Fresh produce, beachside dining, chilled atmosphere and wine… okay I can see that you’re drooling already… nothing beats it!
One of my favourite places in Sydney is the Fish Shop by Merivale Group. Fresh fish, fun staff and chilled hamptons atmosphere. The problem with the Fish Shop is that it is away from the beach so it’s difficult to get into your sailor boy kinda feel. However I recently discovered that in my hometown of Perth there is a little fish place that does fresh seafood, cool staff and chilled atmosphere opposite Cottesloe Beach.
They don’t take bookings, so we rock-up in the early afternoon hoping to snare a prized table. We get one with a view – purrfect.
The décor is so nautical, the fresh market items handwritten on chalk boards and the wine menu is amazing. Service is fantastic. Can it get any better… the waitresses have that “tanned, just been at the beach” look – they really belong on the catwalk!
I have a Mediterranean Fizz – grape, lime and vanilla style cocktail which is just lovely. The table goes with a Pinot Grigio (Jones Road) – which is soft, silky and flows on the tongue with a crisp taste of pears and nectarine fruits. It pairs delightfully with the fish. We have some starters which include some crab on a bed of soft polenta and some bonito tataki.
We order our mains, I opt for the beautiful barramundi with eggplant caponata (a thick Sicilian stew which is used as a side). The barramundi is simply amazing – the sweet flaky barramundi fillet is perfectly topped with soft tangy eggplant caponata and the crispy skin just adds texture and is full of flavour. The sea breeze and the relaxed vibe of this place just adds to the experience.
The rest of the crew go with the octopus, trout and swordfish.
Then we progress to desserts. I go with the Cheese Platter of:
- Asagio: which is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese with a sweet and nutty flavour
- Saporini: a soft cow, goat and sheep milk white mould cheese aged 4 weeks
- Gorgonzola dolce: a sweet gorgonzola. Made using pasteurized cow’s milk and aged for 3 months.
I pair it with a glass of shiraz from Sandalford Estate… a perfect end to the evening.
The table goes for the baked peaches thyme, cardamom and mascarpone…. and
White chocolate pannacotta strawberry salad with raspberry macaroon.
