Catch at the Old Fishmarket
Weymouth, Dorset
‘It’s so good to see somewhere this ambitious right at the heart of a seaside town,’ writes an inspector, heartened by the fact that Weymouth’s harbourside is suddenly looking a tastier proposition these days. The restaurant is in a traditional quayside building above a working fishmonger – a solid spiral staircase leads up to an impressively clean-lined, modern yet atmospheric space with an open kitchen and high-raftered ceiling. Catch is Mike Naidoo’s first outing as head chef and you can see echoes of his time at Jason Atherton's Mayfair flagship, Pollen Street Social, in his enticing fixed-price and tasting menus. Reporters are single-minded in their appraisal, giving the thumbs-up to Naidoo's supplies of fresh seafood (some coming from the two boats moored directly outside) and locally reared meat. A little tartlet loaded with cubes of cured trout and cucumber liberally coated in a creamy dressing was described as ‘delicate and delicious’, while every flavour made complete sense in a starter of sliced raw scallop teamed with compressed apple in a sweet pickle, a very well-made apple gel, dill oil and dashi – served as a kind of half-soup, half-dressing. Elsewhere, crab with ajo blanco and verjus proved to be ‘a wonderful balance of seasoning and textural counterpoints'. A superb slice of Aurox beef sirloin, (the meat almost red, the exterior darkly seared, the fat meltingly packed with beefy flavour) came with spiced aubergine purée, roasted carrot, a neat pile of buttery mash and a translucent meat sauce. In a fitting finale, pastry chef Tija Klincov’s desserts make you feel indulged, perhaps with a hazelnut and chocolate mousse encased in hazelnut-studded milk chocolate under a very light milk ice cream – or an elaborate spin on rhubarb and custard. Prices on the short list of European and English wines start at £28.
Dining Information:
Wheelchair access, Credit card required, Deposit required
1 Custom House Quay, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8BE
01305 590555
