Hix Oyster & Fish House

Gmbklm ( 40s, Male, United Kingdom )

The restaurant is in a great elevated position, on a steep hill at the back of a small coast side public park, with lovely views along the coastline – at least when it’s sunny. It must have one of the best English seaside restaurant locations; similar to Tresanton in Cornwall.

The restaurant is small, but since it has large areas of glass with very simple brasserie / café style furniture, it is very bright, breezy and airy. Not sure how it will feel on a cold dark wet winter evening ?

Service was generally very competent and friendly, and reasonably knowledgeable. There was also no pressure to push us out after our very nice very extended lunch.

The menu was short – I guess in the interests of freshness and efficiency – but with sufficient choice . We both ordered grilled bream, which was very fresh and very good – high quality whole fish with its head, simply cooked and presented – as we like it. The starters, side orders and wine were equally as good. Not surprisingly, the cooking and food style is the fish equivalent of Hix in Clerkenwell.

You can’t change the weather or the roads, but it makes a very nice change to be able to eat at such good quality seaside restaurant, without having to catch a plane.

It will be very interesting to see how locals and tourists take to this style of cooking and service, with simple quality dishes, served in a relatively informal way in smart café style interior; since it doesn’t really fit the traditional model for a relatively more expensive quality restaurant.