Chubby Fish

Chubby Fish is a seafood restaurant in Charleston, SC. The kitchen is led by chef and owner James London, a Charleston native who opened the restaurant in 2018 after cooking professionally since the age of 14, training at the College of Charleston and The French Culinary Institute in New York City, and working as executive chef at Niko in SoHo before continuing his career in San Francisco. The restaurant focuses on fresh Lowcountry seafood prepared with innovative, globally influenced techniques, sourcing ingredients from local fishermen, farmers, and producers and spotlighting catches from the Atlantic Ocean and local SC rivers. A rating of 4.70 from 897 reviews reflects the dining public's response to the menu.

Chubby Fish partners directly with local fishermen and farmers to bring in seasonal Lowcountry ingredients, and the menu changes daily to reflect what is freshest. Small plates have included Cauliflower Cacio e Pepe with poblano crema, grilled oysters dressed with crab fat curry and cashews, chili garlic shrimp, curry with fairytale eggplant and smoked fish, and fish tempura with seasonal vegetables and soy beurre blanc, while the raw bar lists a caviar sammich on a t'ater roll, golden tilefish ceviche, bluefin tuna crudo, and Wagyu beef tartare alongside oysters from SC, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Maine. The "Large Plates" section is anchored by a market fish prepared according to the chef's seasonal vision, a whole fish, and a not fried chicken, with a "Life Raft Treats" section closing out the offerings. Since opening, Chubby Fish and London have earned national recognition from the James Beard Foundation, The New York Times, Bon Appétit, North America's 50 Best Restaurants, Eater, Food & Wine, and Robb Report, along with multiple James Beard Award nominations including Best Chef: Southeast and Outstanding Restaurant.

Chubby Fish's standing in Charleston's dining scene is grounded in James London's Lowcountry-rooted, globally shaped cooking and the national recognition that has followed since the restaurant opened in 2018.