A cool, beachy retreat, Bucket is a place of airy cabanas and breezy green fronds that serves sustainable seafood in cutesy metal pails (that is, buckets). It’s summer chic at its most effortless and inviting.
The starters were the stars. An overflowing tub of buttery calamari was expertly cooked and served with an addictive roasted garlic aioli. The taramasalata was thick and smoky, and served with hearty sourdough bread that had been beautifully charred. A lobster, prawn and cheese toastie was inoffensive, but definitely didn’t warrant the £17.95 price tag. Nothing here could be classed as offensive, it was just that some dishes weren’t as impressive as others. But the service was, in a word, perfection. The team at Bucket genuinely want you to enjoy your meal. (So much so that when we gently mentioned that mussels dressed in lobster bisque and brandy could have done with more flavour, the item was struck from the bill and we were profusely thanked for our opinion.)
When the bill did arrive, it was presented with two complimentary glasses of frosty limoncello. At its best, this place is a delight. Its bucket runneth over.