Head to London’s iconic Camden for fresh fish cooked exactly to your taste.
Camden has long been synonymous with many things: punks, the market, live music and dive bars are a mere few. Of late however, London’s iconic NW1 postcode is playing host to a wealth of chic bars and sophisticated eateries.
One new member of the Camden set is restaurant Simply Fish. Opening its doors last autumn, the restaurant prides itself on bringing healthy, sustainable, fresh fish to the heart or Camden. The restaurant sits snuggly on Inverness Street amongst iconic, if not a little rough around the edges pubs like The Good Mixer, and bars frequented by Camden locals well into the wee hours.
The name gives away the restaurant’s USP and fish is something the Simply Fish team, from the chefs to the waiters, take very seriously. Daily deliveries come from private merchants in Loo, Cornwall who source everything from lemon sole to sea bass. If they can’t get hold of a certain product that day or the chef’s not happy with it, it doesn’t make the menu – simple as that.
The restaurant has a relaxed vibe, with exposed brickwork and NY style tables and benches for diners to take a pew.
We started our fish feast with a handful of small plates – salmon ceviche, marinated garlic and chili prawns, and chili salt squid in a spring onion and coconut dressing. All fresh, all tasty, perfect for sharing and starting at £4, cheap as chips.
On to the mains and the staff are full of knowledge and passion about the catch of the day. First, we chose our fish from a menu that included everything from Pollock to salmon, lemon sole to monkfish and how we wanted it cooked – baked, steamed, pan fried and or tempura battered.
Next you choose your sauce – anything from citrus anchovy butter (great with sea bass) to soya ginger and oyster (perfect with fresh salmon). We finished off with a choice of two accompaniments, which included a healthy mixed salad, fresh cut chips and lemon cous cous.
The main with fish, sauce and sides comes to a very reasonable £12.50 and our selections, made with the help of the friendly staff were fresh, delicious and healthy. Each day there is also a selection of specials including rustic Mediterranean fish stew, Cornish mussels and ‘not so fishy’ dishes like steak or cottage pie if you’re dining with any fusspots.
Kids are welcome too and Simply Fish is a good way to get them learning and knowing about fish and trying new things. The kitchen will also make up child’s portions too, which again supports the brand’s no-waste, sustainable and moral attitude.
After feeling pretty smug that we’d tucked into a healthy dinner of lemon sole and fresh greens, we were all too tempted by the unusual dessert – green tea tiramisu. Incredibly light with just a delicate hint of green tea, it updated an old classic perfectly.
With so many burger joints, hotdog diners and meat fuelled restaurants popping up all over London, it’s refreshing to go somewhere that focuses simply on good, old fashioned, fresh fish.
Simply Fish, 4 Inverness Street, Camden NW1 7HJ Tel. 020 7482 2977