The Fishes

I went for a special meat night and I LOVED it! They brought out the cuts of meat for us to select and when the order came out it was perfect. I will certainly return.

zoineos (DI User), 02/04/12

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Went for a roast on Sunday and felt a bit disappointed, having heard good things about the place. The food wasn't bad, just very average, and didn't really justify the prices (£13/£14) they were charging. A shame.

blurts (Unverified), 15/11/11

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Message to Mansters. Thanks for the feedback below. So sorry it wasn't good enough. I can't get in touch another way, so I hope you see this eventually.

We always strive to get it right and we'd love to persuade you to come and eat with us again.

If you email me on jeremy.knivett@peachpubs.com, I'll personally make sure you are properly looked after.

Jeremy (Unverified), 28/06/11

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My husband and I went for an anniversary lunch last week. We both ordered the Aberdeen Angus burger and chips for £10. At this price we were expecting good quality. When they arrived the frozen french fries were undercooked, limp and cold. We were returned them both and they were returned recooked. After two bites of the burger in a large but low quality bun, we surrendered! The burgers were thin, grey and bendy, reminding me of the first type of burgers available in this country that my Mum bought in the 70s. They tasted sort of synthetic and I felt very unsure that an Aberdeen Angus had been anywhere near them. We didn't want to spoil our anniversary lunch and I didn't want to make a fuss, but my husband was furious at having to pay a premium price for inferior quality. We were offered no condiments either, so again after speaking quietly to the manager, we returned the food. We were then left at the table with no contact by any staff for a good 20 minutes. After beginning to run out of time, we asked the waitress what was happening. She went to check with the manager who said that our drinks bill had been settled! We took it from this that we were no longer welcome and we left. This place is the place to go in this area and prides itself on its cooking standards - the ambience and decoration etc is fabulous, however the food on this occasion was disastrous and the customer service little better :(

Mansters (Unverified), 02/06/11

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I dined in the Fishes with 3 friends recently and have seen an improvement that was worth noting. The atmosphere in the main restaurant was good, with lighting and noise levels allowing us to chat away at ease without feeling overheard, even though the tables are quite close together. Some verging on tacky fishy decor did not impose on the fresh looking tables but the toilets could definately do with some fixing and tlc!

The food was the main reason for this review, I can highly recommend trying this place for a treat as now the portion sizes and quality are worth the slightly high price tag. The quality of ingredients shone through but it was refreshing to see that they had been enhanced, not murdered by the cooking staff. I was also pleased to see that sourcing was seasonal and local - this gets my vote! For starter the pork terrine and a salad featuring pear, chestnuts and butternut squash were our favorites within the group. A good range of mains were offered from a beautifully cooked sea bass on a salad base to a hearty lamb and chickpea dish. Little room was left for our desserts but they were so enticing that we ordered too much and were offered a doggy bag by the staff who were attentive throughout the evening.

Service was generally good, we tend to dine for the entire evening and felt no rush with the staff. We were given suggestions for the wine but also felt we were not pushed into the more expensive bottles. All in all we felt like we had a really good evening and a touch of luxury thanks to the food and staff.

Verulam292 (Unverified), 13/11/10

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A friend and I popped down for a drink on Bonfire night. We were greeted with a hub of activity from a heaving fire in the garden to one of the best Hog Roast Baps I have had for a long time. In fact we enjoyed ourselves so much, that we came back the next night with more friends for dinner. The service was expectional and all the staff were friendly and knowledgable. The food was not only delicious but very generously sized: we ended up taking a doggy bag home. I will certainly be coming back here next time I am in Oxford!

Gerry (Unverified), 13/11/10

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I have been several times with my mum and my granny and we loved it - really great service, fantastic in fact, all smiles and they know their stuff. really good advice on the wines and what goes with what. Food was really tasty. I've had a number of dishes and like to go with the specials. It's got a great atmos, great garden and a local feel. Thumbs UP!

KTG (Unverified), 09/11/10

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Myself and a party of friends went to the Fishes at 7.30pm this Saturday, the place was heaving, great atmosphere and great food, I ordered the sea bream, which was absolutely amazing, perfectly cooked, an absolute pleasure to eat, I can safely speak for the rest of my party, that the whole experience was fully enjoyed. To sum up, attentive smiley service, and unpretentious food cooked perfectly, great value for your money!

ursi (Unverified), 23/10/10

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We were a party of seven. I believe I speak for each of us when I say that we were very disappointed with our lunch at The Fishes on a Friday. The noise in the restaurant was so deafening we were unable to hear each other speak, due not only to the clientele, but to the crashing about by the staff with plates, glasses and cutlery. The service could best described as slapdash and amateurish and the food was nothing out of the very ordinary! I thought the cost of our meal was exceedingly poor value for money. The choice of draught ales also left much to be desired.

richard (Unverified), 30/09/10

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A large group of us met at The Fishes recently, after attending a wedding in Oxford the day before. To say it was disappointing is an understatement. We had ordered individual picnic boxes. When they arrived, I felt that they did not contain nearly enough. At £6 each, it was certainly not worth it, in my opinion. We then had to go and queue up again and buy baguettes for a £1 each. I felt the menu was very unclear about what you got for your money. As we don't live in Oxford, I doubt that we will ever go again, but others should be aware.

21/07/10

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I worry that the Fishes is going downhill. My partner and I had lunch there this weekend and both of us were hugely unimpressed with our meal. As we had made a last minute decision to walk there for a late lunch the menu we could choose from was severely limited, though I must give them credit for serving some food all day.

I choose the Fishcakes and Spinach and he opted for the Steak Burger and Chips. My fishcake was generous in size but sadly, the overwhelming flavour of someone being heavy handed with the dill ruined the dish completely for me. I do like the herb but it was so strong my partner could smell it from across the table! Nothing had been seasoned properly and the fishcake had gone very soggy underneath from being perched on poorly drained spinach. My partner had the same complaint about his burger and said it was almost tasteless and not very pleasant. Although most of the chips we had were very good, we did appear to have undercooked chips mixed in with our cooked ones, which was not pleasant. Both of us left over half of our meal even though we had arrived feeling ravenously hungry. It's a shame, because it's a pub I really like, I believe they have the right ethos to their food and I would hate to see it go downhill.

Come on guys! Don't let such a great place go to waste.

Dr Mukti (DI User), 08/06/10

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Where do we begin, such a disappointment, after the hype we had read beforehand, we had expected something different to what we got.The food was mediocre and the service no better, I know it was a bank holiday, but good caterers deal with these things. After the main course we waited 30 minutes for dessert, and the best part of 45 minutes for coffee, verdict overpriced, overstated, and over altogether as far as our party of 8 are concerned.

len gee (Unverified), 31/05/10

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The Fishes is great. As you can tell by the sheer number of reviews on this page, it's very popular, with every day a busy day as far as I can tell. (I've no idea how they manage to fit an evening dance class schedule in there as well - but they do.) It's always worth calling to book (even though they can probably accommodate you on the decked balcony overlooking the garden - or in the garden in daytimes, with a hamper), or you're likely to face a wait. The wait's worth it. I've eaten here on numerous occasions and can say that my broad impression of the place is that the food is good, well-sourced, well cooked and not overpriced. Have a look at their noticeboard near the loos for all their positive national & local press, and their displayboards in the loos showing you where they get their coffee, how their suppliers train their staff, etc. Said staff are efficient, refreshingly knowledgeable and remarkably unflappable considering the speed with which they are required to move (perhaps this is a particularly South African ability, as they all seem to be from there!).

Last time we went (a couple of nights ago) we both had soft shell crab to start, with their standardly delicious bread and butter alongside. If you don't know Thai food, this might freak you out a bit, as the whole thing is deep fried in tasty spices and you crunch your way through the whole creature, shell and all. It was perfectly cooked and the dressing was deliciously sweet and citrusy, with a crisp salad (no hint of a wizened tomato). Be brave! It's worth it.

For mains we had 1) the pork and 2) the ricotta, tomato and herb pancakes (which you can have at starter or main course size - a handy feature of several dishes on the menu), both of which were excellent. Too full for dessert, one of their Union Coffee espressos went down well.

Get yourself on their mailing list for their seasonal '2 courses for £12.50' deal, and you're away!

Su Jordan (DI Staff), 27/05/10

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Went to the Fishes today (been many times before - is usually one of my other half's favourites). As usual the setting was perfect - even more so as we sat outside. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the service and food. The service was friendly but slow and somewhat disorganised. They were pretty busy but I have been there when it's very busy before but the service has been better that it was today. We do not normally wait 10-15 mins for drinks and get no bread.

After a 25+ min wait for our mains the food was mediocre. My ribs were luke warm (but pretty tasty I will admit) and the potatoes they came with were greasy. My partner, who usually raves about the Fishes, said his fish & chips was just ok. I didn't complain as we had already been seated for 45-50 mins before the food arrived and we had to go back to work.

In the past I have excused the mixed food (sometimes great, sometimes not) as the setting, ambience and service made up for it - today unfortunately only the setting was worth travelling for.

Oxjill (Unverified), 21/05/10

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Got down to the Fishes again after an absence of a year. Saturday lunch - it was busy and yet the service was great - personal and reasonably fast given how popular it is. I had their Deli Board as a starter and then a Paella - great fun and and nearly as good as my favourite restaurant in Menorca.

Great garden, great atmosphere and I have always had good food at the Fishes. I like it.

27/07/09

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I went today to The Fishes for Sunday lunch, a rare outing with our new baby. It is a very child friendly establishment with plenty of room for a pram and no disparaging looks from fellow diners at the sight of one.

We were greeted by a very friendly bar man and our order, roast beef Sunday lunch and nut roast Sunday lunch, was received within record time having arrived a little after the main lunchtime rush. My partner's beef was superb, my nut roast however (which cost only £1 less and was ordered only because the other vegetarian choices were the usual unappealing butternut squash or cheese concoctions) bore no resemblance to a nut roast and was more of a stew; the roast potatoes were barely roasted and the cheesey cauliflower almost a puree, it was so overcooked.

We then waited an age for our plates to be cleared and so long for someone to take our dessert order we lost the desire for the planned crème brulee and just ordered coffee.

Just to round off the disapointment of the whole experience the coffee was almost cold and the cappucino was more a latte with a sprinkling of chocolate on top; the coffee blurb in the toilets explains its origins and also boasts the expert training of their staff in coffee production. I would suggest they are booked in for retraining as soon as possible. An all round huge let down from an establishment that has previously offered lovely food and fantastic service.

charliecheese (Unverified), 11/01/09

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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 (DI User), 29/02/08

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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 (DI Staff), 04/01/08

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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.

IgorStrav (DI User), 25/08/07

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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 (DI User), 01/07/07

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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!!

We then moved on to the dessert. The Lemon Meringue tasted as if my mother had made it and I didn't get a look at the Chocolate Mousse as the children demolished it amongst grins of satisfaction!!

The staff were very friendly and approachable.They were attentive without being overbearing. The children are always made to feel very welcome. They headed off to the garden after they had had their fill while we sat and had coffee and 10 minutes peace.

We were not rushed and were told to relax for as long as suited us. The Fishes always has a buzzing atmosphere and yet one can feel relaxed and well looked after.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it or to return with friends. A thouroughly enjoyable experience - even the children said so!!

Patsy (Unverified), 21/06/07

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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 (Unverified), 16/06/07

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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 (Unverified), 14/06/07

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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 (Unverified), 04/06/07

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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 (Unverified), 28/03/07

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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 (Unverified), 18/03/07

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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 (Unverified), 16/03/07

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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.

Dr Mukti (DI User), 27/11/06

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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 (Unverified), 17/10/06

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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!

BaronessBlack (DI User), 21/09/06

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