The Fishmarket
The Fishmarket at Newhaven has recently opened to a flurry of interest. A joint venture between Roy Brett of Ondine and Gary Welch of Welch Fishmongers, it promises high quality fish n chips – for sit-in or takeaway – along with a good range of seafood delights.
I popped down to check it out on a sunny Thursday lunchtime. I was joined by new guest quester Ruth.
The interior has been stylishly kitted out with cool tiling and a smart seafood counter. There’s outside seating to take advantage of the splendid views down the Forth, too. It’s really lovely.
I’d been given pretty clear instructions by the folks at Castello – who’d visited during their soft launch and been mightily impressed – to order the squid with Vietnamese sauce to start so we had a portion of that to share. We both followed with the fish n chips.
The crisp squid was light and elegant, with the dipping sauce suitably aromatic. It was a highly accomplished opener.
The main course – a large battered portion for Ruth, a battered ‘whale’ for me – was to a very good standard, too. I prefer the fish and batter at Giovanni’s and the chips at L’Alba D’Oro but there’s a solid argument for this being the best fish n chips you can get on one plate in the city.
The mushy peas were the only weakness. They were watery and bland, and need a good bit of improvement.
So overall, The Fishmarket is a great new addition to our city’s dining options. With the demise of the Tailend, there was a clear opportunity to meet the demand for a good quality sit-in chippy. The Fishmarket is doing that with considerable style. Make sure to visit soon.
Scores
Blythe scores The Fishmarket
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving an overall 15/20
Today’s questers were: Ruth, Blythe
We ate: squid, fishes n chipses
We drank: pale ale, lemonade, water
We wore: floaty skirt, drowny shirt
Total bill: £47.60
Address: 23A Pier Place , Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH6 4LP
2 Comments
We’ve been twice since it opened – the first time it was busy so we ate at the tables outside. The second time we decided to just do the same. We thought it was the best fish and chips Edinburgh has to offer. Up until this point that’s position had been taken by Tailend. I hadn’t even realised it was closed. Usually I’m very disappointed by Edinburgh fish and chips. I find that chippies put too much into their deep fryers at once, resulting in oil temperatures that are too low. The resulting chips can be soggy, hard in the middle and clumped together. I like my chips to be crisp, but the far more important thing is that they’re soft in the middle. Also, get some flavour into the middle of the chip so that it isn’t just bland. At our visits here my 3yo opted for the sausages which were nice and very different to usual chippy sausages. I had a small cod, which was small but very thick. The fish was moist and fell apart whilst the batter was crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. £1 for a buttered roll seemed a little steep – plus I would prefer bread and butter for a chip sandwich. Real butter melting into good chips inside soft white bread is a real indulgence. My wife opted for the whale. Last week we were visiting family up in Peterhead. We had fish and chips there and this is the nearest you’ll find in Edinburgh, the haddock is even sourced from Peterhead. Some chip shops in Edinburgh don’t even tell you the truth about the species of fish they sell to you – so knowing the source is a comfort. My wife did manage to finish the whale.
Good to hear, Phil 🙂