Fisk and Frite, St Werburghs: 'The taste of nostalgia, sea air and home' - restaurant review
Ellie Pipe hunts down Cornish memories and cod
Those who enjoy reading local journalism in Bristol will recognise the name Ellie Pipe; she was one of many talented colleagues I was lucky enough to meet at Bristol24/7. I know few people who are more passionate about cheese and advocating for the inclusion of vegetarian options alongside vegan options on menus. Ellie’s first review for The Bristol Sauce takes her down memory lane where waves of nostalgia lap at the shores. I hope you enjoy the trip!
As with all our reviews, this visit to Fisk and Frite was paid for in full, and Ellie was paid for her writing. Please help us continue to illuminate the Bristol food scene and inform our readers by contributing.
There were many wonderful things about growing up in Cornwall in the 1990s. A rich variety of diverse takeaways was not among them. Consequently, my love affair with fish and chips started young and, like so many fledgling relationships, out of a mixture of desire and proximity.
This was our go-to (and, generally, only) takeaway treat; we ate them on the beach in all weathers, off the plastic tables of cafes in inland towns that don’t make it onto the tourist postcards, in the car with grease seeping onto clothes, on first dates and family celebrations. For me, they are the taste of nostalgia, sea air and home.
Some three decades later, I was lured into Fisk & Frite’s welcoming embrace on a cold January Saturday. Being St Werburghs in 2025 and not Cornwall in the 1990s, there are some notable differences between the fish bar that opened its doors on Mina Road in late October and the chippies of my childhood. There’s not a singing salmon in sight but the stunning octopus mural by Aspire Artwork on the building’s exterior is enough to win over my two-year-old from the beginning.
Further signs of changing times come in the form of kombuchas (£2.50 each and made by Bedminster-based Counter Culture) – so very St Werburghs, and also very refreshing.
What fish and chips really need is a couple of heavily battered, deep-fried sides - said no one ever. Nevertheless, hungry and seduced by the varied menu, we throw caution to the wind with the addition of a mixed battered veg side (£7) served with garlic and chive mayo. I’d like to say this was a valiant effort to get in some healthy veg but really, who are we kidding?
The medley of asparagus, courgette and aubergine, served with garlic and chive mayo, was roughly two parts batter to one part veg. It was crispy, satisfying and an ideal option for non-fish eaters. As an addition to the mains, it stretched even our post-Christmas stomachs to the limit.
Fisk & Frite’s tagline is ‘fish & chips with a twist’ so we hedged our bets and ordered a traditional deep fried haddock (£15 with chips) and a pan-fried sea bass (£17), only to immediately swap out the butterbean rice on what would have been the healthier option for chips.
Now chips (controversially my favourite element of the famous pairing) are a very subjective food. Some like them skinny and crisp, some chunky and ripe for dipping. Me, I’m a sucker for a proper soggy chip shop chip. Fisk & Frite’s are made with love and care; the lightly glistening heap of fat, golden brown chips had been triple cooked at least and the result was a perfect soft, fluffy centre arrived at via a deep satisfying crunch. Sure, my personal preference might be for the soft chip shop chips of old but there’s little time for that kind of nostalgia – as my toddler testifies, wolfing down her share with generous dollops of ‘maa-toe sauce’.
The battered haddock didn’t receive quite the same level of care and attention. Though generally tasty, it must have fizzled a little too long in the fryer, making for a chewy tail end. The pan-fried seabass is simple but sublime and offers a large lettuce leaf-full of much-needed salad.
Of course, no self-respecting fish and chips are complete without mushy peas – although that proves to be a misnomer here.
Much like olives or red wine, I believe a love of mushy peas is a coming-of-age thing. I’m not sure exactly when I got a taste for the once-detested tubs of green mush but now I see them as an essential accompaniment. Peas here (£2.50 a portion) are wonderfully generous – not the thimble-full many pubs feel it appropriate to serve – but they are not mushy. If we were going by looks alone, we may well have thrown our forks down and called it a day at first sight of these sludgy green un-mushed peas. But that’s a good lesson in not judging a book by its cover, or a pea by its pallor. These peas may win no beauty contest, but they did have an intriguingly rich flavour tinged with butter and herbs. It was enough to keep me going back for more despite my stomach’s protestations. I want to know more but it seems the recipe for these revelatory peas is a closely guarded secret.
The Fisk & Frite team have an impressive commitment to sustainability and cater to all diets, with gluten free batter for all dishes and plenty of veggie and vegan options.
As my daughter pops her head out from under the table where she’s been exploring the furthest corners of the compact conservatory-style dining area, a couple at the next table strike up a conversation. Others join and chat while we vacate the coveted, cosy corner table for them.
Ultimately, this is what a local fish and chip place should be about – community and connections and feeling welcomed even when you have a rampaging, octopus-entranced toddler - whether it’s by the sea or perched on the perpetually narrow Mina Road. My affections thirty years on for this entity of un-mushy peas and excellent chips is based on merit rather than proximity. Call it character development. Fisk and Frite looks set to offer a long-loved favourite for a new generation - even those who’ve yet to learn to say tomato.
All words and photos by Ellie Pipe
Fisk & Frite, St Werburghs, BS2 9XL
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Good to read a positive review about our nations favourite newspaper-based grubbins. My own experience wasn't so great. I had the battered veg and squid. The veg were flavourless and had an unpleasant floppy texture, the baby squid were chewy. My friend had haddock & chips and described his meal as OK. Faint praise. We did go during their first week and we both said that we should give them time to bed in and go again.