Fish! Kitchen (Borough Market)

Beware - this is a rip off takeaway using some very suspect business practices.

For a start, the prices are ludicrous. £8.95 for cod or haddock and chips and another £1.95 - yes £1.95 for mushy peas that aren't even the real thing. You can get a whole tin from a corner shop for 30p that taste much better. You have to pay up front before ytou are given your food and what they do is have an impressive display of glistening LARGE appetising fish to entice you in, and then serve you something about half the size and not very fresh (that's if you are lucky). And we have seen them re-frying / warming up soggy old pre-cooks that, believe me, are not improved by this process! It's a pity that there are no alternatives we know of in the area, but our advice is DON'T GO - vote with your feet until they get the message. If you do have to go, insist on seeing/choosing your fish before you pay. Choose it from the display and ask if it has been freshly cooked. ..

A sorry experience and a blight on the otherwise high quality of general Borough Market food outlets.
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Richard M
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, November 03, 2011

I took a friend for a lunch to celebrate his 80th birthday.

We had a tasty seafood salad for a starter and both ordered grilled plaice as a main course. We were served the smallest plaice measuring 13cm in length. Hardly worth grilling! It cost £15.95 with some vegetable garnish each.

I bought 2 plaice from my non wholesale fishmonger 2 days later that measured 21cm in length. These cost me £10.

My lunch companion thought the portion was very small but it was difficult to complain at the time as I didn't want to spoil the so called celebration lunch...
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Nova Western
5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Monday, October 17, 2011

We went to Fish! as it was the only place with late last orders in the vicinity, having been to a show at the Chocolate Factory last Friday (11th Feb).

It had been recommended, so we decided to go - trusting the steep prices we'd noted would be earned.

The welcome was friendly, but to my dismay the place was nearly empty and we were put on a table as far as could be possible from the kitchens in the great echoing glass cavern that is this particular restaurant , and to add to the air of discomfort found ourselves sitting in a strong cold draught from somewhere - not conducive to cosiness.

The food was definitely average - fair enough if one is at a local gaff, but definitely not up to scratch considering the prices charged.

If you're going to charge 9 quid for calamari it should arrive the way we've now come to expect it (from Jamie, Heston, Gordon et al) beautifully fresh, hot, garlicky and tender on a bed of greenery - not with un-crisp batter and - horror of horrors - a lattice-work of mayonnaise slurped across it (obviously) from a bottle.

The mussels (small bowl -£8)were small but ok. Why am I constantly surprised by tiny barely visible mussels constantly served to me in restaurants? Are they out of season and too baby to be farmed? Is there any establishment that serves a plate of fat delicious mussels that haven't been mucked around with? Answers on a postcard gratefully received...

The "dressed crab" (£13)arrived 'undressed'. ie 'dressed crab should be a mix of white and brown meat+dressing/sherry whatever/ placed back in the empty shell of the crab. Mine arrived on a scallop shell with a teaspoonful of naked white meat next to a teaspoonful of naked brown meat. With a ramekin of mayonnaise on the side. No parsley. No lemon. The accompanying 'brown toast' was dull, cheap - and cold.

The brown bread accompanying crab should be some sort of delicious artisan or soda bread with flavour + some butter on the side. This should not be too expensive or difficult a task to accomplish for an establishment that cares about and makes it name serving 'seafood'. It showed a complete lack of thought, flair or care.

The scallops wrapped in bacon were ok but managed to be somehow unattractively arranged on a plate of undistinguished green salad. For £20 I expect something more thoughtful and pleasing on the eye.

The waitress was charming, but the whole evening lacked style, flair or

gastronomic ability on the part of the chefs. I don't remember what was charged for the wine as by that time it was late and we all just paid up and left.

In this enlightened day and age, we're all educated as to good cooking thanks to a plethora of programmes on the tv and I definitely think this restaurant needs to pull its socks up. It is inexcusable to charge these sort of prices for what we were presented with.
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Geraldine - View all reviews by this user
3 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Went here for dinner last night - no reservation. For some reason I wasnt expecting it to be much cop. In the event however, my whitebait starter was very good and my haddock, chips and mushy peas were excellent. My friend had mussels which she said were very good. A decent bottle of sauvignon B to go with it and a lovely waitress as well. All in all, a very pleasant surprise!
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LPK
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, February 04, 2011

Was in two minds whether to visit Fish! After reading mixed reviews but pleased we bothered as we had a very enjoyable meal.

If you're looking for fine dining then Fish! May not be for you but if you are looking for good food it certainly will.

Brilliant selection of fish and shellfish, cooked simply or traditionally (Cod fish and chips will take some beating!) perfect for a quick lunch or some early evening dinner after visiting the market.

Bad reviews must have caught them on an off day as we were pleasantly surprised by both the quality of food and attentiveness of the staff.

Will be returning soon!
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Annie Ford
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, January 12, 2011

I have been coming to Fish for years now as their approach to simple, fresh fish cannot be beaten. As yet I have never left the restaurant unhappy, waiting staff are pleasant and professional and food is as good as ever.

Recommend to anyone who knows good fish, this place won't disappoint.
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John Moore
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Called for breakfast on saturday 27/11/10 with great expectations. our concerns were raised when three tables adjacent to us complained that they had been waiting over 40 minutes for food. An american couple then decided to leave but were persuaded to stay after being told that no charge would be made for the food.

After a thirty minute wait we were approached by an embarassed but concerned waiter regarding our lack of food. I advised him we would allow a further five minutes and if nothing appears give it up as a bad job.

Comments were made in the kitchen area and the food arrived, but oh dear the bubble and squeak was burnt and the fish was undercooked.

I am no cook but could have done a better job.

This was our FIRST AND LAST VISIT.
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J PURVES
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, November 29, 2010

I'd not visited Fish for a number of years, and revistited this week, but was very dissappointed this time. The food now is average and very overpriced.

We had the sea bream and the traditional fish and chips. The bream was plain and undercooked, little effort had been made. The new potatoes were hard and likewise undercooked. The fish and chips at £15.95 were, well just your standard chip shop standard (if that) and nothing else.

We didn't have anything else but the 2 microwaves next to our table were doing a roaring trade heating up people's desserts, so they must have been popular.

So including drinks a very average meal cost us £50. Based on our night out I would recommend you spend your £50 elsewhere.
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Flashing Blade
5 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Friday, November 12, 2010

This was my first time to go Fish,

For my feeling, table and table's space were quite narrow. Service was ok.

For food - "Bigbury Bay Oyster", not many options can choose (it was only one option on the menu) anyway the taste was ok

"Calarmari", the calarmari was fresh but the bread is soft (wet).

"Fish Pie", the fish wasn't fresh

"Daily special fish", the fish wasn't fresher than I thought, taste was ok if compare the fish pie.

"Bottle of House wine", the wine taste like water
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Gloria
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Monday, October 25, 2010

Very overpriced place. A portion of fish with pathetic and not fresh salad cost 20 pounds! Never go there again and won't recommend to anyone.
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Natasha
1 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, October 24, 2010