Finding myself in Marylebone with about an hour to kill around dinner time, I decided to stop by Fishworks for a quick bit of dinner. Accordingly, this is a slightly different post than usual because i) only one half of thecriticalcouple was present, ii) Fishworks is sort of a chain, and iii) this was more of a functional stop for food than a planned (or lengthy) set piece dinner with fine wines etc. That said, this was a nice enough restaurant and a good enough dinner to warrant a blog; simply put, I enjoyed it.
What enticed me to go in and eat at Fishworks in the first place is that it's a fishmongers at the front and a restaurant at the back. And, with a sign outside that says 'daily landing from the South coast markets' together with the fish on display in the window, you can make an instant judgement about quality. With the fish on display looking good, I thought I'd give it a try.
Passing through the fishmonger to the restaurant, the interior is quite nice with the decor feeling reasonably fresh, the walls draped with the daily special boards and pictures of the sea (and related fishy things), and the serving staff looking smart in their white shirt and ties, black waistcoats and aprons. The interior photo posted below doesn't do the venue proper justice as I was somewhat trapped between my table in front of me, the wall behind me and a fellow diner to the side of me giving me a single angle on the restaurant; oh well, it's quite nice really.
There's a lot of choice on the fish as you'd expect with a front of house fishmonger and prices are reasonable - it's easy to forget how expensive fish has become even at the retail level. I chose to start with the Fishworks cocktail with Crevettes, Brown Shrimps and Prawns, and for my main, Grilled Dover Sole with lemon and parsley butter. Some of the fish, my sole included, are sold by weight and the waiter went to the fishmonger at the front of the house, returned with the fish for me to inspect, and informed me of the price for my approval or otherwise. I liked this idea and I liked seeing my fish come out of the shop window that had enticed me to enter the restaurant in the first place. It does give a reassuring sense of fresh fish, cooked to order for you.
What enticed me to go in and eat at Fishworks in the first place is that it's a fishmongers at the front and a restaurant at the back. And, with a sign outside that says 'daily landing from the South coast markets' together with the fish on display in the window, you can make an instant judgement about quality. With the fish on display looking good, I thought I'd give it a try.
Passing through the fishmonger to the restaurant, the interior is quite nice with the decor feeling reasonably fresh, the walls draped with the daily special boards and pictures of the sea (and related fishy things), and the serving staff looking smart in their white shirt and ties, black waistcoats and aprons. The interior photo posted below doesn't do the venue proper justice as I was somewhat trapped between my table in front of me, the wall behind me and a fellow diner to the side of me giving me a single angle on the restaurant; oh well, it's quite nice really.
There's a lot of choice on the fish as you'd expect with a front of house fishmonger and prices are reasonable - it's easy to forget how expensive fish has become even at the retail level. I chose to start with the Fishworks cocktail with Crevettes, Brown Shrimps and Prawns, and for my main, Grilled Dover Sole with lemon and parsley butter. Some of the fish, my sole included, are sold by weight and the waiter went to the fishmonger at the front of the house, returned with the fish for me to inspect, and informed me of the price for my approval or otherwise. I liked this idea and I liked seeing my fish come out of the shop window that had enticed me to enter the restaurant in the first place. It does give a reassuring sense of fresh fish, cooked to order for you.
front of house fishmonger display
The Fishworks cocktail was attractively presented with nicely fresh greens and well cooked and well textured shrimp. The seafood sauce was balanced, not overpowering and the taste of the underlying seafood was able to come through. For some, there might be a bit too much of the sauce on the plate but liking it saucy so as to speak, it was just right for me. Not a bad little beginning.
Fishworks cocktail with brown shrimp, crevettes and prawns
The Dover sole arrived in a rich lemon and parsley sauce and while the fish itself could have had a deeper golden brown finish, it nevertheless looked a fine piece of meaty fish and tasted as such. The white meat separated nicely from the bone and I made one of my better attempts at removing big fork fulls of fresh tasty white sole without big fork fulls of crunchy bones. Great texture, great flavour, easily separated, it was a very enjoyable fish dish. With the top dispensed, the central skeleton was simply pulled out giving easy access to the underside fillets. The quantity of sauce was also about right with just enough to go with the whole fish without drowning it.
Dover sole with lemon and parsley butter sauce
The only (minor) disappointment were the chips which were a little dry and felt that they might have been cooked some time earlier that evening; just about okay but certainly not more-ish. The fish though carried the day and allowed for a satisfying dinner. Washed down with a glass of house white that for a cheap vino was not at all bad, I'd had a good food hour.
Overall, I enjoyed the meal very much and for a walk in one hour dinner, it was what you'd hope it to be. Admittedly, my bill came to a little more than I thought I'd be spending but that is really my fault for chosing Dover Sole which, having been so extensively fished, is now one of the most expensive fish out there. Other potentially tasty main course options such as Devon Ray with capers & black butter (£14) or Whole Plaice and caper butter also at £14 on the daily specials would have allowed for a much lower cost meal if you're on a tighter budget. With the standard surely the same, it would repreent considerable value.
And while Fishworks is a chain, it doesn't really matter because the product is good enough and fresh enough to carry it and the variation in menu reflecting changes to the daily catch means that you don't feel institutionalised as you do even at other quality chain outlets like the increasingly ubiquitous Jamie's. I left the restaurant a happy punter and will certainly return when I'm in the mood for something fishy.
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And while Fishworks is a chain, it doesn't really matter because the product is good enough and fresh enough to carry it and the variation in menu reflecting changes to the daily catch means that you don't feel institutionalised as you do even at other quality chain outlets like the increasingly ubiquitous Jamie's. I left the restaurant a happy punter and will certainly return when I'm in the mood for something fishy.
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