Fish Hook in Chiswick

A couple weekends ago, we were looking for a place to have lunch in Chiswick when I remembered a little seafood restaurant, Fish Hook, tucked away along a side street to Chiswick High Street. They’ve got a little sandwich board out on the main road to direct the attention of passersby as you’d normally never even bother looking down that street. I’d once gazed at their menu and a local wandered by and enthusiastically recommended the place. Now seemed like a good time to try it. They do a set lunch at £12.50 for two courses and £15 for three.

The restaurant is bright and airy but we made the mistake of choosing the table by the window that was under direct sunlight. Ah well. We started with some water for the table – but there was a slight hitch in the service when the waiter sneered somewhat when we turned down wine. Geez, get over it. Yeah, I know that’s probably your money maker but sheesh, we don’t have to order it every time we eat out.

There is a choice between three starters, three mains and a couple desserts. One each of the starters and mains are a non-fish dish but it seemed silly to order these when the name of the restaurant indicates its specialisation and we’re surrounded by pictures of fishies. My brother started with the Grilled Cornish line caught mackerel with cherry tomato salsa and couscous which he enjoyed….somewhat. He’s not a great fan of raw tomatoes and suffered a little while eating them. Hahaha! Otherwise, the fish was fresh though the portion size seemed a little small.

Blai and I fared better with the Whitebait tempura with a pea velouté and mixed leaf salad. The whitebait was fantastically light and crispy while the pea soup smooth and….well, it’s pea soup and it tasted like it!

Both Blai and my brother had the Deep fried haddock with peas, broad beans, chips and tartare sauce for their main. This was some beautiful fish and chips! The fresh from the fryer battered fish sat on top of the lightly blanched peas and broad beans, keeping the fish from becoming soggy. The gorgeous chips and tartare sauce were both served on the side, the latter being a mix it yourself pile of mayo and toppings. I was very jealous of their choice!

There was nothing wrong with my selection though. I opted for the Grilled sea bream with mashed potatoes, courgettes, green beans and crab bisque sauce as I didn’t want to follow a fried starter with a fried main course. The fish was grilled beautifully, with crispy skin, and the potatoes and vegetables were faultless.

We were absolutely stuffed after this and didn’t try dessert. Though my brother’s starter seemed a little, when taking in the big picture (low price, fresh fish, well cooked, large main course), the whole meal was fantastic value. Only £12.50! For two courses! Service was a bit iffy (our sneering waiter continually bumped into our table… but the head chef himself served us a few of our dishes – he seemed like a nice guy!) but overall, it was a good experience. It’s nice to see a little independent in an area so full of chain restaurants.

Fish hook
6/8 Elliott Rd
Chiswick
London W4 1PE

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