

We hope to create a London classic here in the heart of West Hampstead. The soul and character of the 30s wall tiles evoke a bygone era... We'd say West Hampstead is enjoying a heyday right now, and we love being a part of it.

A big thank you goes out to you, our customers, and to those Art Deco wall tiles that continue to inspire us every day.

When we celebrated our 10th birthday... an old church, 1000 candles, 4 courses, 2 live music interludes, 70 guests

"Almost worth inducing a hangover for!"
[re. brunch]

WestHampsteadLife.com

♫ Be first to hear

For the love of food , wine, ambiance and café culture...

@thewetfishcafe