The curse of Nigel Noshes: If you are doing a restaurant review, never go back…

Ever since I started this blog, I have been trying new restaurants and returning to old favourites, and almost every time I do, I find it is not as good as it used to be… Am I just becoming pickier now I am approaching my dining as a “professional”, or am I being cursed for my hubris? Who knows, but whatever the reason, my last meal at Fishworks was the worst I have ever had.

Luckily, it is mainly only me that the curse seems to affect.

There used to be quite a lot of Fishworks restaurants, but economic woes have driven it down to just three branches, one in Covent Garden, one near Piccadilly Circus and this one, near the top of Marylebone High Street. It has been a real go-to for us for many years, if you are meeting people in town for a good lunch at a fairly reasonable price: so long as you don’t mind it being at the back of a fishmongers. It really is one of the more unusual restaurant entrances, walking past piles of oysters and fresh fish. Yes, that door at the back really does lead to the restaurant…

We went for a fairly late lunch on a Friday, but I have never seen it so busy (probably the cause of some of the later issues…). The menu is pretty extensive, but it is still hard to choose.

I am a big fan of the Whitebait, but persuaded Mrs Nigel to join me on the Fritto Misto. It sounded fantastic, and very much like the amazing fish dish from Palo Cortao Review: The best Sherry, Food & Service in Seville that is currently featured as the blog’s profile picture.

Our two other companions went for Mackerel Pate (a special) and the quinoa salad (asked for without quinoa).

Well, and I really hate to say this, the Fritto was Sh*tto.

The prawns were actually tasty, and the bits of white fish that weren’t cold were pretty ok, but the calamari and whitebait were just awful. Very, very cold, and soggy. The calamari was rubbery, as if it had been cooked and left, and then cooked a bit more, or worse still, was frozen. It was the first sign that the kitchen was under stress with the number of people, and not able to get food out at the right time at the right temperature.

The Mackerel Pate, being cold and therefore somewhat immune to what was going on in the kitchen, was amazing. I had a little taste, and it was superb.

Unfortunately, the kitchen put their own spin on “No Quinoa”, and went mainly for no tofu, no quinoa, and a huge amount of lettuce: the one thing the diner in question really couldn’t eat, after quinoa. This left her picking out pieces of beetroot, which while attractively coloured, were pretty tasteless.

Fish, of course, if what Fishworks is about, and many of the main courses went down a storm. The Dover Sole was perfectly cooked, the oven-roasted Sea Bass was tender and delicious, and the prawn linguine did the trick of shutting up the one man I know who never shuts up, so that was great.

But the Mackerel Fillets (which I have enjoyed on many an occasion) managed to be both overcooked, and cold simultaneously, a rare treat.

Drinks wise, we had a carafe of the recommended Portuguese “Fishworks” wine. By no means the cheapest wine on the menu, but perhaps it should have been. Possibly, it was from a bottle that had been sitting around for a bit: Not totally unpleasant, but really not that nice. Back to Gavi or Picpoul next time.

I am going to recommend you try Fishworks. Just don’t go with me, or if you do, don’t order what I have. Maybe I need to take a Magic 8 Ball with me next time, and let it do the choosing for me.

Conclusion

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

• Service: 3.5/5
• Food: 3.5/5
• Atmosphere: 4/5
• Value for money: 4/5
• Would we go back: 4/5

Fishworks, Marylebone: FishWorks Swallow Street FishWorks Marylebone FishWorks London