Wet Fish Café

Funny enough, I have not eaten at a café in London before now, and realised how much I actually miss the café atmosphere.

Food

I started off the evening with the Cabernet-Malbec, Finca los Prados, 2007, Argentina (£4), described as medium-bodied with strong red fruits, spices and chocolate. Never mind that, it was good. The dessert menu sounded divine, so it was the consensus to skip entrees. The Welsh lamb cutlets with Jerusalem artichoke mash and lamb jus (£14) came recommended, and it was very good indeed. Simple food with simple flavours done well. The Spicy Slow-Simmered Mutton with Aubergine, Dates and Wild Rice (£13) probably didn’t taste as good as it sounds. The mutton has absorbed some wonderful flavours, but the date and wild rice was only ordinary.

Desserts were fine, being more homely in flavour than anything else. My rhubarb, ginger and almond crumble (£5) hit the spot. The rhubarb was quite tart, the almond crumble satisfying. The warm soft chocolate cake w red berries & cream (£5.50) was a bit disappointing. The cake was a bit dry, and the chocolate sauce was not made using that great quality chocolate.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

All around us people seem to be doing the same, whether it was a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, it was one of those places you could lounge around in the whole day.

The name comes from the fact that this use to be a “wet fish” shop, and they have restored it so that the original tiles and sign is visible. The room is very dark, illuminated by some candles. The vibe is definitely a relaxed chilli, very fitting for the Hampstead crowd.

It’s also a wine store, you can buy bottle or case loads of all the wines on their menu.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Daylight saving had just started, and I think the chef forgot, because we were not able to order food until 7pm. It was ok for us though, as we nursed some drinks to get us in the mood.

The wait staff were super cool and accommodating, but it was not really that busy and they don’t really need to “service” you as such.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

The prices is certainly not cheap, especially if you take in the fact that if you use a special on Toptable, you could eat for around the same price at so called higher priced restaurants. Never mind, it is aiming at well-off people in the Hampstead area that wants to have a relaxed dinner and not be fussed about.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

242 West End Lane
London
NW6 1LG
Phone +44 (0) 20 7443 9222
Website