The Scallop Shell - Bath Food Review
Posted on: 2017-02-08
Our rating:
Fish and chips with an upmarket twist
The Scallop Shell is a fish & chip shop takeaway and seafood grill restaurant in Bath’s city centre. It has won several awards including best seafood and best fish & chips at the Bath Good Food Awards 2016. We popped in yesterday to try the famous fish! Read on for our review:
The restaurant doesn’t take bookings, so you have to hope they aren’t too busy when you turn up. Of course in this instance we had booked a table for our review, and we were sure it would be quiet because it was 1pm on a weekday afternoon. Boy, were we wrong! It was packed with people, and we quickly realized that we underestimated how well established The Scallop Shell is in the city, especially as it is hidden down a side street.
They have done well to make it feel like a fish market as you walk in the door because you instantly see the chefs cooking fresh fish and some fish on ice in front of the counter. We were quickly seated by the very welcoming waiters and waitresses and they explained how the menu works. Rather than take your order you have to tick the box next to each dish that you want, then hand in your menu to the person behind the counter. The food menu is one page long as they clearly focus on quality rather than quantity. Next to each fish on the menu it tells you the location that the restaurant sourced it from, for example the Seabream is bought from Brixham market! What a lovely touch; it’s reassuring to see where your food comes from and know how fresh it is.
It would pretty much be a crime not to order scallops in The Scallop Shell so that was one of the starters we ordered along with crispy fried day boat squid (£7.50). There are three scallops in one portion (£7.50) and they are authentically served in the shells and with garlic herb butter. Beautifully melt-in-the-mouth the scallops were perfect and there was plenty of the tantalizingly tasty garlic herb butter to dip them into. The squid was coated in a thin batter with salt and pepper, and served with chilli jam. The chefs make all of the sauces on site aswell so it all tastes homemade. The squid was slightly chewy as to be expected but not so much that it wasn’t enjoyable. It was a big portion for a starter, which is good if you’re hungry, but it wasn’t too filling. I would order both of these starters again I enjoyed them that much.
For the main event, we went for grilled fish rather than battered, to try something a bit different. All the fish are served with chips and homemade tartare sauce. My whole Seabream (£14.95) was grilled in rosemary and garlic, which was perfect for quite a meaty fish. The flavours were strong but not overpowering and I loved how wonderfully the rosemary actually paired with this fish. The chips were crispy and not greasy at all, neither was the fish and that was one of the best things because the meal didn’t feel heavy or cheap. The tartare sauce was divine, and I don’t usually like tartare sauce! My dining guest tried the Lemon Sole which was another faultless dish. It was more delicate than the Seabream, and it has a bit less meat on it because it is a thinner fish but the delicate flavours were lovely.
There are several sides you can choose from including creamy mushy peas and red spicy homemade curry sauce. They have to be tried if you want the full fish & chip experience, plus these particular sides are only £1.50 each. Fabulous value! Whether you love seafood or good old classic fish & chips this restaurant is a must-visit for a new tasty experience.
Ratings:
Atmosphere 5/5
Service 5/5
Food 5/5
Value 5/5
Address: 22 Monmouth St, Bath BA1 2AY. Check out The Scallop Shell's website here and find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Article by:
Born in Bath, Safia has lived on the outskirts of the city her whole life. After studying journalism in Bristol she now spends a lot of her time searching for new things to see in Bath and soaking up the beautiful culture. You're most likely to find her sipping a soya latte in a lovely little independent cafe! Call Safia on 07468 516375 or email editor@365Bath.com.
