Fishers
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Opening hours: Lunch: Tue-Sat from 12pm, Sun from 12.30pm. Dinner: Mon-Sun from 6pm.
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36-37 St Clements Useful links: Oxford Restaurants Oxford Hotels Oxford Pubs & Bars Oxford Gig venues Oxford Concert venues Ads by Daily Info:
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Golly Gosh! Where should I start? Two weeks ago, a friend and I decided to re-visit the restaurant as the craving for sea food got the better of us. Starters: Plate of 6 Oysters, Half kilo of Mussels. Main: Fish and Chips, Sword Fish. The Mussels were reported to have been perfect. The sauce was awesome, and there were plenty of them! However, a bit more bread would have been nice to soak up the sauce. I am a strong believer that like revenge, Oysters are a dish best served cold. The presentation of the oyster platter cannot be faulted. However, as with revenge, not all people may appreciate this dish. My friend commented on the fact that they tasted like "sea water". They were opened properly and bar one oyster, they were free from grit. The best way to consume them is with a bit of lemon juice. The main course was very good. The Fish & Chips were the cheapest item in the menu, but the size did not disappoint. The chips were perfect, and so was the generous helping of Tartare Sauce. The only critique is that the portion of Mushy Peas were a bit miserly. The Sword Fish was highly appreciated. We did not stay for dessert or coffee. The total bill was just over £26/head. Rather expensive I thought, but it tasted good, so every penny was justified. Next time, I will try the seafood platter! As we went at about 8:00pm, the restaurant was a bit crowded. Those engaged in a mating ritual should bear this in mind as discreet conversation may not be possible. Those of you in a courting ritual should be careful as it could easily bankrupt you! Cecil Harvey, 07/08/08 Hi there, my wife and I visited the place on Friday 13th June 2008 for out wedding anniversary. We have never been there before and were pleasantly surprised to find how easy it was to park behind in the car park. 80p after 8pm. The staff were very pleasant and described in detail what the dishes were after asking. The food was great and we enjoyed a bottle of the Argentinean Chardonnay, which worked out a great value. I can recommend the Tiger Prawns in Tempura Batter for a simple starter and the Haddock in Batter was to die for. Overall the place was a big thumbs up and we will return again in the near future. I would say that this is the best fish restaurant in Oxford by far. DT, 18/06/08 For my final meal out in Oxford before graduating, my boyfriend and I felt it was about time we went to Fishers. The great reviews we'd already heard did not disappoint. My main reason for writing this review is to warn you if you have a nut allergy... All their deep fried food is fried in peanut oil. A note on the menu tells you to let your server know, however when we did, she merely told us that we'd have to choose something else. When the choice of potato is chips and roasted potatoes, that narrows your choice down a lot. We told her we'd think about it, having been told that the chef wouldn't be able to do anything different. We then called over the manager, and he managed to arrange for us to have chips that weren't fried in peanut oil, and our tempura prawns were just grilled instead, which made them even more flavoursome. However, the meal overall was fantastic, but be prepared to fight for an alternative if you have an allergy!! 16/05/08 I have mixed feelings about Fishers. On the one hand it provides an unpretentious atmosphere in which to eat quality seafood which is fresh, inventive and sensitively cooked; on the other, it’s not the most comfortable of restaurants, with teeth-grittingly retro fish-bar décor, high prices, and staff who (while on this occasion faultlessly efficient) don’t always seem particularly pleased to see you. Let’s set aside straightaway the high prices, which are well worth paying in a decent seafood restaurant with a commitment to sustainable fishing. We paid just over £90 including service for three courses with coffee and a bottle of wine, which, while on the high side for dinner for two, is hardly outrageous, and we were so well fed that moving afterwards was just the safe side of painful (testament to the quality of the food that we were greedy enough to keep eating to this point). Fishers also offers a tempting early dining menu at £8.50, and a popular £5 lunch – both two courses, so this isn’t an experience reserved for the deep-pocketed. The quality of the dishes does vary depending on what you order, my personal preference being for a simple approach which doesn’t overpower the fish. Half a kilo of mussels in white wine and cream was divine (do go easy on the bread), whereas tempura tiger prawns with chilli sauce, equally classic in its way, with nice crisp batter, still seemed a bit of a waste of good prawns. I suppose you have to have a range of options to please everyone. The main courses were very good – they know how to treat a whole roasted sea bass with a delicate touch, bringing out the flavour with grilled tomatoes and a light dill pesto. The more robust Irish salmon was firm, sharp and smartly complemented by a roast pepper and rocket salad . And puddings. Well, we couldn’t do them justice and perhaps we shouldn’t have tried. Pudding in a fish restaurant seems a bit superfluous, like the sirloin steak and the vegetarian option (it’s a heartbreaking image – the poor vegetarian politely accompanying carnivorous friends to a restaurant whose primary aim is to provide flesh – though there’s no reason to suppose a nice red onion tart isn’t exactly what they wanted…). I’d suggest that the puddings, while pleasingly decadent, are a little on the heavy side: the crumble to apple ratio was a bit much after the subtle but filling main course, and sticky toffee pudding? Ok – we should have gone for a nice sorbet, but they tempted us. In the interest of the review we chose one of the restaurant’s recommended wines, the Bourgogne Aligoté Chanson Père et Fils 2006. Initially disappointed by a rather weak Burgundy that could have been decidedly better chilled, we ended up impressed at how well it went with the food. It’s a pity that only one of their three recommended wines was available by the glass, as it would have been nice to try a couple. I think that the secret with Fishers is to stick with what they do best, no nonsense, good quality fish. Next time I will be sticking my face directly into a hot shellfish platter and refusing to be distracted no matter how much chilli dipping sauce or delicious stodgy pudding is winningly offered, and I suggest you do the same. Susie Cogan & Jen Pawsey, 30/04/08 Very tasty food and value and portions. Around £15 per main dish. Good service. Best to book and ask to be near window as rest of tables are in underlit area. Public car park just behind as you come into St. Clements after crossing Magdalen Bridge. Mtthw, 22/07/07 We had a delicious meal at Fishers this week; the fresh fish was faultless - delicious, perfectly cooked, and very plump. You get a good money's worth at this restaurant. Our only complaints concerned the staff, who were unattentive, and whom we had to remind to bring a drink and one of our sides after these had clearly been forgotten. The dessert that we ordered did not come with the ice cream that it was meant to, which was a little peculiar, but then this is not somewhere you go to eat dessert; you go for the fantastic quality of the fish. All in all we were extremely impressed with our food, just rather disappointed with the service. 18/07/07 I have been a regular visitor of Fishers for several years now and am very impressed at their continuous ability to provide the best of service and exceptional cuisine. Having recently visited Loch Fine, Petit Blanc and Gees restaurants on the other side of town, which is actually more convenient for my wife and me, I feel compelled to write a review in favour of my favourite restaurant in Oxfordshire. It's not that we had a particularly bad experience in either of the afore mentioned establishments, it's just that I don't believe them to be in the same league, price wise or otherwise. The changing menu and staff always deliver, It's just a shame that they don't deliver - to my house that is! The set lunch menu and early dining offer are great value, although we always like to push the boat out (pardon the pun) with a dozen of their finest Irish rock Oysters. My wife likes to finish off with their outstanding sticky toffee puding. All in all, if you're looking for a great meal, give Fishers a try - if you haven't already.... William, Jericho, 23/05/07 My husband and I have recently moved to Oxford and were informed that fishers was a good place to eat. We took the kids there early last week to see what it was like and were pleasantly surprised. The staff welcomed us as if we had been eating there for years. Almost instantaneously a waitress came over and wielding crayons for the kids (the fact that you can draw on the tables kept them busy for the duration!). The food was faultless. We have come from the coast so are used to fresh shellfish and our food had clearly come off the boat that morning. The scallops were juicy and well prepared, the skate- wing with caper-cream better than any I have had in Cornwall. My husband's Irish oysters were absolutely superb. The kid's menu was great too, and excellent value for money. A return visit is imminent! pen, 09/05/07 Fishers might buck there service ideas up if they had some competition, Ive been there numerous times and on several of those I found the waiting staff to be quite rude. On one occasion we were left looking into our empty dinner plates for nearly an hour until we were offered desert, then they had the cheek to ask us if we could leave because they needed the table, at 10pm!! at this point one of our party was still eating desert! The food has never disappointed but the service most definitely has. 05/04/07 I am very surprised by the negative reviews below. Have visited Fishers 3 or 4 times in the last couple of years (I live nearby) and found that their set menu for lunch (£5 for 2 courses) and early evening meal is such good value and there are always lovely choices. Staff have always been efficient and helpful and the food seems excellent. SBS, 02/04/07 Why does this restaurant continue to receive any good reviews? Service and cooking are second rate, and, despite the reviews, it never changes. Roger, 18/03/07 Ate out 17-03-07 and had a nice dover sole to share for two. The meal was as expected, very good. Last time we eat there was in 1996 so we went back to remind our selves of the past. Only thing I'll say is *** keep the menu you order from ***. We expected a bill for £23 for the fish, only to find another menu placed on the table behind us when the bill was presented but this one stated it was per person! HGibbens, 18/03/07 A lot of my friends have been raving about this restaurant for years so when I was finally able to go for dinner I leapt at the chance. To sum up the entire experience it was incredibly overrated and astonishingly disappointing. Firstly the service was poor, the serving staff did not have a clue about what was in stock. Secondly the chef obviously has no idea how to cook fish or vegetables. It was obvious that the ingredients were of a very high quality but were poorly used. An example is the deep fried tiger prawns, the quality of the prawns were among the best I have ever had but it was wrapped in a rip off tempura batter served with a bad "Thai chilli dip". It was as if they were trying to make the good tasting prawns as bad as they possibly could. The courgettes were incredibly bitter showing no knowledge of how to properly prepare them. Don't even get me started on the main courses. Thirdly it was overpriced. I would recommend that anyone looking for a decent fish restaurant look elsewhere. Kei, 26/02/07 We were greeted with open arms in this warm environment. The food was exceptional, and despite us ordering the wrong cut of pork, it was swiftly exchanged without delay. A wonderful night out. Fishers has the right ambience, mood, not to mention mouth watering food. Oxford Event Hire Ltd., 29/01/07 My husband, son and I thought we would try this well-raved restaurant for lunch. We found the staff to be foul-tempered and not very accommodating. Our food was disappointing, as you would expect to have no bones in your fish when you are paying that much for it. So we payed a high price for a dining experience we did not enjoy. The only highlight in the whole meal was the female manager who was especially kind and accommodating with our young son. Before we even left the restaurant we decided not to return, but the manager was so very kind. Kay, 11/10/06 A very pleasant (and huge) seafood platter was lovely and for the amount we were served and the quality we were prepared to accept the fairly high prices. However, and I know this sounds fairly inconsequential to a good meal, but I found the choice of quite loud European pop music and incredibly naff decor grating. I think if you go to a restaurant and pay £70 for a meal for two then you can expect a kind of refinement of taste, for it to be a great dining experience as a whole, and not for your restaurant to sound and look like a cheap fish and chip shop in Skegness. Rose, 24/09/06 Went to Fishers on Wed 14th June for a birthday party. The table had been set for five people when we were booked for six. I asked the waitress if we could have an extra setting and she rolled her eyes at me. Not the best start to what should have been a lovely evening, and it went downhill from there. We ordered our food, which was overall quite good, but not once during the evening did anyone ask how our meals were, or did we need anything else to eat or drink. In particular there was one waitress who continued to be extremely rude to us when she actually bothered to speak to us. We had brought a cake in for our friend and it was clearly quite a momentous task for our waitress to bring us some plates for it without further eye rolling. I understand restaurants don't have to allow you to bring birthday cakes in, but if they do, then a little more pleasantness is expected. When we were given the bill, we asked for for it without the tip to be included and let them know how we felt on their comments card. Overall despite the good food we had, none of us would return due to the rude and unpleasant waiting staff. The irony is that Fishers promote their birthday party deals on their menus when not one of the staff could give our birthday party a welcome during the whole evening. daingean, 18/06/06 At best, very average. I've only visited once, and have no particular wish to return. On the menu as a starter were scallops in a tomato sauce. Being a scallop fan, I didn't much fancy this, so asked if I could just have them sauted in a little oil and butter. The waitress was very pleasant and said she'd check. All was well and this was what I had - sort of. They were overcooked, about a half centimetre thick, and absolutely tasteless. For the main course both my fellow fish-muncher and I simply chose haddock and chips. These were OK... just about what you can expect from a reasonable chip shop. I wouldn't say stay away, but I certainly wouldn't recommend. Mickey, 22/05/06 My boyfriend and I came to Fishers for a romantic meal. It's fairly expensive, but I suppose that's fair for fresh fish. Neither of us were particularly impressed with our meals though - my lemon sole was a little too salty and quite dry. We were also disappointed in the staff knowledge of the sources of their fish. As many people are aware, some fish (and prawn) stocks are becoming depleted or their capture causes environmental damage, so when I enquired (politely, I hasten to add!) as to the source of some of the fish, I was expecting the staff to assure me that they'd gone to their best efforts to obtain conservationally acceptable fish. However, instead they snapped that it was not their concern - their priority was to get fresh fish and ensure it was cooked properly. This is not a place I would return to, but I don't want to give a bad review, since other people seemed to be enjoying their meals! CCB, 18/01/06 Dinner for two with wine and service £65. Good fish has often been hard to find in Oxford, Fishers has filled this gap. The promises of "out of the water and onto your plate same day" did not disappoint and the freshness of our seafood platter was aided by a bottle of crisp house white. The menu was unfaddish and varied and although there were no oysters, this was a testament to their commitment to freshness. The specials menu looked exciting, dishes varying in price between £15.50 and £11.95, with Roasted Icelandic Cod Steak served on a bed of mash with apple compote looking particularly enticing for £12.50. For those with traditional tastes they offer Haddock and Chips for £9.75. No worrying music choices, a full house and a generous volume of mussels made it worth a second visit. Juliet Hutt , 07/04/05
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