Randall &Aubin

Randall & Aubin occupies a former French butcher's shop on Brewer Street, its white tiled walls, marble counters and ceiling meat hooks left largely intact since the premises opened in 1908 to serve Soho households, Winston Churchill reportedly among its customers. Two French chefs converted the space into a seafood brasserie in 1996, keeping the old fish and shellfish counter as a raw bar for oysters, langoustines and dressed crab. Bookings are not taken for the counter stools, where diners perch to eat, while a small dining area behind serves moules, bouillabaisse and grilled sole. A disco ball hung above the counter is the one concession to theatre in an otherwise unadorned room. It remains a single-site operation under the name given to it in 1996.