Fish

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Lindsey F.

Joined 8 months ago

Love the small plates!!

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charlestondiner

Joined 2 years ago

Great Food On pper King St.. Fish is located on the very hoppin’ end of upper King St. Customers of various restaurants spill out on to the side walk and the energy is electric. Surprisingly, when we arrived at Fish it wasn’t very busy. Lucky for us!

Upon arrival we realized that the Dim Sum specials were only at the bar, so we decided to eat there. Our bartender was very friendly and knowledgeable. We quickly ordered the fried calamari appetizer.

The menu isn’t too large, or overwhelming. Chef Nico Romo beautifully combines local sustainable ingredients with a French Asian flair. The menu includes a few petite plates and 8 dim sum offerings, a Fromage du jour (a steal at $8.00), 2 salads, a dozen or so entrees and several desserts. As we waited for our appetizer we couldn’t decide on dim sum or an entrée as everything looked so inviting.

In a blink of an eye our calamari arrived. A generous portion served in a long, boat-like dish. It was delicately tempura battered with a few black sesame seeds and drizzled with a lightly sweet citrus sauce. Knock me down and call me Shorty… this was fabulous. My husband, not a big fan of calamari, thought this could have been the best he’s ever had. After eating this we voted hands down to order entrées rather than Dim Sum. Although several people around us ordered dim sum and it looked quite appetizing (and a deal for $1.00 a piece.)

The restaurant began to fill up and I realized that there is a second floor seating area that overlooks King Street and a large, private outdoor courtyard. Many options here.

The entrée I ordered was the evening’s special. It was porgy served with peas and fingerling potatoes. The plate was drizzled with a black cherry sauce that our bartender had told us was “fruit forward”, but I thought it was delightful. My fish was remarkable. Grilled with a light smoky flavor. The potatoes and peas were a wonderful compliment. I didn’t know where to start.

My husband ordered the grilled pork which was served with butterfield peas, petite basque twice baked potato with brown port sauce. I always think you run a risk when you order pork at a restaurant. Rare is the occasion when it’s not overcooked. This dish however, was cooked perfectly.

Without question this place has great food. Chef Romo was named Master Chef of France in 2010 and his talents did not go unnoticed by this diner.

As the bar area started to fill up our bartender became a waiter to the tables in the area and unfortunately it was a while before we saw him again. Because the tables were seated all at once it took quite a long time to have our plates cleared and our check presented. So close to a 5 plate rating, but the delay in getting our check and cashing out dropped our rating down a notch. It also highlighted activities in the bar.

Because there is typically a significant mark up in wine prices at most restaurants, bottles of wine offered at half price is a great deal for wine drinkers. My experience has been that the downside to this offering is that people have a tendency to over imbibe. Many of the patrons near us were taking advantage of the half price wine. Unfortunately for us, the table behind us became somewhat loud and obnoxious. With every “F- bomb dropped by the woman behind us the experience became less enjoyable. It’s possible that this is a one off, but I can tell you it was a turn off.

That being said, the food is the star and it shines brightly at Fish.

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CSMobileUser

Joined 5 years ago

Hugh E Long. Wonderful, fantastic and everything you would expect from Fish!

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ChuYBoi

Joined 4 years ago

Fishing For A New Restaurant. I have been in several times for lunch and dinner and have had an awesome time. Lunch for $10 and your in and out is great when you're on the go. Moo Shu is filling and not heavy so you feel energized. Dinner is fantastic with its french asian flare. Way to go fish!!!

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Snoogerbooger

Joined 4 years ago

Wonderful Food.. Have been one time and it was absolutly amazing. Chef knows his stuff. Great atmosphere, food was prepared to perfection. I love to cook and find it hard to go out to eat and get a meal as good as what I can prepare, this was a pleasant surprise. Definately would go back and recommend to friends.

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dinearound

Joined 11 years ago

Top Notch and Now One of the Best in Town. Surprises are appreciated and even expected at certain times. Birthday surprises, holiday surprises - but how about a Wednesday night surprise? I practically had to drag my wife back to Fish after several good, but not special, meals over the last couple of years. What a difference a new Chef (with a capital C) makes. We had the absolute pleasure of eating at what is becoming one of Charleston's best dining rooms. The appetizers were exceptional. Both tempting to the eye and the palate. We shared the spring rolls and the tuna tartar and found both to be wonderful. The dinner special was a triggerfish prepared in a beurre blanc sauce with a delicious sweet potato gratin. Dessert followed with a carrot cake confection that was out of this world. Our server was knowledgeable, with the paceing of the meal down to the second. Fish is a fantastic "new" restaurant which has taken root in a long time favorite spot and is now elevated to one of the best in town!

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harmony_y

Joined 6 years ago

Fabulous Creative Menu. I have dined at Fish several times in the past few months and I absolutely love the new menu! Without the usual fried items on the menu, Fish has set itself apart from other seafood restaurants in downtown Charleston. One of my favorite dishes is the seared tuna filet served with a slice of grilled watermelon- it sounds odd I know, but believe me, the two flavors are wonderful together! Another item to note is the scallop ceviche-very tasty an unique. Also the restaurant has recently changed their entertainment on Wednesdays from a gentleman who used to play guitar and sing classic rock, to a jazz trio-very good choice. So, by all means, give Fish a try, I guarantee it will be a dinner you will not soon forget-and I forgot to mention- prices are extremely reasonable!

Doesn't Recommend

jonrandall2

Joined 6 years ago

FISH GONE BAD. Fish undoubtedly was one of the best restaurants in Charleston when it opened - up until recently. There have been MANY noticeable and unfortunate changes with the food and service. I've had several really, really bad meals there within the past two months. The last meal was so bad that I've had to "X" Fish off my list of places to eat. My grouper tasted like shoe leather. It was virtually inedible. My wife had grits as a side item with her entree - they were like gummy paste. The server was not at all apologetic. After sending our dishes back, I felt very uncomfortable eating what was brought to us as replacement dishes because of the way the server acted - as if we were inconveniencing her. I don't know what is going on at this restaurant, but if they don't make some drastic changes, and soon, they can expect to put a for sale sign in their window by year's end because they will have no business. Come on Fish - get your act together!

Doesn't Recommend

chasdiner

Joined 6 years ago

A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER SELF. I don't know what has happened to this restaurant, but it has definitely taken a turn for the worse. FISH used to be excellent - the best seafood in town and reliable, efficient service. Lately it has almost been unbearable. My wife & I dined here regularly on Wednesday evenings - within the past month the food has not been prepared properly - my grouper tasted like chewy, tasteless leather - and my wife's dish, which came with grits was practically inedible. We ended up having to send her meal back. I hope that FISH gets back on track, but regretably we will be dining elsewhere. A true shame!

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lealoff

Joined 11 years ago

Lovely Evening. This is a beautiful restaurant and the food and service is top-notch. It is great to see this area of King Street come alive. We were visiting from NY and had several excellent meals in Charleston and our meal at Fish was a highlight.