SO, WHAT do you do when the person you're eating with suggests somewhere you would normally avoid like the plague? Do you confess, stall or just make sure you come up with a raft of swankier alternatives? Or maybe you should just refuse point blank and stand by your principles?
If none of those apply, the last resort is to approach the unloved restaurant with an open mind, safe in the knowledge that the company should make up for any shortfall on the culinary front. And this is what I finally decided to do.
Fishers in Le
ith has been on the go for more than 20 years, and has been a runaway success – not least because for a long time it was one of the few fish restaurants in the capital. On several past occasions, friends from out of town have arranged to eat there and I have trooped along in a grouch. I hadn't, however, been there for three years when Sean decided it was to be our venue for dinner.
Turning up with an open mind wasn't exactly the greatest leap of faith I have ever taken. Last summer I ate at the revamped restaurant in the Shore bar, and not only was it excellent, it was also run by the folk from Fishers. Fishers is right next door to the Shore (which doubles as one of the best pubs in the capital, never mind Leith), but by and large you would never know you were quayside unless you were lucky enough to be placed next to one of the small windows that face the water. The place does, however, have a comfortable ambience; the sort you get in lived-in restaurants that have been in the same place for aeons and which are sustained by a hard core of regulars.
Despite a board of specials and a small note on the menu to the effect that it changes daily, the long list of dishes on offer – six fishy and one meat starter, and six fishy and one meat main course – seems to change pretty infrequently. This is doubtless a result of its longevity, as regulars tend to know what they like and like what they know. But on the plus side, it also means the chef should have preparation of the repertoire down to a fine art.
Not that this is necessarily a bad thing: the options at Fishers weren't clichéd or confining; in fact there was a wide range of ingredients thoughtfully combined. Sean, for instance, kicked off with grilled queenie scallops with red roast pepper, smoked paprika and oregano butter, while I broke the habit of a lifetime and chose oysters, mainly because they were grilled and came with smoked bacon, shaved parmesan and a white wine and cream sauce.
Both dishes were more than solid. Sean's scallops weren't particularly huge but they were beautifully succulent and enlivened by the pepper, with the hard edge of the smoked paprika nicely muted. My half-dozen oysters came in the shell, swimming in a rich, creamy sauce studded with bacon and topped with the parmesan. My wife loves oysters and when she lived in London her idea of going on a diet was a hideous routine that saw her guzzle a couple of oysters from the stall outside her office for breakfast and miss lunch, but I've always preferred them grilled and served as they were at Fishers, a dish that hit the spot.
If our starters were good, so too were our main courses. Sean went for the single smoked haddock fillet with black pudding crust and roast cherry tomatoes, while I opted for the whole roasted seabass with smoked salmon and chervil butter. The haddock was perfectly cooked, but the single smoking was so subtle there was barely any sign of the process; nor was the presence of the black pudding overdone, with just the tiniest coating. All in all, this was a very tasty dish that worked to highlight the haddock to good effect.
Much the same could be said about my seabass, which was nicely moist but devoid of the smoked salmon the menu promised. Not to worry, though, the fish was cooked well enough to make up for the absence of something I might well have left anyway.
We rounded off with crumble, which was pretty standard fare, and a bland sticky toffee pudding, which aspired to be average but failed. But then, for some reason I can't fathom, I have never eaten in a fish restaurant that serves really memorable puddings. There must be some sugar and fish yin and yang thing going on. At least our pleasant – if slightly tardy – waitress allowed us to have both cream and ice-cream, a small gesture that was very well received.
In fact, despite our meal kicking off with us mistakenly assembling at different restaurants, and despite the absence of smoked salmon, smoked fish and super-speedy service, this was a good meal in pleasant surroundings that came just within decent bounds when the bill arrived. Who knows, I might even make a return visit of my own accord.
Vital statistics
Fishers On The ShoreLeith, Edinburgh (0131 554 5666, www.fishersbistros.co.uk)
Out of pocket Starters £5.75-£7.50 Mains £10.95-£19.95 Puddings £3.50-£4.75 Cheese £6.95
Rating 7.5/10
