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.
Names by country
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Sea bream | |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Sea bream | |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Dorada | |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Dorada | |
| 🇫🇷France | Daurade | Daurade royale is the full name — a classic of Provençal cooking |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Doradaprimary | A la sal (baked in salt) is the most celebrated preparation in Spain |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Dourada | |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Dourada |
Culinary substitutes
Both are farmed Mediterranean fish with mild white flesh, similar size, and best cooked whole — sea bass is slightly more delicate, bream slightly sweeter.
Both are mild, white, versatile farmed fish — tilapia is softer and more neutral in flavor, sea bream has more character and is better suited to whole cooking.
Both are small, prized whole-cooking fish with rich, sweet white flesh — pompano has a richer, butterier flavor, sea bream is more delicate and Mediterranean in character.
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