You know you live in Harrogate when a Champagne & Lobster bar opens right on your doorstep. FISK is the latest restaurant to open in Harrogate. Tucked away on the very trendy street of Cold Bath Road it offers superb food for that special occasion.
Niki surprised me by reserving a table at FISK back in November. I think we’ve walked past it so many times he was fed up of me saying I really want to go there! It’s only a small restaurant with around 20 covers so you know you’re going to get the very best treatment. However upon walking in I wasn’t best pleased with the welcome. “Have you got a reservation?” was the response from the waitress. Now no matter the price of a restaurant I would hope to be greeted with a friendly smile and a welcome, could I take your name or something similar? Horto at Rudding Park and Hotel du Vin are great at attentive service and as it’s a similar price I’d have hoped for more. However, we all have off nights so I put that to the back of my mind as it was a treat and nothing was going to spoil that.
Seafood restaurant menu
Sitting at our table the Manager came over and took our order. The menu had a wonderful mix of options from your traditional seafood like lobster, He was lovely and knew his stuff but Niki knew what we were having and order a very long list of food… wowzer not sure I was going to be able to eat it all but I do love a man to take charge!
FISK is owned and run by couple Kanyana and Stuart Wiliams. The name FISK originates from the Scandinavian word for fish however their food has an Asian influence as owner and head chef, Kanyana originates from Bangkok.
Champagne & Oysters
The restaurant itself was stylish and just the right amount of elegance however it did echo a bit and I’d prefer it to have a more intimate feel. As we were in a Champagne and lobster bar we ordered the Pol Roger Champagne Flight (£27) – this is three glasses of different Pol Roger Champagnes, one with each course. FISK have an exclusive range of Pol Roger Champagnes for you to try.
Our first was the Brut Réserve and as Champagne goes hand in hand with oysters so we tried both options. The fresh oysters are sourced from Cumbrae, Scotland; the first was served with a Pol Roger Sauce and Caviar (£4). To be honest it’s not really my bag. I don’t get the appeal and will never forget my first time trying an oyster. It was on an interview of a waitressing job at Loch Fine – it had tobacco sauce on it and my prospective employer was luck I didn’t spit it back out at him. However the second oyster was Asian Style (£3) and tasted very nice. I was surprised and would have it again especially the topping.
It’s more thank just a seafood restaurant
We decided to start with a Seared King Scallops, Pea Puree & Prosciutto Crisp (£12), and for those who aren’t keen on seafood FISK offer a choice of dishes including the Spicy Fillet of Beef Thai Salad (£12). For me these were the two stand-out dishes. The scallops were cooked to sweet perfection and went perfectly with the pureed peas and salty Prosciutto ham. The Beef Thai Salad was incredible, so much so we have been trying to make it at home but it is impossible without the skills and knowledge of head chef, Kanyana. I know what you’re thinking £12 for a starter, these are some of the more expensive starters but the portions are generous and after having both I feel they were reasonably priced.
Catch of the Day – Lobster
It certainly caught Niki’s eye. He’d ordered us the Catch of the Day which is for two people and priced at £59. The platter offered us a Hake (this could change with the season), Wild King Prawn, a whole Lobster and Squid. Also included in the price was the choice of two sides. We opted for the Fried Rice with Sea Vegetables and Pad Thai Street Noodles.
Again the portion size was fantastic and I would say the stand out for me has to be the standard of food and its creative twist on seafood classics. The Asian flavours of each element of the platter was superb and even the side dishes were perfect.
To accompany our main we had the Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut. I do love Champagne but I wasn’t aware of what Champagne it was I tasted as the waitress didn’t explain but merely placed the glass down and left. This is such a shame especially if FISK is trying to establish themselves as a cut above the rest.
Faultless food
Yes we made it to dessert and our third glass of Pol Roger which went to both of our heads! Like most things we decided to share dessert too. We chose the Dark Chocolate Mousse (£6) followed by the Cheese, Quince, Truffle Hunter White Truffle Honey (£10). Hang on does that mean we had five courses – oops!
Again the food was faultless and the cheese options were perfect to finish any meal along with the last of our Pol Roger Champagne, the Rich Demi Sec.
The Seafood Restaurant is expanding outside of Harrogate
After only a short time FISK have secured a second site in Prestbury. I wish them all the best but I feel FISK need to ensure their business model is right. This means executing high end, friendly service if they are going to carry on charging the current prices but keep the food exactly where it is – delicious! Why not give it a try and tell me about your FISK experience.
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P.S. Thank you to my man, Niki for the amazing treat #oneadventureatatime
When I first moved to Yorkshire, I lived just off the Cold Bath Road. Such a lovely place and this restaurant sounds fantastic. Champagne and seafood… Heaven.
You can’t beat living off Cold Bath Road. There’s some cracking places opened this year on the road. Thanks for reading xx