Any seafood restaurant with an on-site fishmonger (his name’s Barney and he boasts 30 years of experience, if you’re asking) is a cheering place to dine if you love your fish shiny, slimy and bright eyed, and the Spiny Lobster is no exception, with the ‘Daily Catch’ section of their website updated each and every day with what’s good and fresh.
If you’re keen to dine in, the restaurant specialises in cooking that daily catch over coals, with the chefs working a central Josper grill to impart that distinctive smoky flavour into their prized primary ingredient.
Of course, when the product is this good and the cooking method so pronounced, the accoutrements should stay straightforward and streamlined so flavours don’t get muddled.
Unsurprisingly, the Spiny Lobster understands this, whether it’s in their chargrilled seabass served just with a small ramekin of salsa verde, or in their whole bream, blistered and burnished from the Josper, and simply adorned with rosemary. For something more delicate, the fillet of gurnard with fennel mayo is airily composed but still reassuringly fully-flavoured.
You get the picture, and it’s a commendably ascetic, aesthetically pleasing one. The Spiny Lobster is the type of local fish restaurant that any neighbourhood – whether in Bristol, London, Paris or Melbourne – would be proud to call their own.
Address: 128-130, 128 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2RS
Website: thespinylobster.co.uk