FISHBone, Notting Hill

It’s been a Notting Hill favourite for years, but fish restaurant Kensington Place is now wooing a new generation of Hillbilly to its tables with the opening of FISHBone. A new pop-up with all the kudos of an east London diner (neon strip signs, tattooed barstaff, things in jam jars) and the backing of a west London foodie institution, we’re not surprised this joint is making waves in W8. 

In the spirit of Kensington Place’s marine heritage, the FISHBone menu is, as you’d expect, all about fish – but with a twist. Nothing costs more than £9 , and the more substantial dishes include the Scallopdog ’, a mollusk boudin served in a hot-dog bun, with brown shrimp and sauce vierge, a confit salmon doner  in a light homemade pitta and an Asian-style tuna burger with soy and radish. Alongside the mains there’s a fun selection of extras – crab bhajis, a prawn pasty and skate wing nuggets – as well as side salads, onion rings and chips. The vibe is consciously cool; food arrives on trays lined with greaseproof paper, cutlery is an afterthought, and there’s a hip background playlist. But don’t let that put you off. Not only is the food first-rate, the cocktails are killer. All made with delicious Sipsmith spirits, the sloe gin sour is a must-try, and with FISHBone a relation of Kensington Place , the wine list is also excellent. 

Don’t forget pudding. You won’t find them on the menu but both the passionfruit posset and sticky toffee sundae are fabulous. FISHBone is officially here until the end of March, but when we asked manager Dan Joines to confirm the run, the smile on his face hinted that it could be here to stay...