It had been a whole three weeks since His Nibs, Mummy Bird and I had gone out for Sunday Lunch – basically a whole life-time in Mummy’s eyes!! Obviously, this situation needed rectifying, like, pronto-tonto! A while back, The Man and I had visited Go Fish Seafood Bar and Grill in Buxton and had a splendid meal so, when we heard that they were doing Sunday Roasts, it was a no-brainer as to where we were heading.
Tucked at the side of a new housing development, on a little retail park with a pet store, artisan coffee specialist, and Aldi across the way, is the gem that is Go Fish. Needless to say, there is plenty of parking, and we managed to get a spot with no problem at all. Usually, the fish counter is heaving with all sorts of temptations but, with it being Sunday, it was not in action – though there were several ready-prepped things to buy. Head Chef/Manager Alan Hill doesn’t normally work Sundays but it was fully booked, so he dabbed-in with Chef Ian to ensure that diners were getting top-notch food and service.
A lovely young lady showed us to our table, smack-dab in front of the open kitchen, and quickly got us sorted with table water and drinks: Pinot Grigio for Mummy (£7.95), Shiraz for me (£9.95) and a Picpoul de Pinet for The Man (£10.50). As well as the roasts, you can choose the other dishes on offer, but we stuck to the Sunday menu. Mummy had spotted the Salmon Hollandaise (£17.50), and fancied the Mediterranean Fish Soup to start (£8.50), so that was her all sorted. I liked the sound of the Puglia Seafood Salad (£10.50) to start, followed by Roast Leg of Lamb (£19.95); His Nibs ordered the Smoked Haddock Fishcake as his first course (£7.95), and the Roast Sirloin of Beef for main (£19.95). Alternate choices of roasts are Roast Chicken or Turkey, both £19.95. All of the roasts at Go Fish come with Braised Red Cabbage, Vichy Carrots, Tenderstem Broccoli, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Roasties, Cauliflower Cheese, Pig-in-Blanket, Stuffing, Yorkshire Pudding, and Homemade Gravy. Kids Roast Dinners are priced at £9.95.
Before long, we were served our [very generously proportioned] starters, all presented beautifully and sparkling with colour. Mummy was grinning like a loon before she’d even brought the soup-spoon to her lips! The aromas were carried over our table on tendrils of steam, and the soup smelled divine, it must be said. That first spoonful elicited a gentle sigh of contentment, and a “oooh, that’s superb!”. Smooth, but thick, in consistency, this was a seriously tasty morsel, packed with goodness and flavour. The Tomato base provided the rich, jewel-like colour, and the stock added a brilliant depth of flavour to it…and that’s before you factor in the Fish and Seafood elements. Subtly sweet and savoury, the only accompaniment this dish needed was some springy, fresh Focaccia and a pot of Saffron Aioli. Utter perfection, and just the ticket on an autumn afternoon.
To say His Nibs wangs on about not liking ‘fishy fish’, he still went for Smoked Haddock, albeit in Fishcake form. One word describes the fishcake: HUGE! Good job we’d all brought our appetites; looked like we were going to need to be on our A-game. The outer was beautifully golden and super-crisp; inside, the seasoned Haddock and Potato mix was soft and fluffy. Chef had paired the fishcake with a tangy, textural Tartare sauce that really pinged in the mouth, and a simple Baby Leaf Salad. The star of the show was definitely the Smoked Haddock, as it should be, though its partners were faultless in their support.
Personally, I love the sweet pop of San Marzano Tomatoes, so when I spotted that they were in the Puglia Seafood Salad, I was a happy bunny. More sweetness came via the ripe, red Friggitello Peppers; these two made for a wonderful tag-team on my palate, and I revelled in the squidgy softness of the peppers. Fragrant Seafood was plentiful, and delightfully tender in the mouth; I loved the Octopus and Squid pairing, and both body and tentacles were plated up. Ramping up the flavour profile was a cracking Parsley, Lemon and Dill Olive Oil; so good was this that, when I’d polished off everything else (including the crisp Lettuce), I used the chunky slice of Focaccia to mop it all up with. This was a joyous plate of sunshine – I could just imagine I was in Puglia as I ate it.
All of us said that the starters would suffice as mains in their own right – not that we were going to stop there! Seriously, though, if you wanted a lighter lunch, any of our three choices would be excellent. Our server came to clear away our starter plates, very happy to see that the trio of them were spotless; nothing says ‘satisfied diners’ like clean crockery, does it?
Whilst we waited for our Roasts, and Mummy’s Salmon to arrive, I reacquainted myself with the décor of Go Fish. Once you get past the front counter and all its splendour, the Seafood Bar and Grill has a wooden cabin feel - albeit a bougie one! You can’t fail to miss the print of a shark as you first enter: its head pops out, 3-D style. There is another (thankfully, 2-D!) canvas of a shark, sandwiched between tonal ones of a lobster and a crab; all three hold court over the raised banquette seating along one wall. The other tables and chairs are free-standing, and all are sturdy wood types. Chunky ship’s lights provide the illumination, their thick metal frames a brushed silver-grey hue. The vibe is chilled and sociable [though polished], making Go Fish the perfect venue for relaxed weekend nibbles and drinks, or mid-week dinners alike. Honestly, if I lived round the corner, I’d be setting up a camp-bed!.
Just when you think you’ve heard it all in this food game, along comes something that really spins you out. Now, I’m just going to preface this by saying there’s a reason I eat and Chefs Cook! Vichy Carrots. This side came with our meat roasts as well as Mummy Bird’s Salmon Hollandaise and is Carrots cooked in Water, Butter, Salt and a pinch of Sugar; nothing fancy about that, I hear you say. Fair play, but what do you think the ‘Vichy’ refers to? None other than the fancy-pants thermal waters of Vichy, so [authentically] these veggies bathe in spa water as they cook – talk about extra. The theory is that the Sodium and Bicarbonate in the sparkling water tenderises and enhances the Carrots’ sweetness. They were delicious, of that there’s no doubt but, left to me, they’d just get a dab of Sodium Bicarb from a box in my kitchen!
So, back to the Salmon fillet that Mummy was chowing down on with gusto. Impressively large, and so, so moist and juicy, this piece of fish was fragrant and silky, thanks to its oil content. The Hollandaise sauce was in its own little jug, so Mummy could add it as she wanted. Hollandaise is often used in pairings with richer ingredients as its Lemon juice component helps to bring balance and lightness, and here it did just that. The Tenderstem Broccoli was millisecond perfect in its texture, and the sticky, jammy Braised Red Cabbage was beyond brilliant! Even if you don’t like Cabbage, you can’t fail to fall under the spell of Alan’s Red Cabbage – it’s a real bobby dazzler. His Nibs and I were also fully-paid-up members of this vegetable’s fan club, tucking into it enthusiastically.
Another common element of the three main courses was the Dauphinoise Potato; oh, my days, this was beguiling with its gently crisp outer layer and subtly garlic-pimped, softer layers. What a treat. Trimmed Green Beans were clean and bright on the palate, and the Roast potatoes were another stunning addition on our plates; gently crisp on the outside and nicely golden, the insides were fluffy and gently nutty. The Man and I had Yorkshire Puddings, Stuffing Ball, and Pig-in-Blanket that Mummy Bird didn’t have, and all three were superb. Whilst sizeable, the Yorkies didn’t need a plate to themselves if you know what I mean, and they had a beautifully rich, ‘batter’ taste to them. Herby notes came through from the moist Stuffing Ball and, best of all, the ‘Pig’ had no repeat factor to it, so I got to keep it all to myself! Oh, I shouldn’t forget the gravy either, should I? A cheap gravy can ruin the whole meal but when you’ve got a Chef of Alan Hill’s calibre on the case, you know that that trap will be avoided. The rich, intensely meaty Gravy was bang-on, and I could’ve mopped this up with bread quite happily.
Those of you with eagle-eyes will have noticed that I haven’t even mentioned the Beef or Lamb yet – patience, dear hearts, patience, I’m getting to them now. I kid you not, I reckon there was a whole leg of Lamb sliced on my plate; either that or it was one of those magically never-ending plates. I was scoffing like billy-o and seemingly getting no closer to finishing my meal and, you know what? I really wouldn’t have minded eating the flavoursome, juicy Lamb forever. Likewise, His Nibs was ploughing through his numerous slices of tender Beef Sirloin and more seemed to appear from under the Yorkie! Both meats were tremendously tasty, and cooked with aplomb.
Again, a trio of clean plates went back to the kitchen, eliciting a little smile of satisfaction from Alan and Ian; yes, chaps, you know you’re good. We had a little breather, and then it was back into the [gastro] fray to tackle dessert.
Other than the Cheese-board, all desserts at Go Fish are £6.95 and I can confidently say that you’ll not get more bang-for-your-buck anywhere! Mummy had gone for the Sticky Toffee Pudding and the portion could feed an army on the march – it was a slab and a half, and ¾! I tell you what though, they’d be the luckiest soldiers in the world if they got their chops around this morsel. The sponge was pleasingly dense and moist, and topped with a wickedly luscious Toffee Sauce that had Mummy scraping the bowl with such fervour it was borderline embarrassing…not that I can comment, I’ve done this trick many times myself.
I had chosen the Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake, opting to have pouring Cream with it. This was absolutely phenomenal, it really was. Ridiculously indulgent, it was somehow as light-as-a-cloud on the tummy – that is genius-level baking, right there! The clean taste of Lemon punctuated the rich Cheesecake body, paired wonderfully with a buttery biscuit base and curls of White Chocolate on top. To say I’m not a ‘sweet’ fiend, I could betray my Cheese and Nut camp for this and not feel a twinge of guilt; not one iota.
The Man Bird had the Chocolate Caramel Slice (with Vanilla Ice Cream), and it was everything he’d dreamed it would be. Looking like a Torte, this dessert was melt-in-the-mouth delicious, with a sumptuous texture that coated the insides of His Nibs’ cheeks and lingered there saucily. Not in a million years would you ever have thought this was gluten-free, but it was. A generous scoop of quality Vanilla Ice Cream added a lovely roundedness to the dessert and, what d’ya know, there were three clean dessert plates and bowls going back to the kitchen.
I think you’ve probably all gathered that Hot Wings are making their way to the Go Fish Seafood Bar and Grill in Buxton! This won’t be our last visit, of that I am totally sure.
To book a table call 01298 72458, ext.3. To view menus, visit www.gofishseafoodbargrill.co.uk. For fish orders call 01298 72458, ext.2. Go Fish is closed on Monday, open Tues-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun Noon-4pm.
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