Restaurants

With its cream-timbered beach house interior, Fish Hook feels like a cosy seaside cottage that has been inexplicably washed up off the Chiswick High Road. Yet behind its simple, laid-back appearance lies some sophisticated cooking, courtesy of chef-owner Michael Nadra, who has worked with the likes of Stephen Terry, Bruce Poole and Anthony Demetre. There are no clichés on his menu; instead, Nadra likes matching meat with fish, giving a clever, modern twist to ‘surf and turf’. So Shetland mussels come with ham hock, grilled sea bream with bayonne ham and wild turbot with alsace bacon. A cassoulet of huss and roast pork belly was a nice idea; sadly it was let down by overcooked pork and undercooked white beans. Better were the deep-fried sardines with Sicilian tomatoes; the dark, intense, bisque studded with mixed seafood; and the delicate three-way dish of mackerel presented as cured, tartare and tempura. Service can be slow, but in an area dominated by ‘same as high street’ chain restaurants, Fish Hook is a good catch.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009