Dorada and Loup de mer are different fish, but they're close enough in the kitchen to stand in for one another.
Sparidae
Gilthead sea bream is recognizable by its golden spot between its eyes. It has firm white flesh with a sweet, delicate flavor and is farmed extensively across the Mediterranean. In Spain it is called dorada, in France daurade royale, in Portugal dourada. It is typically cooked whole — baked in salt, grilled over charcoal, or roasted with vegetables — and is a fixture of Mediterranean restaurant menus.
Full guide →Moronidae
European sea bass is one of the great naming confusion fish — the same farmed species is called loup de mer in France, lubina in Spain, branzino in Italy, and robalo in Portugal and Brazil. It has delicate white flesh, few bones, and a clean mild flavor. Farmed extensively in the Mediterranean, it is most commonly cooked whole — roasted in salt crust, grilled over open flame, or baked with herbs.
Full guide →Both are farmed Mediterranean fish with mild white flesh, similar size, and best cooked whole — sea bass is slightly more delicate, bream slightly sweeter.
| Country | Dorada | Loup de mer |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Sea bream | Sea bass |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Sea bream | Sea bass |
| 🇫🇷France | Daurade | Loup de mer |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Dorada | Lubina |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Dorada | Pejerrey de mar |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Dorada | Robalo |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Dourada | Robalo |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Dourada | Robalo |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Orata | Branzino |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Dorade royale | Wolfsbarsch |
Browse every species in the atlas on the fish index, or identify one from a photo with Identify my cut.