FOOD + DRINK
LOCH FYNE , BLUEWATER BY LISAMARIE LAMB
I ’ ve been to Bluewater more times than I can count , but it ’ s only recently that I ’ ve started to explore its restaurants as well as its shops and cinema . Seafood restaurant Loch Fyne has been on my ‘ to do ’ list for a while now , so it was with a certain amount of relish and anticipation that I ventured in one evening to enjoy what it had to offer .
The first thing that no one can help but notice when entering the light , bright , comfortable bistro-style restaurant is the enormous and wonderfully well stocked fish counter that sits resplendent in the middle of the dining room . It is quite a sight – it was a delight to find such a fabulous array of fish . And these were not just to be used by the restaurant either , but were available to buy whether you were dining there or not .
Sitting down at our table , we were welcomed warmly by our waiter who was more than happy to let us peruse the mouth-watering new menu for a while – although if we had any questions he would have the answers . The menu I had in my hands was the biggest menu change Loch Fyne had been through in the past 25 years , and it is a testament to the minds of the chefs behind the new dishes .
Starters were particularly problematic as each one ’ s description read as well as the next ! I was almost swayed by the salt and pepper squid , but decided to try something different – the fish soup . My partner had the pan-fried garlic and chilli king prawns ; neither of us were disappointed . My soup came with a small cup of creamy saffron aioli and another of Gruyere cheese , as well as a couple of slices of fresh granary bread . Combining these extras with the fish soup itself gave me a well-balanced and delicately flavoured starter that I would happily eat again . And again . As for the prawns , they were gorgeously presented in a miniature copper pan , and they had just the right hit of chilli to make them moreish . Juicy , plump and pink , they really were wonderful .
The new menu at Loch Fyne offers up a larger range of meat and vegetarian dishes than ever before but , we thought , when in Rome ( or when in a restaurant famous for its fish )… So I ordered the poached smoked haddock which was served on a mustard mash with leeks and a light cream sauce with a breadcrumb encased poached egg on the top – an egg which , when cut open , oozed ( in the best possible way ) temptingly all over the fish . Heaven . My partner went for the whole roasted sea bass with roasted sweet pickled vegetables , smoked paprika and sautéed potatoes . Rather cleverly , these were served inside the fish itself , giving a real ‘ wow factor ’ to the dish ( although the gorgeous taste of it helped with that as well !).
Feeling full but not uncomfortably so , we both decided that a dessert was most certainly in order . I had spotted the chocolate and burnt banana split right at the start , and was determined to have it . I was right to have made room . This dessert , with its salted caramel sauce and its burnt butter ice cream , was sublime . And as for the crème brulee that my partner chose … the crunch of that sugar on the top as his spoon cracked through it was music to a food lover ’ s ears .
The food , the atmosphere , the friendly waiting staff , and that epic fish counter all make Loch Fyne a truly stylish yet comfortable place to eat .
Loch Fyne Seafood & Grill West Village Bluewater Shopping Centre Greenhithe DA9 9SE 01322 623930 www . lochfyneseafoodandgrill . co . uk
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