The Fish House

The Fish House opened in October 2012, in a parade of shops a short distance from Notting Hill tube station. There is a takeaway area and kitchen as you enter, and up a flight of stairs is a single large table and, a further flight up, the main dining room. The tables are packed in like sardines but chairs were comfortable enough to perch on. 

The restaurant emphasises that its sourcing of fish is from sustainable stocks off Norwegian waters, mostly caught by a fishing boat based in Weston Super Mare called “True to the Core”. This is certainly more specific than most London fish and chip shops. As well as the obvious menu choices, fish is not the sole option: you can order a burger or baby back ribs if you really want to come to a fish and chip shop and then eat meat. There were a few wines, mostly under the £20 mark, with labels such as Vidal Sauvignon Blanc of mysterious vintage at £22 compared to its retail price of £11. There were some tasting notes (though no vintages) printed for each wine, to avoid customers having to flounder. Beer was £3.90 for London Lager. 

Haddock and chips (£14.50) arrived quite swiftly, the batter reasonably crisp and the fish cooked properly (13/20). The batter is apparently made several times a day to prevent it clumping. Chips could have been crisper but were certainly far from soggy; the potatoes used are from a farm in Essex, so again quite specific sourcing here. Gherkins were pleasant and the mushy peas were fine though they could have been hotter when they arrived. They were also a quite lurid colour, being a bit green at the gills.

The waiters that we encountered were efficient and friendly, and the bill came to £24 a head with beer to drink. We just had a single plate of food, though you could order a starter like cod roe and also a dessert like knickerbocker glory, in which case the bill would have been another kettle of fish, perhaps around £35 a head including a shared bottle of wine.

For some reason I have never understood, London is generally terrible at fish and chips, so this plaice was a pleasant surprise. It is not as good as the fish and chips at The Scran and Scallie, but it was definitely a cut above the London norm. If you are in the area and fancy some decent fish and chips then seize the day, or carp(e) diem as the saying goes.