It's the time of year to start tucking into the sea's bounty with a wide selection of seafood at one of the UK's favourite outlets – Loch Fyne, now celebrating its 21st birthday, rammed on a standard City Wednesday night in Leadenhall Market. Once we'd picked our way past the crowds of thirsty insurance workers, shrieking and gurning at each other and blocking the way to any kind of pre-dinner beverage. We're in the heart of the City. Gin and tonic and a spritzer and then on to battle with the shellfish. But before that, just a brief complaint - intrusive and highly unnecessary music is piped out into the busy restaurant. Perhaps it's to mask the acoustics, which lead whispers to sound like bellows. Seriously, if Strada played muzak, I'd be annoyed. But I'm not here for a Peroni and a £9 pizza. This place is a cut above – the prices certainly are – so don't tell me what to listen to.

Anyway, back to the fruits de mer. We started with salt and pepper squid, which came served on a bed of damp and redundant rocket. Don't bother with that. I love crispy yet tender squid, but although this did OK for tenderness, I don't think the oil in which it was fried was hot enough – it just wasn't crisp. Which is close to unforgivable, really. Don't play silly buggers with my squid. Alongside the squid we had a half dozen oysters. They were great. Although the trimmings – mainly the shallot vinegar – were served in far too small a quantity to be useful.

Continuing on with our seafood odyssey, we plumped for the lobster and crab platter, the crowning glory of the menu (at £55, it should be). A tottering tower of fruits de mer, langoustine, prawns, crayfish, oysters (the started had just given us a taste for them). On the top layer, mussels and squid in a warm butter (bit of an odd combo). Half a lobster, a whole dressed crab (although perhaps served a bit too cold). It looked terrific – fresh seafood always does. It's an exciting thing to dip, crack and pincer your way into, and we ploughed through it in double quick time. Again, a sad lack of the necessary shallot vinegar (which I reckon I could just drink by the glass load) and an oddly insipid coriander and pepper second dipping sauce – get rid of that, and just give me a double load of the shallot vinegar. I need more shallot vinegar. Geddit?

We shared a bottle of what's essentially the house white – a 2008 Santa Carolina Chardonnay which specially produced for Loch Fyne. A bit sweeter than I'd usually like, it's very good value at just under £17. Polishing off the last mussels and scraps of squid, we finsihed up with a vanilla crème brulee. Two spoons; we were stuffed.

If you want this stuff done absolutely flawlessly, go to Scotts (good luck with paying the bill). But if you're after something quicker, cheaper and less rammed with barking Tories on a lunchtime jolly, go for Loch Fyne. It's better than fine.