Popular Scottish seafood restaurant Fish Shop scales up at the Wharf
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.
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