Quality shellfish at O Cantinho Algarvio

Lobster and crab from the live tank at this quality restaurant in Lagos, Portugal. The lobster is simply grilled with a little butter. The crab is dressed with chopped pickles, mayo and a little bit of beer ! Delicious.

Great seafood at The Orange in Pimlico

Just eaten a lovely meal at The Orange in London. Delicious Carlingford rock oysters to start which were creamy with a good mineral finish complemented with a glass of Provençal rose wine. It's lemon wedges only for me with oysters as I feel that the shallot vinegar option swamps the flavour.
Main was Hake fillet on cauliflower purée with broad beans, spaghetti and pancetta. Hake was cooked to perfection (not overcooked and slightly translucent). Great cuisine from head chef Nigel and good service from Jono thanks.


Hake fish comes from the same order (Gadiformes) as cod and haddock. The only Hake species that is considered not to be over-fished is Cape hake, which is found in Zone 47-Namibia, according to the Worldwide Fund.

Cured Salmon in Tuscany

This starter was prepared by the highly talented chef at the Piopponero (Black Poplar) restaurant at Villa Le Maschere, a 5 star resort hotel in the Tuscan hills about 1/2 hour from Florence.

It is marinated Norwegian salmon, flavoured with dill and combined with shavings of fennel bulb, green apple and ginger salad.

Like all the food at this hotel, it was DELICIOUS.  Thick cut succulent salmon, mildly cured with a hint of Dill.

A bottle of the very reasonably priced Orvieto Classico complemented it perfectly.


We enjoyed a range of seafood at this hotel including raw Langoustine (the largest ones I have ever seen), fresh rock oysters, sushi salmon and tuna sashimi and salt codfish.

Fresh Fish in Lagos, Portugal

Fresh fish in the market at Lagos

The fishing port of Lagos in the Algarve region of Portugal offers some of the finest quality fresh fish and shellfish much of which is landed and sold within 24 hours.  Many local day boats fish the productive Portuguese waters which are rich in nutrients due to the upwelling of cooler waters from the deeper Atlantic Ocean.  Locals and visitors flock to the Lagos fish market to take in the sights of a range of interesting fish and to buy for home cooking, barbecues and restaurants.




One of the restaurants which specialises in high quality seafood is O'Cantinho Algarvio in Rua Afonso de Almeida (just up from the square).  Proprietor, Carlos Ramos, can often be seen in the market choosing the best fish for his menu that night.  One of his 'secret' specialities and my particular favourite is the fillet of Turbot which is coated in a light flour and pan-fried. He also has a live-tank for the freshest lobster and crab.

Attention to detail is the key to high quality cuisine.  Here, Carlos is choosing a large Corvina which he will cut into steaks and store vac-packed in the fridge to ensure maximum freshness.  I noticed that his chosen fish had a hook in its mouth and he explained that line-caught fish were of better quality than those caught in trawl nets.  Generally speaking line-caught fish are preferred environmentally as hand-lining has minimal effect on seabed habitats.


Corvina ( Argyrosomus regia ) is known in English as the Meagre, and is one of the most traditional and valued fish on the Algarve.

Fish Head for Lunch !

A delicacy much enjoyed by the Portuguese is boiled Pargo (Red Porgy) head.  This fish was on display at O' Antonio in Porto de Mos near Lagos in the Algarve.  One of the waiters, Helder, who is a keen fisherman and seafood eater explained that they will boil the head whole with just onions and salt and serve it to the table.  The diners will then pick the meat (including the eyes) away from the bones of the head.  It might sound a bit gruesome to those of you who are a little sensitive but I am assured that it is delicious.  It is also a plus-point that almost none of the fish is wasted.
The red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), or common seabream, is a species of fish in the family Sparidae, found in a wide variety of locations that range from Europe to the Caribbean. 

Oyster Bar at Grand Central NYC

No trip to New York is complete without a visit to the Oyster Bar at Grand Central.  This Spring was no exception when we enjoyed a Medley of Seafood Platter with 5 different varieties (2 of each) of oyster plus jumbo shrimp, clams, NZ mussels and 1/2 lobster.  All in at $46 (£30) this represented pretty good value where the quality and freshness of the seafood was excellent.  A 2009 Domaine Fournier Sancerre (2009), with its good mineral finish, complemented the shellfish perfectly. The Oyster Bar offers wide a range of oysters (according to season) and the daily offerings can be viewed at their online menu .

On this lunchtime visit we were seated in the bar area at the back which, in my opinion, is not as good as the 'catacombs' in the main restaurant as it is a bit cramped with small tables.

Grand Central Terminal is an amazing station with a cathedral-like main concours and over 60 shops and restaurants.  A great place to visit even if you are not travelling on a train.

The native oyster (Ostrea edulis) and, particularly, the introduced Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) are both grown commercially and are available widely. Oysters should be tightly closed when bought and have a fresh smell when opened. Often eaten raw, they are offered with a range of add-ons such as Tabasco sauce, chopped shallots in red wine vinegar and fresh lemon wedges.  For me, I always choose the lemon as it best enhances the delicate flavour and mineral finish of the oyster on the palate.   According to the Marine Conservation Society, farmed native or Pacific oysters offer a highly sustainable source of seafood.


A comprehensive and practical guide to oysters is offered online by Molly Watson.

Barbecue Brill

Some people may not consider large flatfish for the barbecue but with a little care and attention they offer a stunning presentation visually and the highest quality in fish cuisine.  I purchased, from The Good Fish Shop,  2 medium sized Brill ( 600g each) as a meal for 2 people (i.e. 1 each).  Make a few diagonal cuts in the top of each fish and press in 1/2 slice of fresh lemon.  Season with black pepper and drizzle some olive oil on top.  Finally sprinkle some Fennel leaves (the frilly bit) on the top.  Slice one large Fennel bulb longways into discs and place on the preheated barbecue griddle and lay the Brill on top.  The Fennel prevents the Brill from sticking to the barbecue and imparts a wonderful subtle aniseed flavour to the fish.  Place an upturned baking tray on top to contain the heat thereby cooking both sides of the fish at once.  As you do not need to turn the fish over it keeps together and looks stunning on the plate.  I barbecued these Brill in about 20 minutes and they were cooked to perfection with moist, almost translucent flakes of flavoursome fish.


According to the Marine Conservation Society, fisheries for Brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) are poorly managed. Due to lack of data there is no assessment of populations or stock. Choose Brill caught by demersal otter trawl, or static nets rather than beam trawled fish.