The Seafood Bar
The Seafood Bar is a family-owned seafood restaurant chain operating across Amsterdam, Utrecht, London, and soon Curaçao, with 200+ employees serving fresh sustainable seafood across six restaurant locations and adjacent cocktail and nightlife concepts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Seafood Bar does
The Seafood Bar is a privately held, family-owned seafood restaurant chain founded in 2012 by Fons de Visscher — whose surname translates to "fisherman" and who operated a fish shop in Helmond from 1984 prior to launching the restaurant concept. The company operates approximately six physical dine-in locations: four in Amsterdam (Van Baerlestraat, Spui, F. Bolstraat/Oud-Zuid, and Damrak), one in Utrecht (Stationsplein), and one in London Soho (Dean Street), with an additional location in Willemstad, Curaçao opening in 2025. Customers are primarily general dining consumers — local residents, tourists, and groups — who book online or walk in for lunch and dinner, with private dining offered as a supplementary service. The company is explicitly self-funded ("true family business without investors") and the founder's son (Pepijn de Visscher, co-owner) and daughter have joined operations.
The core product is fresh, sustainably sourced seafood cuisine served in premium venues, including 17th-century canal houses and the iconic Beurs van Berlage. Beyond the core restaurant brand, the group operates two adjacent wholly-owned concepts: Zum Barbarossa, an exclusive speakeasy cocktail bar, and House of Noa, a Japanese restaurant-bar-nightlife venue (temaki handrolls, cocktails, live entertainment until 03:00 on weekends) launching at the Beurs van Berlage. The group also sells gift cards and private dining packages. Marketing is conducted through organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), email newsletters, and earned media, with notable press coverage from Financial Times, The Guardian (Jay Rayner review), and Lonely Planet.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer, physical-restaurant model with revenue generated transactionally through menu pricing (specifics not publicly disclosed), supplemented by the cocktail bar and upcoming nightlife venue. The company employs 200+ people across restaurant operations and corporate functions (Marketing, Finance, Customer Service, IT, HR), with management roles (Sous Chef €3,000–3,300/month; Head Chef House of Noa €4,000–5,500/month) indicating a professional mid-to-upper hospitality operation. Pricing for labor includes tips (€500–€750/month fulltime), travel allowance, 8% holiday allowance, 26 vacation days, pension, and 20% staff discount. Strategic direction emphasizes organic unit growth and concept diversification, with the stated goal of doubling the company's size over three years.
The Seafood Bar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Seafood Bar
- Legal name
- The Seafood Bar
- Website
- https://theseafoodbar.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Seafood Bar is a family-owned seafood restaurant chain operating across Amsterdam, Utrecht, London, and soon Curaçao, with 200+ employees serving fresh sustainable seafood across six restaurant locations and adjacent cocktail and nightlife concepts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Seafood Bar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Seafood Restaurants
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)
Keywords
Where The Seafood Bar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
The Seafood Bar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining: Revenue generated from serving seafood dishes, beverages, and cocktails to dine-in customers at physical restaurant locations. The company also operates Zum Barbarossa speakeasy bar and House of Noa nightlife venue which generate additional food and beverage revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Waiter/Waitress - €17.28 per hour |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Chef de Partie (Zelfstandig werkend kok) - €2,400-2,600 per month |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Assistant General Manager - €2,800-3,300 per month |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Head Chef House of Noa - €4,000-5,500 per month |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Chef de Partie House of Noa - €2,600-2,800 per month |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Sous Chef House of Noa - €3,000-3,300 per month |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Seafood Bar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Seafood Bar is a family-owned seafood restaurant chain that serves sustainably sourced fresh seafood dishes, appetizers, and beverages across multiple dine-in locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht, London, and Curaçao. The group also operates Zum Barbarossa, an exclusive speakeasy cocktail bar, and House of Noa, a Japanese restaurant-bar-nightlife venue in Amsterdam, plus private dining services and gift cards as supplementary offerings. Revenue is earned through in-person dining transactions, beverage sales, private events, gift card sales, and nightlife experiences.
Product overview
The Seafood Bar is a family-owned seafood restaurant chain operated by the De Visscher family. The core offering is The Seafood Bar restaurants, featuring award-winning seafood cuisine with sustainable sourcing practices. The portfolio includes multiple concepts: The Seafood Bar (core seafood restaurant with locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and London), House of Noa (Japanese restaurant-bar-nightlife venue), and Zum Barbarossa (Speakeasy cocktail bar). The group also offers private dining services and gift cards as supplementary offerings. Founded in 2012, the company has grown to over 200 employees across 6+ locations with plans to double in size over the next three years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- House of Noa: A new nightlife experience at the Beurs van Berlage, combining Japanese cuisine (temaki handrolls), cocktails, live music, and dancing in a historic venue with 23 monumental arches.
- Zum Barbarossa
- The Seafood Bar Group
Products and services
- The Seafood Bar restaurants Award-winning seafood restaurant chain serving a wide variety of sustainably sourced fresh seafood dishes, appetizers, and beverages for lunch and dinner dine-in service across locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Soho London, and (opening) Curaçao.
- House of Noa Japanese restaurant-bar-nightlife concept beneath the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, serving refined Japanese temaki handrolls, cocktails, live performances, and dancing in a historic venue with 23 monumental arches.
- Zum Barbarossa Exclusive Speakeasy cocktail bar serving flavorful cocktails and bites with DJ performances on weekends, part of The Seafood Bar Group's hospitality portfolio.
- Private Dining Private dining services for groups hosting exclusive seafood lunch or dinner experiences in the group's historic and architecturally distinctive buildings.
- Gift Cards Gift cards sold through the company website allowing recipients to redeem meals at any The Seafood Bar location.
Companies that use The Seafood Bar
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Seafood Bar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Seafood Bar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ken Sushi (Chef Ken)coreChef Ken from Ken Sushi, a well-known name in Amsterdam's sushi scene, provides training for House of Noa's sushi kitchen team. This partnership ensures high-quality sushi preparation training for the new Japanese cuisine concept.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Seafood Bar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nobu: Global upscale Japanese restaurant brand with significant seafood focus and a hospitality empire spanning restaurants, hotels, and residences. Comparable on premium positioning and international brand reach, but operates at materially larger scale.
- Big Mamma Group: Pan-European upscale restaurant group operating 30+ venues across France, UK, Spain, Italy, and Germany with multiple concepts. Comparable on the multi-brand, multi-country European upscale rollup playbook The Seafood Bar is beginning to execute.
- The Wolseley: London landmark upscale all-day brasserie (Corbin & King) in a grand historic building. Comparable on the 'premium dining in iconic European building' positioning that anchors The Seafood Bar's Amsterdam and Soho locations.
Direct peers
- Wright Brothers: UK-based seafood restaurant and oyster bar group with multiple London and South East locations. Closest direct comparison on multi-location seafood specialization in the UK market where The Seafood Bar is expanding.
- Burger & Lobster: Seafood-focused (lobster-led) UK restaurant group with international presence. Comparable as a multi-location, single-protein-positioned casual-upscale chain with similar footprint ambition.
- Sexy Fish: London upscale Asian-inspired seafood restaurant with strong design and nightlife positioning. Comparable on the multi-concept seafood-plus-bar model that The Seafood Bar is now pursuing with House of Noa.
- J Sheekey: Long-established London West End seafood institution, also under Caprice Holdings. Directly comparable as a heritage seafood restaurant with strong press reputation and central London footprint.
- Loch Fyne: UK seafood-focused restaurant chain with sustainability positioning. Comparable on the seafood specialization and chain economics in a similar European market context.
- Scott's: Iconic Mayfair-based upscale seafood restaurant operated by Caprice Holdings. Most directly comparable on premium seafood positioning, London prime real estate, and similar celebrity/press-driven customer base.
Regional players
- The Harbour Club: Amsterdam-headquartered upscale waterfront restaurant and event venue group. Comparable on premium Dutch hospitality positioning, waterfront/stunning-venue format, and group dining/private events business mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Seafood Bar social profiles
Digital presenceThe Seafood Bar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Seafood Bar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Seafood Bar subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The Seafood Bar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Seafood Bar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Seafood Bar
What does The Seafood Bar do?
The Seafood Bar is a family-owned seafood restaurant chain that serves sustainably sourced fresh seafood dishes, appetizers, and beverages across multiple dine-in locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht, London, and Curaçao. The group also operates Zum Barbarossa, an exclusive speakeasy cocktail bar, and House of Noa, a Japanese restaurant-bar-nightlife venue in Amsterdam, plus private dining services and gift cards as supplementary offerings. Revenue is earned through in-person dining transactions, beverage sales, private events, gift card sales, and nightlife experiences.
Is The Seafood Bar a public or private company?
The Seafood Bar is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Seafood Bar founded?
The Seafood Bar was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Seafood Bar based?
The Seafood Bar is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does The Seafood Bar make money?
One revenue line is on record: restaurant Dining.
Who are The Seafood Bar's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nobu, Big Mamma Group and The Wolseley. Direct peers are Wright Brothers, Burger & Lobster, Sexy Fish, J Sheekey, Loch Fyne and Scott's. The Harbour Club is listed as a regional player.
Does The Seafood Bar have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Seafood Bar.
What industry is The Seafood Bar in?
The Seafood Bar's product category is Seafood Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAE, Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAA, Fine Dining Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.