Review written June 2010

A fishy feast

The Ship is a fish and seafood restaurant where you can enjoy fine food, wine and champagne in a buzzy, unbuttoned ambience.  Chalkboards suggest classic combos such as oysters with Guinness or champagne, ‘twists’ such as half a dozen oyster shots or the ‘spectacular’ such as the fruits de mer royale. There is also a bar menu and daily specials.
We chose to eat from the dinner menu and Mr Bite began with The Ship’s seafood chowder (£7.95). A very hearty affair with no complaint regarding the quantity of fish; it was choc- full of mussels, clams, prawns, langoustine and haddock. Intensity of flavour increased the deeper into the bowl you delved. I had grilled queen scallops with tarragon and lemon butter (£6.95). The bivalves were really sweet, the sauce rich and tangy and a sprightly leaf salad contained hot, peppery samphire flowers and flash fried wild garlic leaves. Stunning.

For main course Mr Bite chose battered monkfish tails with wild garlic salad and masala curry sauce (£16.50) and I had pan-fried halibut with a Thai shellfish broth (£17.50).  On our last visit to The Ship Mr Bite had declared the fish curry the best he had ever tasted and he wasn’t disappointed this evening.  His food was presented beautifully with the sauce on the side and salad in a separate bowl.  He described the monkfish as luscious, and commented on the exciting battle of flavours between each component on the plate. My halibut was really meaty and stood up the Thai flavours and chilli heat admirably.  The broth contained noodles, clams, mussels, courgettes, carrots, green and red peppers and pak choi; the flavours danced on the palate.

We couldn’t manage dessert but The Ship always has a ‘sweetie’ dessert and today it was Cadbury flake cheesecake. There were also classics like crème brulee and seasonal sweets such as rhubarb jelly with strawberries and cream.

The Ship doesn’t bang on about provenance and seasonality but it clearly ticks these boxes. In our book, it is one of the finest restaurants in Edinburgh and we look forward to our next trip.