Dining Out: Rick Stein x Fortnum & Mason at The Royal Exchange

In the heart of the City, beneath the hushed grandeur of The Royal Exchange’s vaulted ceilings, something quietly exquisite is taking place. Over the clink of Champagne flutes and the soft hum of conversation, Fortnum & Mason has joined forces with a culinary institution for a summer of indulgence—and one that will appeal as much to lovers of fine tailoring as it will to gourmands.

To mark 50 years of The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, the venerable Rick Stein—Britain’s unofficial patron saint of the sea—has teamed up with Fortnum’s to offer a menu steeped in memory, flavour, and finesse. With son and Chef Director Jack Stein by his side and wines selected by Charlie Stein, this limited-edition dining experience at Fortnum’s at The Royal Exchange runs for just two months and encapsulates five decades of coastal cooking mastery.

If ever there was a collaboration worthy of The Rakish Gent’s attention, this is it.

The five-course menu reads not like a list, but like a story—each dish a chapter drawn from the pages of Rick Stein’s culinary evolution. It’s a timeline, in flavours, from the early 1970s to today. Start with the Fish Soup (1975–1985), a robust Bouillabaisse-inspired classic served with rouille and croutons. It’s a dish that speaks of early ambition and deep respect for French technique—elegant, warming, and exactly what one hopes for from a chef who’s spent a lifetime chasing flavour through Cornish coves and Mediterranean ports.

Next comes the Small Shellfish Plate (1985–1995), a reminder of just how satisfying simplicity can be when executed with care. For the late 1990s, the menu looks to a showstopper: Grilled Lobster with Fines Herbes (1995–2005), taken from Stein’s cookbook Seafood, and a dish that captures the optimism and opulence of that pre-millennium moment.

The 2000s are marked by Turbot Hollandaise (2005–2015)—golden, glistening and roasted to perfection. Known affectionately as the "King of the Sea," turbot has long been Stein’s favourite, and this preparation—delicate yet rich—reaffirms its throne. And to close? A Chocolate Fondant (2015–2025), timeless and indulgent, the very image of modern comfort food, delivered with restraint and grace.

Each plate is available à la carte or as part of a curated three-course menu for £60—a proposition that, in central London terms, feels positively generous, especially given the pedigree on offer.

The Royal Exchange may once have been a centre of financial trade, but in recent years, it’s become something else entirely—a bastion of refined taste, both literally and sartorially. Fortnum & Mason’s presence here, since 2018, has elevated the space further still. With its eau de nil accents, marble bar and platinum-tier seafood offerings, the restaurant is less City brasserie and more Mayfair glamour, dropped delicately into EC3. It’s the kind of place where a gentleman might enjoy a long lunch in a double-breasted jacket and not feel out of place. Where caviar is wheeled out on silver trolleys and blinis arrive warm and whisper-thin. The service is considered, not performative; the kind of discreet polish that speaks to Fortnum’s long-standing role as a purveyor of British elegance.

This new collaboration with Rick and Jack Stein adds a layer of narrative to that experience—one that brings the salt air of Cornwall into the hallowed City space. It is, in a sense, a conversation between coasts: Padstow and London, legacy and modernity, seaside nostalgia and urban sophistication. The addition of Charlie Stein’s wine pairings only enhances the story. Expect crisp whites and gently aged selections that echo the sea’s saline edge and the buttery notes of hollandaise. It’s not flamboyant. It’s considered. The kind of curation that says more with less.

In a time when pop-ups often feel more marketing than meaning, this collaboration is the rare exception: thoughtful, flavourful, and rooted in craft. It’s a salute to a half-century of British seafood done right, served in one of London’s most architecturally and atmospherically impressive settings.

Rick and Jack Stein have brought the best of the coast to the capital. Fortnum’s has once again shown that heritage need not mean stuffy. And for The Rakish Gent, it is exactly the kind of culinary experience that deserves attention—not just for what it offers on the plate, but for what it says about timeless style.

Rick Stein x Fortnum & Mason at The Royal Exchange
Available June–August 2025
Three-course set menu: £60
A la carte dishes also available alongside Fortnum’s full menu.
Reservations highly recommended.