Fish in a Tie

After having had a great meal here last year I booked a table of 5 for my sister's birthday. And bearing in mind everyone attending lives in East London, I was anxious that Fish in a Tie would match up to my hyperbole in persuading them to make the journey. We were not disappointed. Remarkable value for quality of the food and size of the portions. The moules were so divine I needed to ask for more bread to mop up the sauce. The lamb steak was perfect without a bit of fat or gristle on it and the banoffee pie was light enough to be the perfect finishing touch. Everyone else had the birthday cake we brought so it was 2 courses for everyone (except me), two bottles of wine and a couple of liquor coffees all for just £20 each including a generous tip for the outstanding, responsive and non intrusive service.

I'm not normally someone who recommends a restaurant for fear of being held responsible for a bad meal but I will actively encouraging my friends to try Fish in a Tie.
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Ciaran
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Restaurant names are important. Usually, they tell you a lot about the place. Is it pretentious? Is it a dive? Are the waiters going to be dressed in suits which cost more than your house? Is it 'family friendly' and going to be stuffed full of overweight, screaming children who enjoy nothing better than running into the legs of your table and spilling your drink? Names can often give you a big clue about whether you want to spend your hard-earned cash in the establishment or if you would rather leave it well alone.

'Fish in a Tie', though, doesn't give much away. A brief examination of the restaurant's logo (a fish in a...erm...tie) doesn't help either. Glancing around the surroundings, though, doesn't fill you with confidence. Fish in a Tie nestles on the 'wrong' side of Clapham Junction station, flanked by looming, ominous-looking estates: the kind you see being raided in 'the Bill'. By the time you get to the restaurant, though, you've either acclimatised to your surroundings, or you're running so fast, that they've ceased to matter.

On arriving, my thoughts were as follows:

1. This had better be good to make all that worthwhile.

2. Why's that kid in the hooded top staring at me?

3. Maybe we'll get a taxi back

Huddling through the door as hastily as we could, however, we were not disappointed. The decor is, to say the least, eclectic, but charming. Most immediately surprising were the staff, though. In a smallish establishment like this, you would expect average service, but nothing more than that. At Fish in a Tie, the waiting staff were attentive, witty, knowledgeable about the food and wine and very eager to please. The atmosphere was laid back without seeming lazy and although the seating arrangements were 'intimate', to say the least, after a little while, this didn't seem to matter.

As for the food itself, I was quite taken aback. At the price, I expected average plates of MSG-infused slop, averagely cooked by a kitchen brigade imported into the country from Romania in the back of a lorry. What I got was one of the best plates of calamari I have ever had. Perfectly, unpretentiously cooked, piled high enough that this starter could have been a main course, it melted in the mouth.

Things were looking up.

The steak continued the trend. A tasty, rich source complemented a good cut of meat very well. The accompanying vegetables were nothing to write home about, but then I didn't care. I had paid less than £10 for it, so I wasn't in a mood to complain. The wine may also have helped in that respect...

Desert rounded things off perfectly. It was apple pie. It's hard to get apple pie wrong. But it's also hard to get it right. This one was bang on. Crispy pastry, tasty apples. You can't ask for any more than that.

Fish in a Tie served up some truly outstanding home-cooked food. It was friendly, fantastically cheap and the food was memorable. The area around Clapham Junction station does a good line in highly pretentious, overpriced restaurants, where you can happily pay £15 for your bottle of water alone. Fish in a Tie is the perfect antidote: tasty, hearty food, for next to nothing. For what it's worth, in the last two months I have eaten out roughly 12 times. The meal I had there is the only one I can remember.

Go there as soon as you can. Just make sure you have your running shoes with you...
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The Professor - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, February 07, 2008

My friend and I come here monthly and always have a graet experience here.

Great home cooked foods... at reasonable prices. Always great service and lovely atmosphere to the place!

Have also seen the set menu which is only avaliable on request! Cheap but still good quality food!

Needless to say I will still be going monthly!
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Wai
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Monday, February 04, 2008

I absoluetly love this restaurant! I've been about ten times and have never had bad food or service. I also went for my birthday with about 20 people and the evening was fantastic. It makes me angry that other restaurants charge so much for food when Fish In A Tie manages quality food at reasonable prices. Oh, and the decor is great.
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Carolyn - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, January 31, 2008

Lovely atmosphere and very attentive service. I wouldn't say the food is brilliant - it's good, but not mouthwateringly delicious. I think the standard is consistent, but never outstanding.
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Heather
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Went here after recommendations for dinner with some friends last night. The food was amazing. The fish carpaccio was lovely and the steak special in port sauce was amazing, have had steaks at triple the price that weren't half as good elsewhere.

The atmosphere was great, staff friendly and the service was not rushed at all. For 3 of us with starters & mains, sharing a bottle of wine, 1 pudding, tea and calypso coffee - it came to £20 each with service. Amazing to find somewhere in London with decent food, well priced and not a dive or prententious. Going back as soon as possible!

It's also extremely close to the west exit of Clapham Junction so was out the restaurant and on a train within 5 minutes!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, December 06, 2007

really nice food - well presented and EXCELLENT value for money. The only downside is that the place is far too busy on a Saturday night! Felt like packed in sardines, hot and no (obvious) air conditioning - so busy that the waitress tripped somehow and fell on a glass and the paramedics had to be called! Can't believe how many people were packed in! Definitely a place to visit but in quieter times!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 10
Monday, October 29, 2007

Bloody marvelous I tell you all!!! the service were great and friendly no rushing by the waiters.. the food were tastefull and fresh! I had the vegeterian parcel and my partner the chicken. We were amazed. The house red wine was good and smooth on the tongue. And above all it was cheap. The atmoshpere is romantic and uplifting - ambedient indeed!.

Defnitly deserves a visit from you all - We will become regulars!
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Kabouter
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, October 09, 2007

was introduced to this restaurant a couple of weeks ago and have been there three times since which sums up how great i think it is. superb value with extensive menu of delicious food both meat and fish. atmosphere is fun and lively. definitely recommend a visit.
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bex
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, September 06, 2007

Went there last week. Grotty neighbourhood, fantastic restaurant. I think they could possibly do with taking out ONE small table because everyone is really crammed in but the atmosphere is so friendly and unpretentious. Great food and very attentive, smiling serivce. But most incredible of all is the price, cheaper than going for a really bad pub lunch!

Two of us had three courses (I had some fantastic lamb) and two bottles of wine and it came to under £50 pounds. A coffee after the meal was £1. £1!!! when was the last time a coffee cost a pound? 1952?

Rather reticent to write all this glorious praise in case the owners read it an whack the prices up!
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Sunday, July 29, 2007