Café Fish Review

Edinburgh to Bristol and back seems a long trip to get a revolving door. Well it does to me but then I’m notoriously exercise shy and think it’s a bit of a trek from the TV to the fridge to fetch a cold one. Bristol: that means shoes and going outside, right?

But it wasn’t too far for the owners of Cafe Fish. Clearly they knew what they were doing. It’s a great investment. The birling door causes the air around the entering patrons to swirl in a frenzy, enveloping them in the intoxicating aromas of fresh and cooking seafood funnelled directly from the kitchen; owners of already burgeoning appetites are immediately coerced by a desire to start sampling dishes.

Of course the downside of a revolving door is that your customers may occasionally indulge in a juvenile urge to spin round and round at high velocity until dizzy, sick or vertically impaired. Front of house didn’t seem to mind though.

Turns out Bristol is a bit of a theme at Cafe Fish as I’m shown past the modern, spacious bar -modern? Spacious? Is my vocabulary a fugitive from a chain of estate agents? - to a church pew also transported from that west country city; maybe there was a job lot going on eclectic restaurant furniture.

Sat on me pew with my dining companion on the other side of a metal table happily perusing the wine list (that endearingly desperate aspect lit in her eyes as she passed the merlots and onto the sauvignons) I realised that I’d got the best seat in the house. Cafe Fish has an open kitchen. Yip, all culinary inquisitiveness can be sated. Proper dinner theatre! Master Chef live! With the outtakes and the taken outs!

Watch them dice, slice, fry, boil and broil; stir, grill, chop and toss. Order the crème brulee and thrill vicariously as sous chefs play chicken with each other’s eyebrows as they haphazardly handle the blow torch (is chefing the only job where blow torches don’t need safety equipment? Sign me up. Burn, sugar, burn! ). For groups there’s the potential for a facial hair sweepstake.

Sorry, I’ve got onto dessert before I went through the menu of delights. The clues in the name and Cafe Fish pride themselves in sourcing all their fish and shell fish from Scotland’s West Coast. This, along with other fishy facts, is emblazoned on the wall by the kitchen and on the back of the menu, though some of these are probably best left (particularly the one about the halibut’s migrating eyes) until after dinner.

For starter I scoffed Raasay scallops on carrot puree and sweet & sour onions. The carrot deepened the rich creaminess of the scallop and then the onions cleansed the palate ready for the next forkful. Main was baked North Sea hake in a mussel and lemongrass chowder which, with just a hint of curry spices, proved an absolute triumph; the only disappointment being that like many sudden, passionate affairs it seemed to end too soon. For dessert, gripped with an alcohol fuelled need to witness the dance of the blow torches once more, I ordered crème brulee.

Contented noises from the other side suggested that her order of potted Mull crab, filet of lemon sole with buttered samphire grass and smoked haddock fishcake, and chocolate chilli torte (garnished with half a red chilli!) had gone down well.

I did sneak a taste of the torte and believe me it’s chocolaty enough to leave you more cross-eyed than the aforementioned halibut. Take this as a warning, Fluid won’t be held responsible for any in-dining traumas resulting from the premeditated consumption of this dessert.

And so, onto to coffee, and, with shivers of excitement emanating from the other side of the table, a dessert wine and liqueur menu of some depth including a tawny port and single malts to suit all tastes and pockets (though given Cafe Fish’s location right beside the Scotch Malt Whisky Society this shouldn’t be a surprise).

A Cafe Fish meal costs around £24 for three courses. Some courses do have supplements (especially, alas, many of the scrummy shellfish) and there are also side dishes though I’m not sure what. Our waitress asked if we wanted side dishes but there weren’t any listed on the menu, the other side intoned, “Potatoes,” and lo, these did appear in buttered and minted form. Perhaps it’s a kitchen challenge, a way of keeping the cooks on their toes. Perhaps next time I should request something exotic like pineapple or kiwi fruit. Or Yorkshire pudding.
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Café Fish Description

We are a 56 cover restaurant and wine bar in the heart of Leith, Edinburgh’s restaurant district. We offer a daily changing menu, featuring fish and shell fish predominantly caught in Scottish waters. Creel caught langoustine, crab, diver scallops, clams and oysters from Kyle of Loch Alsh and the west coast sea lochs are all regular features on the menu, with north Atlantic cod, monkfish, halibut, turbot, squid, and sole being hugely popular too.

Menus include both a vegetarian and meat option and will feature locally shot game in season. Dinner is priced at £19 for two courses and £23 for three or shellfish at the bar if you fancy just a few oysters or scallops with a decent glass of wine.

Lunch is offered with individually priced dishes between £5 and £13, with a Sunday brunch offer available from just £3. We have a great wine list, slightly leaning towards the whites, offering a load of bottles at £20 or under and the choice of eleven wines and champagnes by the glass.

The layout and flexibility with our table arrangements allows us to take bookings for up to 18 people with regular or individually designed menus....read more

Café Fish Opening Hours

Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: Seafood
• Group: (Independent/Freehouse)