I’ve always thought that a meal for which you pay a handsome price should have all the ingredients to make it a happy and memorable experience.
The service, the setting, the menu, a carefully curated wine list and the atmosphere.
I think it’s rare to get everything in one place.
Stepping into the Wet Fish cafe was an encouraging start. Fairly small, nicely decorated, the ceiling fans that for some reason helped to create a relaxed and cosy atmosphere and a warm and welcoming smile from one of the staff members.
I had previously looked at the menu on offer for lunch and the catch of the day was either trout or hake, served with red cabbage, lemony mash, broccoli and a mussel and saffron sauce.
My companion chose the trout and I opted for the hake. A carafe of the Italian rosato arrived promptly and the food soon followed.
What a handsome plate it was. The vibrancy of the sauce, like a moat around the fish was a most inviting image.
The anticipation was not for long. I dived into it in a most unladylike manner and honestly it blew me away. The hake was succulent, the red cabbage added a delightful zing, the broccoli had a slight bite to it and as for that sauce, I’d sell my grandmother for the recipe. Creamy, deeply satisfying with layers of subtle flavours which brought everything together like a Beethoven symphony. His ninth of course.
The wine was a damned good partner and my companion was of the same opinion.
What can I say but chapeau bas. A delightful experience from start to finish.
Cost. Just under £100
The Wet Fish Cafe
242 West End Lane
London NW6 1LG
0207 443 9222
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