It’s very hard to figure out where to eat as a casual diner at the Fish Market, and particularly when you have to figure out what to recommend for out-of-town family or friends. Both of my last family lunches (my family and a few years ago husband-to-be’s family), we settled on the Fish Market Cafe.
It’s partly because Doyle’s at the front has had consistently terrible reviews over the years, and the Fish Market Cafe (and Christie’s next to it) are always crowded but have table space (with a bit of effort and assertive behaviour…). The places further in don’t have seatings, and I did make the mistake one time of fighting with the seagulls outside. Never again.
For seven of us, we ordered a grilled platter and a fried platter and three scallop aburi (delicious, rice, cheese and roe on the scallop shell, torched with a blow gun; it looks like an Australian invention or adaptation of something once Japanese). I was honestly impressed as were my family. The chips were complimented; the grilled gem fish especially; a bit of whitebait appreciated as were different types of squid and calamari. It was more than enough food. We sat at a table in the back, behind the counter, a bit hot that day, but happy to find seats.
All in all: a very successful tourist experience. I have to say though, we are curious to try Christie’s Seafood Experience, right next door, as we saw that they are combining seafood with Asian noodles and Laksa and the like. Looks like an interesting and good option.