Popular Scottish seafood restaurant Fish Shop scales up at the Wharf
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Fish Shop swims into the Wharf. Photo: Courtesy Dave Watts
A splashy seafood restaurant launches April 29 at the Wharf, specializing in local fin fare with Scottish roots.
Why it matters: Fish Shop in D.C. is the first spinoff of a beloved Scottish restaurant that's "so popular even its owner can't get a table," per the Guardian (King Charles III is a big fan).
Dig in: The restaurant explores Scotland's strong seafood culture beyond the fish and chip shops that are typically exported to the States (no offense to chippie neighbor Gordon Ramsay).
- Artfarm, the tony hospitality group from London-based gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth (Hauser & Wirth), brings Fish Shop across the Atlantic. It joins their chic fleet of international restaurants and hotels from New York to Menorca.
The intrigue: Global panache aside, what's most enticing about Fish Shop is its locavore approach. Artfarm often lures top local talent for its projects, and here they've tapped a leading female hospitality team: executive chef Ria Montes, formerly of Albi and Estuary, and ex-Centrolina general manager Angie Duran.
- The Scottish original is run by fishmongers with an adjoining shop. Seafood here is sourced from fishermen and farmers in the Chesapeake region and Mid-Atlantic, from North Carolina to New Jersey. Ditto for most produce.
So yes, you'll find popular catches like rockfish and oysters, but "we work with fishermen on a one-to-one basis, so whatever they have, we'll take it," chef Montes tells Axios.
- Think perch, eels, whelks, invasive blue catfish — plus some prized, limited-run specials like sweet lobster out of Baltimore Canyon.
Must try dishes: Montes is excited about popular items from Scotland that "we've made our own." Think: smoked Virginia trout crumpets or a creamy crab bisque with pickled Chesapeake clams.
- The menu begs sharing, from homemade bread to start through oysters and crudos, apps, mains — including whole fish — sides like grits with ramp butter, and some eye-catching sweet/salty desserts like Potomac chocolate ice cream with sea salt and olive oil.
- Seafood and vegetable dishes make up most of the menu, with a few meat offerings (vegetarians have plenty of choice).
Between the lines: Fish Shop runs with a low-waste mission. Dry-aged fish isn't just a trendy offering — their program helps extend the shelf life of seafood. You'll also find tail-to-tip dishes like crispy fish collars with comeback sauce.
- Multi-purposeness abounds. Maryland oysterman Spike Meatyard of sixth-generation Double T Oyster Ranch supplies bivalves and also helped furnish the 180-seat dining room with vintage 1940s posters and a classic boat he hung from the ceiling.
- It joins a shoal of fish hand-woven from willow and wisteria by artists in North Carolina and Scotland.
If you go: Fish Shop. 610 Water Street SW. Open for dinner, with lunch and brunch coming soon.