FISH
list.co.uk
Edinburgh
FISH Scotland is renowned for its fish and shellfish, and in recent years there’s been a determined effort among local restaurateurs to promote the abundance of high quality, sustainable seafood caught in Scottish waters. So a visit to one of Edinburgh’s fish restaurants will likely bring you into contact with the sheer variety of produce on offer, from the relatively commonplace to species you’ve never heard of. While quality is generally high there’s plenty of diversity in terms of atmosphere, from chic dining rooms to friendly retreats and bustling canteen-style restaurants serving pot after pot of mussels. Reviewer: Allan Radcliffe
*** Café Fish
15 North West Circus Place, Stockbridge, EH3 6SX (Map 5: C5, 37) 0131 225 4431, cafefish.net | Mon–Sat noon–9.30pm; Sun noon–8pm. HW £16; Kids. £11 (lunch) / £22 (set dinner)
Having moved premises from Leith in July 2011, Café Fish’s new home in the heart of Stockbridge is double the size of its predecessor at 76 covers, comfortably but sparely decked out with the original art deco features brought to the fore and a kitchen/hatch area that extends out into the body of the restaurant. This elegant simplicity extends to the food. Owner Richard Muir is keen on local produce and the menu changes daily depending on availability. There’s an in-house ban on dustings, swirls and foams (not to mention sides) in favour of unfussy,
beautifully cooked and presented fish and seafood dishes. This is in evidence from a starter of sardines, whose distinctive favour is brought out by just a squeeze of lemon juice, and fishcakes with insides beaten to a feathery lightness. A main course fillet of gurnard arrives with smooth garlic mash and spinach complemented by a sweet shellfish bisque while pan roast North Atlantic cod is cooked until just translucent and served with a fine tagliolini in a spicy tomato sauce. Desserts such as a white chocolate and raspberry crème brulée are also topnotch, there’s a carefully chosen wine list and the reasonable prices and attentive service are likely to inspire repeat visits. + Sardines cooked to perfection - Very small choice of desserts
Café Royal Circle Bar
19 West Register Street, New Town, EH2 2AA See Bars & Pubs
Café Royal Oyster Bar
19a West Register Street, New Town, EH2 2AA (Map 1: F5, 106) 0131 556 1884, caferoyal.org.uk | Mon–Sun noon–2pm, 6–10pm. [Bar open: Mon–Sat 11am– 10pm; Sun 12.30pm–10pm.] LC; HW £14.25; Kids. £25 (lunch) / £25 (dinner)
Restaurants come and go in the capital, but few have thrived under the same banner for 150 years. Dining in the Café Royal Oyster Bar you do feel as though you’re travelling back in time, being surrounded by immaculate murals, lowhanging lamps and venerable stainedglass windows that come to life when the sun hits them. There’s no music in the restaurant to break the spell, just the constant hum from the adjacent bar and the satisfied murmurings of fellow diners. Inevitably, oysters are a big draw here and are served serveral ways: simply, on crushed ice with lemon; in the famous
Rockefeller style, on spinach with a light mornay sauce; or Kilpatrick featuring bacon and balsamic, which rather clashes with the salty taste of the oyster. A generous seafood platter contains lobster, scallops, smoked salmon and calamari, and there’s an appealing selection of hot smoked dishes, including tender haddock with poached egg served with a creamy white wine and mustard risotto or a golden-brown salmon Wellington stuffed with a rich wild mushroom and white wine cream sauce. The nicely described wine list and small selection of desserts allows you to sit back in these rarefied surroundings for a little longer. + Enjoying fine food in elegant surroundings - It can be a bit of a squeeze when very busy
Creelers
3 Hunter Square, Old Town, EH1 1QW (Map 2: D3, 18) 0131 220 4447, creelers. co.uk | Mon & Thu 5–10.30pm; Fri 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30–10.30pm; Sat 11am–10.30pm; Sun 5.30–10.30pm. Closed Tue/Wed. LC; Pre; HW £18; Kids. £10.50 (set lunch) / £28 (dinner)
Creelers’ proprietor, Tim James, started work as a fisherman a quarter of a century ago and he and his wife Fran are co-founders of the Arran Smokehouse and regularly sell fresh fish and seafood at local farmers’ markets. With such a pedigree you’d expect Creelers’ Edinburgh branch to focus exclusively on les fruits de mer, but their menus are strikingly varied, both in content and price. The Old Town restaurant has the look and feel of a continental bistro, decked out in warm yellows, reds and blues plus a large mural of the Isle of Arran – from which area much of the produce is sourced. Diners can make their selection from one of the set lunch or dinner menus or the à la carte, and
there are various fish of the day specials on offer too. Start with a groaning plate of langoustines, simply prepared with garlic, butter and a squeeze of lemon, or a dense, smoky fishcake with garlic mayonnaise on the side. Mains are similarly unfussy in their presentation and include sweet, flaky halibut served with a light beurre blanc and smooth herb mash or a fillet of Loch Duart salmon with crushed potatoes and creamed leeks. Inevitably, fish and seafood is to the fore here, from mixed seafood pasta to fish stew and good old-fashioned fish and chips, but there are also beef and venison dishes on offer, all prepared using the best Scottish ingredients. + Knowledgably sourced fish and seafood in convivial surroundings - A la carte menu contains a bewildering array of options
Fishers Bistro
1 The Shore, Leith, EH6 6QW (Map 5: D3, 13) 0131 554 5666, fishersbistros. co.uk | Mon–Sat noon–10.30pm; Sun 12.30–10.30pm. [Bar open: Mon–Sun noon–1am.] HW £14.95; Kids. £12.95 (set lunch) / £22 (dinner)
Fishers Restaurant Group now comprises two main branches as well as the Shore Bar & Restaurant, which stands adjacent to the original Leith eaterie. While both the Leith and city centre restaurants bear the Fishers moniker, the two venues couldn’t be more different. Fishers in Leith, which first opened its doors more than two decades ago, has a laid-back vibe and a cosy atmosphere that reflects its location in a former watchtower, while the city branch has a smarter, contemporary feel to it. While Fishers in the City offers slightly more choice, including a dedicated vegetarian menu, neither branch is lacking in imaginative food options and the choice of dishes ranges from the deceptively simple, such as a starter of Arbroath smokie kedgeree served with a potato scone, to startling fusions such as Loch Tarbet king scallops with a coconut coriander dhal offset by a smooth apple sauce. This dining dichotomy extends to the mains, which include a fillet of Loch Duart salmon served with Jerusalem artichoke, cous cous, hot smoked salmon, pea shoots and Parmesan and a to-die-for Indonesian curry created from coley and king prawns and flavoured with sweet potato, banana and coconut. With reasonablypriced early dining options also on offer, Fishers remains a beacon of reliability, whichever end of the town you happen to find yourself in. + Indonesian fish curry - The sheer amount of choice
Fishers in the City
58 Thistle Street, New Town, EH2 1EN (Map 1: D5, 83) 0131 225 5109, fishersbistros.co.uk | Mon–Sun noon–10.30pm. [Bar open: Mon–Sat noon–1am; Sun 12.30pm–1am.] Veg; Pre; HW £14.95; Kids. £13 (set lunch) / £23 (dinner) See entry above.
Guchhi Indian Seafood and Bar
9/10 Commercial Street, Leith, EH6 6JA See Indian
The King’s Wark
36 The Shore, Leith, EH6 6QU See Bars & Pubs
Loch Fyne Restaurant
Ondine: pull up to the horseshoe-shaped crustacean bar for some of the city’s finest shellfish
25 Pier Place, Newhaven Harbour, Leith, EH6 4LP (Map 5: A2, off) 0131 559 3900, lochfyne-restaurants.com | Mon–Fri 10am–10pm; Sat 10am–10.30pm; Sun 10am–10pm.
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17/04/2012 23:36