The Oystermen Seafood Bar & Kitchen, Covent Garden

Mixed media, pen and ink, watercolour and gouache on watercolour paper.

February 2020

I made this sketch after a magical meal with an old friend who knew Matt Lovell, one of the two owners of this delightful restaurant in the heart of theatreland. It was one of my last visits to London before the COVID-19 pandemic put us all into lockdown, and changed the experience of eating out for months.

Matt was very friendly and charismatic, and made some great suggestions for judicious seafood and wine pairings. We started with oysters, deliciously sweet and briny, marked with the little kraft card markers to tell them apart and which I incorporated into the sketch.

When we finally had to relinquish our table to give other diners the chance to get a seat in this tiny and wonderful restaurant, I moved outside to sketch the storefront as a reminder of this enchanting experience.

The Oystermen Seafood Bar & Kitchen, 32 Henrietta St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8NA. https://oystermen.co.uk/