The Fishes
Restaurant & Drinking Establishment
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Large, recently refurbished (2005) restaurant-pub in semi-rural location. Impressive (and correspondingly expensive) menu (all on website). Outdoor seating on terrace and amongst pine trees - picnic hampers available in summer. Some children's play equipment and 2 Aunt Sally (traditional Oxfordshire pub game) sets. Restaurant overlooks garden. Occasional salsa evenings. |
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North Hinksey Village Ads by Daily Info:
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The Fishes recently ran an event to inform people about the Scottish Skipper Scheme. Read a review of it here!
Daily Info Staff, 07/03/08 I went for lunch here recently - it is a very nice setting. I had a cheeseboard for a starter to share, and it was very nice indeed, with decent size portions for two; for the main course I had the Cornish plaice, which wasn't bad, but not as good as I would have expected - dessert was great though, it was a very sweet caramel fudge cake with custard. Overall it was quite nice, the service was good, the food was pretty good & the atmosphere was good. I would probably go there again (but would get a different main course I think). Maybe the prices were a bit high, but then that's like most places nowadays. Christopollus, 29/02/08 The Fishes is consistently excellent. They have an impressive quote from Raymond Blanc on their publicity materials ("I really admire these guys, they've done it the way I would have done it"), and it's clear that they've earned it. I last went there at the start of December 2007 to claim the free bottle of champagne that they had offered me via their e-mailing list (providing I went along within two weeks either side of my birthday and ate at least 2 mains). Given that it was a significant birthday, we decided to splash out, and went for the Gressingham duck platter for 2 to share (£32). This would have included breasts and confit legs, root veg. dauphinoise, curly kale and bacon and cherry compote, but as it happened they'd run out of the Gressingham, so offered very kindly to provide a Shoveler duck equivalent insead (from the specials board). All the other accompaniments were there - and delicious. Service was friendly and attentive though the restaurant was very busy with pre-Christmas party bookings, and we had a great time - and what's more, got a bargain what with the free fizz! Whenever we fancy a real treat, the Fishes is at the top of our list. Su Jordan, 04/01/08 We went last week for a small family celebration. Whitebait (contrary to the review below) were really good, as was the home made tartare sauce. I had a huge, beautifully cooked, sweet plaice as fish of the day, my son was bowled over by the pan fried trout with spinach and watercress sauce, sea bass was equally good. Not so great on the night was the chicken stew, or the steak which was a bit tough. But overall, great experience as always, attentive and friendly service generally, fantastic chips which are very hard to resist, and the meals are inventive. Sometimes they don't quite come off, but they're always interesting. Chocolate mousse vanished in seconds. What it has in its favour, above all, is consistency. Go and enjoy. Sue, 25/08/07 I went here recently again and found the prices have increased from dear to expensive. I ordered the sole and it was too small, I wanted to eat fish, not new potatoes. The service was terrible we were constantly ignored and the place was very quiet. How difficult is it to give people value for money and some attention, really someone needs to stop taking the mick and shake this place up! It is a lovely spot in an attractive setting and is being ruined by poor management and percieved profit, a shame and sign of the times? KnowsHisFoodGuy, 01/07/07 I have eaten at The Fishes a number of times and was very excited to visit last week to try out the new menu. We were not disappointed. My husband had Crab and Lobster Salad as a starter whilst the children tucked in to a delicious plate of Whitebait served with a fresh Tartar Sauce. I had the Pork Ribs which I first thought a little odd as a starter. However the portion was spot on and the meat was succulent and very, very tasty. For main course the children opted for the 28day steak a firm favourite and my husband and I tried the Bream on a board for two to share. This was excellent both in presentation and taste and was served with what can only be described as the best Clam Chowder that we have ever tasted - and we are big chowder fans! The childrens vegetables were fresh and cooked to perfection. The children will not eat overcooked vegetables!! Patsy, 21/06/07 I live in Oxford and recently visited the much recommended 'The Fishes' with my partner and Dad for a birthday meal. We had booked a table for sunday evening. I was really inpressed when we arrived, lovely grounds, surprisingly quiet, and the decor was great. The A La Carte menu was presented and a few things took my fancy! After eventually deciding what to have (now this always takes me a long time!), we then had to wait for about 20 minutes to be asked our order. -There were only about six other occupied tables. The waiter apologised and obviously hadn't realised that nobody had taken our order. My partner and I chose devilled whitbait, obviously expecting fresh fish dipped in flour and fried. When they arrived they were breadcrumbed, and probably frozen, very diasappointing! My Dad enjoyed his salmon starter. My partner enjoyed his steak main course. I chose fillets of sea bass served with summer vegetables and basil oil. The fish was lovely, BUT (!) the basil oil was not to be seen and for the summer vegetables, the fish was served on a bed of pak choi and frozen peas and sweetcorn. Not very good when you're paying over 14pounds for a dish. My Dad had the fish special: lemon sole served with new potatoes, and ordered a seperate side dish of courgettes, green beans and peas. He enjoyed the fish. The side order was presented. This turned out to be a bowl of mushy looking brocolli, cauliflower and cabbage. When we then called the waiter to explain it wasnt what we had ordered, we were told that they only served vegetables that were served with the roast on Sundays. It was quite obvious we were having Sunday Lunch leftovers. The waiter told us that this dish would be taken off the bill. My Dad enjoyed a standard cheese board for dessert and I chose the summer pudding which was satisfactory. My partner decided to have a whiskey which we waited a long time for (I'd already finished my dessert). Having caught a waitress' eye and asked for it, she apologised and told us she was "just about to bring it", it then arrived with something floating in it. My Dad was treating us to this meal and I just felt awful, I felt I didn't want to complain too much as it was a special occasion. The side dish was not removed form the bill until we reminded them. The bill came to over 100pounds.The majority of what was ordered was either incorrect, below standard or a long time arriving. We also were disappointed in the waiting service, for example, following our main course, we waited a long time whilst two or three waiters cleared down vacant tables before clearing our used dishes. Although we enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, we felt that the familiarity of the waiting staff was inappropriate, particularly when there were issues with our order. Overall, I would not recommend this pub/restaurant for anything other than a quiet drink in the attractive grounds. Kathy, 16/06/07 Visited for first time in about 5 years and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. Pub is a lot more modern than it used to be - gone are the dark wood and red carpets and pub tat, in are light wooded tones and a more minimalist look making it feel like a proper gastropub/wine bar. We were only stopping for a drink so I didn't sample the food but I noticed a menu with picnic hampers on that sounded like fun (if a little pricey). The overall high prices carried on into the drinks menu as we were charged a scary £7.40 for a Magners cider and a cranberry Innocent juice drink. Having said that the juice was excellent and it so rare you see this in pubs. There was also Hoegaarden and Leffe on tap. We chose to sit on one of the benches at the front rather than in the palatial but shady back garden and although it was getting on for 3 in the afternoon, the pub was still buzzing with clientele finishing off lunches. Overall, classy pub for dining or summer drinking in lovely location Joe B, 14/06/07 It's all well-presented and the venue's great in a faux-Oz open plan decking style, but the prices have edged way too high. Roast chicken salad for 13 smackers is just cheeky. We've eaten there about five times over the last year and it feels like we're dropping more on drinks/mains on each visit. Sadly, it's still a rare gem in Oxford's shoddy and self-congratulatory restaurant scene, which makes it attractive, but I wish they'd curb the greed slightly. The Howler, 04/06/07 This place is brilliant. The service is impeccable, the surroundings elegant and comfortable (fresh flowers, cushions, heatlamps on the decking), and the food... aaah! The food! Shared the 20oz 28 day dry-aged roast rib of Aberdeenshire beef with dauphinoise potatoes, curly kale, red wine sauce (gravy) and bloody mary butter - all served on a wooden board - with my partner on Monday night. Absolutely fantastic. And all the chefs get the chance to go on an outing to the farm where the meat is raised, as well as having organised staff trips to the abattoir to see the butchering process. And the rioja recommended by our excellent waitress complemented the meal perfectly. All this and a salsa lesson in the side bar should you wish to burn off a few calories afterwards! What more can one say?! The Dining Queen, 28/03/07 Excellent and consistent quality. I have eaten there many times and would not hesitate to take anyone as a guest. They are just refreshing their menu for Spring and I was lucky enough to go along to their tasting evening for this menu recently. Some good additions, some which didn't work quite as well, but an excellent idea to involve your customers in this way, just £20 for nine tasting dishes, including wine. I will continue eat there regularly. The rump cap steak is partcularly good. Roger, 18/03/07 Having lived in Oxford for some years and spent most of my weekends visiting pubs and restaurants within a small radius of our fine city, I have found the perfect place. The Fishes in North Hinksey have consistently produced outstanding food, with the perfect atmosphere and the service has always been outstanding. I have recommended The Fishes to all my friends and business contacts and I know they have all visited this superb place on many occasions. Please visit Ben and all his staff, as i can assure you ALL of a perfect experience. Keep up the outstanding work. Nigel Blanchard, 16/03/07 I feel obliged to write about the Fishes after the truly superb meal I had there last night. My partner and I ate there several months ago and signed up for their email newsletter, which also put you into a draw for a free bottle of champers. Imagine my delight when, this month, I was emailed directly and told I had won said bottle if we dined there within two weeks and both had a main course dish. We arrived in time for our booking but were offered the chance to sit and enjoy a drink beforehand. This we did, alongside some of the best mixed olives I have had for a long time (accompanied by red chillis - the mild burn and the chopped garlic complemented perfectly the mouth-watering flavour of the various olives - I can only advise that you watch out for the seeds unless you are a true spice fiend!) I had a perfectly adequate glass of house white which, with the olives and my partner's pint came to a slightly expensive £9.80 - I refuse to moan at the price thanks to the olives! My only complaint at this point was that I had asked for a glass of mulled wine that was advertised behind me on a large blackboard, only to be told that they were not starting to serve the wine until tomorrow. When we got to our table we were greeted with a large basket of bread and butter and champagne. The Fishes used to provide a very dark brown, malty, sweet tasting bread in this basket but this was sadly lacking. I don't know whether they no longer provide it or whether they had just run out. I recommend keeping an eye out for it as it has a sublime flavour. I ordered the haddock and prawn smoky while my partner opted for the pumpkin and sage risotto (with bacon) - you could choose the vegetarian or carnivorous option! My starter was fantastic, a rich smoky tasting combination of chunks of haddock, shell off prawns and cheese. The risotto was also fantastic, not too rich (some restaurants seem to make it with ladles of creamy butter rich sauce), but just the right combination of the slightly bitter taste of the pumpkin and the smoky flavour of the bacon. His only complaint was that, for a starter, it was very filling! For our main courses we chose the pork with celeriac and sage mash and apple and blue cheese sauce (my partner) and the prawn and scallop sizzler (myself). We were offered a wide range of accompaniments (vegetables etc.) but declined. My meal came out in true Indian restaurant tandoori style on a very hot dish sizzling and spitting away. Again, it was truly delicious - the simple flavours of the scallops and shell on prawns gently combined with lemon and garlic. It came with a small pot of watercress, which also helped to refresh my mouth slightly, and complemented the dish perfectly. My partner's dish was less exciting and he was not over-awed by it. However, I think this was just a bad choice on his part and he fully admitted he was jealous of my gorgeous food! The pork was free range and cooked properly with the fat still on and the sauce was nice - not amazing, but passable. The celeriac mash was, to my taste, revolting, but I should hurriedly add that I hate the taste of celery. My partner stated it was adequate, but nothing special. For desert we both had a glass of port and decided it had been a very satisfying and pleasant evening. I highly recommend the Fishes and would strongly advise any seafood lovers to look at their online menu - they have recently revamped the menu and it is very focused on good, fresh seafood (in my opinion the menu is 100 times better than it used to be!). The bill came to a very reasonable £58 for two - champagne not included. DrMukti, 27/11/06 I ate at the Fishes with some colleagues this evening and I can recommend it. There is a very convivial atmosphere, the decor is great, staff were very attentive (it wasn't very busy though, so I have no idea if the service is as good when full) and the food was good. Their starters are particularly good value. It is true, however, that some of the advertised ingredients weren't available, but alternatives are offered, so none of us was too bothered. I would definitely go back. Josh, 17/10/06 My experiences at the Fishes since its refurbishment have been mixed. The picnic baskets are, by and large, a good deal and work well, but the sit-down meals my family and I have had there over the past year have been disappointing. There is always a long wait for the food to arrive and the bread and butter they bring is not complimentary. There is also a wide selection on the menu, but there is invariably something missing when the food arrives, like vegetables, or sauce. Last Sunday, for example, we ordered the nut roast with all the trimmings; when this FINALLY (30 minutes later!)arrived it turned out to be a pot of nut roast, a Yorkshire pudding on top, two small roast potatoes, with a bowl of chopped cabbage with the odd slice of carrot in it for both of us. I don't know if you have ever tried to eat nut roast, Yorkshire pudding, and roast potatoes with out any kind of sauce or gravy (only meat gravy was available) but it's pretty dry! There seemed to be enough staff, but we still had difficulty attracting their attention. And seeing the staff cuddling and stroking a dog before picking up our food and bringing it to us did not inspire confidence. The Fishes always seems quite busy whenever we have tried to go there, but to be quite honest I can't understand why! Ginny, 21/09/06
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