If you have had the joy of eating at Cafe Fish in Leith since it opened then your heart wills top when I tell you this. It has closed. Sob, wail, snotter, nooooooooo.
But before you get a one way ticket to the Forth Road Bridge to throw yourself off stop right there.
They have shut their Leith premises and moved lock. stock and smoking mackerel to Stockbridge. Specifically to the site which used to be home to Cent Otre’s wee brother, Zanzerro. A site which in recent years has housed Round The World, Circus Cafe and most recently the afore mentioned Zanzerro.
As I canoed past amongst the July monsoons yesterday I clocked the signage and saw the place was moving with industrious looking people building, painting, ripping out, and most exciting of all wafts of delicious food puffed out into the damp air. I texted several friends to say ‘Whoopee Cafe Fish is opening in Stockbridge and by the smell of it – soon’.
Well they don’t hang around. That was Saturday 9th July. They were open that night. We found that out because we have just had Sunday lunch in there. A soft opening. The door was open when a clump of us popped our heads round the door to be met by a sea of smiling faces. A young, good looking staff welcomed us in and sat all 6 of us down round a table offering menus and drinks.
Well. Well. Well. Our friend Fi who was celebrating her birthday had struck gold. Right time. Right place.
A bottle of Chablis and some bread whilst we had a good read of the menu.
Cafe Fish in Leith had a set price lunch menu but there wasn’t one on today. But perusing the menu we were really spoilt for choice. Shellfish included mussels, oysters, shrimp, crab. Other pescadores smoked trout, sardines, lemon sole, sea bream, monkfish.
Starters included.
Cafe fish cakes & lemon mayo - light sensational and very tasty. £5
Serrano ham, roast peach, purpose basil & bocconcini £8 – beautifully presented as you can see below left and tasted wonderful.
Green chilli potted shrimp & sour dough toast £6 served individual kilner jar. The butter wasn’t as set as it should be but hey this place has been built and opened in a matter of days and we barged in first thing so I regard that as a teething hiccough.The prawns were sweet and tasty and I will be having it again and again and again….
Devon crab gazpacho £6 in which sat a timbale shape of crab meat, wrapped in slivers of cucumber. Fresh and delightful.
It was Sunday so 4 out of the 6 of us plumped for the Goan Monkfish and king prawn curry with pilau rice.
Nae cheap at £18 but great slabs of monkfish & plump delicious king prawns made it an event not to be missed. The curry was delicate and slivers of red chilli could be eaten or laid to the side depending how hot you can take it.
Pan roast sea bream – bacon – pear- baby gem & tarragon veloute £14 – prepared perfectly.
Grilled lemon sole on the bone – samphire, new tatties, seaweed butter. £19 A stoater.
Top quality food. Clean plates all round. 
Puds we had 2 between us. We were all full and just being greedy. Lemon Curd tart with Normandy Creme Fraiche £6
Valrhona chococlate delice – Blairgowrie raspberries& salt caramel £7
It wasn’t cheap but it was top quality. It felt right. It tasted great. Leith’s loss is Stockbridge’s gain. They will be stowed out when word gets round so off you go quick!
15 North West Circus Place,
Stockbridge, Edinburgh. EH3 6SX
0131 225 4431
