When the sun is shining there’s no better place to dine than a restaurant on the beach. Though London is miles from sand and sea, you can make do with the next best thing at The Summerhouse, a pop-up seasonal venue perched on the edge of the canal in Maida Vale.

The Venue
The Summerhouse is part of First Restaurant Group, who also run The Waterway, a popular gastro pub just up the road which is known for its outside area. Like The Waterway, The Summerhouse is all about the summer – no surprise given its name, plus the fact that’s only open from April till October.

Perched right on the edge of the canal, The Summerhouse is a long, narrow room that hovers just above the water. There’s a small bar area near the entrance and its long shape means that waterside seats are at a maximum. The decor continues the summery, nautical theme with a pair of oars and a model ship on the walls and blue and white gingham cushions tied to the chairs with rope – everything is open, airy and casual, with a mix of pale blue, white and wood. If it’s not quite warm enough to go fully al fresco, plastic coverings and heaters prevent a chill.

The Atmosphere
With a decor that reflects the posh but relaxed look of an upmarket yacht club combined with the occasional goose, duck and narrowboat floating by just metres from your table, the frenzy of nearby Paddington and Edgware Road feels miles away. Staff are casual but attentive and the venue is packed with Maida Vale locals by 8pm. Best to check the weather in advance and book a table.

The Food
The Summerhouse’s menu is fish and seafood-heavy, with starters including ‘best-ever’ popcorn shrimp (£7) and a prawn and avocado cocktail with Bloody Mary sauce (£8). Whilst the popcorn shrimp’s description might be a little unnecessary there’s certainly nothing wrong with the two buckets of hot, plump shrimp deep fried to a golden crisp and accompanied by a more-ish sweet chilli sauce. The sauce on the latter, however, seems more mayonnaise than Bloody Mary but the prawns are fresh and the portion plentiful.

The Summerhouse fish pie (£13) comes with a 25 minute wait and the dish is well worth it with layers of salt cod and, interestingly, ratatouille, underneath glossy piped mash topped with breadcrumbs. The ratatouille lightens the dish and keeps it from being too overwhelmingly dense, whilst the breadcrumbs add crunch. It comes with a simply dressed salad, but if you’re in the market for more veg a side of green beans (£4) more than fits the bill. The swordfish steak ciabatta (£15) is massive, with two great big hunks of the fish encased in a crisply grilled ciabatta. The fish is cooked well, and the mango salsa it’s topped with is just sweet enough without being too sickly and provides a good complement to the drizzle of wasabi mayo on the bottom half of the sandwich. An accompanying bucket of chips are floury and steaming hot.

Desserts, however, are slightly disappointing after the casual-but-satisfying starters and mains. The lemon tart with raspberries (£6) has a good, slightly sharp flavour but the filling has congealed into an odd consistency. Iced summer berries with hot white chocolate sauce (£6) sounds good in theory but falls down a bit in execution. Whilst the hot white chocolate sauce has a rich, subtle taste – surprisingly much better than actual white chocolate – the mix of it with the frozen berries results in the smaller berries (mainly the blueberries) becoming mushy whilst the larger strawberries remain stone cold. The strawberries also still have their tops on, making them difficult to eat.

The Drink
There’s a decent list of cocktails, priced from £6 to £10, also features jugs of Pimms and sangria for about £20. In terms of the wine, the seafood-heavy menu means that the list leans towards the whites, with only one red available (a Pinot Noir from New Zealand at £8.75 a glass and £36 a bottle). Whites start from £4.50 and £18 for a French Vin de Pays du Comte Tolosan, Heritage du Baron Louis 2008, which is light, fresh and peachy, a perfect match to a lazy waterside dinner. An interesting selection of soft drinks and juices includes Old Jamaican ginger beer and A&W root beer and cream soda along with lemonade and peach iced tea available by the glass (£4) or jug (£12).

The Last Word
With its unbeatable location and relaxed, easy-going atmosphere, The Summerhouse is sure to take the capital by storm – weather, of course, permitting.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (7) image gallery (3)