London's Sexy Fish Opens in Miami
From a giant octopus in the men's room to a secret souvenir, here's what you need to know.
When Sexy Fish opened in London’s Mayfair neighborhood in October 2015, the restaurant was a fast favorite with celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence who clamored to the restaurant to eat sushi in an over-the-top undersea setting. Restaurateur Richard Caring, the man behind Sexy Fish, is also attached to Soho House and the private club, Annabel’s.
Plans to bring Sexy Fish to Miami in 2020 were delayed due to the pandemic, but the restaurant finally opened in the Brickell neighborhood in February 2022. The massive dining room is decorated in a fever dream of undersea tableaus that includes nearly a dozen Damian Hirst sculptures, a giant aquarium, and enough thingamabobs to give Ariel the Little Mermaid a case of serious envy.
The menu, helmed by chef Bjoern Weissgerber (Zuma Miami), offers the standard upscale sushi, Asian fusion, and caviar. Weissgerber does a yeoman job of making sure every item is precise. At a recent visit, the chef casually walked through the dining room, stopped at my table, declared a dish not plated to his exact standards, and quickly dispatched himself to the kitchen to bring out a new one.
No matter how good the food may be, however, the restaurant itself is the scene stealer.
There is nothing subtle about Miami and for that reason, Sexy Fish fits right in. The restaurant has quickly become Miami’s new “it” spot. After the obligatory two-cheek air kiss the Magic City is known for, you’re now asked, “have you been to Sexy Fish?”
The restaurant is notoriously difficult to get a dinner reservation for, but if you want to experience the restaurant, try lunch. Sexy Fish just started serving the midday meal, and if you’re lucky you can snag a table for the same day.
If you just want to have a cocktail, the bar has open seating, so don’t be intimidated by the large men dressed in black, standing by the velvet rope.
You will, however, have to be deemed worthy of that drink. The website states without any sense of irony, “You are welcome if you dress with personality, purpose, and originality but please note we favour a glamorous dress code.” That also means no hats, caps, flip flops, beachwear, sportswear, etc.
At your table, a small brass fish complete with oversized red lips serve as your chopstick holders. Turn the little guy over and there’s a message: Stolen from Sexy Fish Miami. Do with that what you will. I will not confirm or deny that this fish is staring at me as I type in my home office.
Whatever you do, you must make a trip to the bathrooms. The ladies’ room, painted in pinks reminiscent of the inside of a conch shell, comes with a lifelikewax figure of a mermaid. During my visit, the friendly bathroom attendant was on hand — not to hand out towels and mints — but to help frame the perfect photo for the ‘Gram.
In the men’s room, a giant sandstone octopus seems to undulate its way across the long communal sink. Oh, and that’s not really Daniel Craig, dressed as James Bond, peeing at a clamshell-festooned urinal — it’s another wax figure.
In short, Sexy Fish is kooky, it’s boisterous, it’s sensory overload, and it’s a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a quiet eatery in which to gaze into your lover’s eyes or to catch up with your bestie — this is not the place. If, however, you’re looking to drop a lot of money on sushi and get some fodder for social media, then dust off the Gucci heels and make a reservation.