Geales Fish Restaurant
- great fish and chips in Notting
Hill
Geales
2 Farmer Street
London W8
Tel: 020 7727 7528
It is surprising that good old
fish and chips is so hard to
eat in civilised surroundings.
This is now thankfully being
put right by the people behind
the re-vamp of Geales. This well-known
chippy has had a thorough makeover
and has now set itself up as
a very snazzy little dining room.
Set in the prettiest corner of
Notting Hill, in ‘Hillgate
Village’, Geales is now
under new ownership with Garry
Hollihead as its Executive Chef.
Garry is probably best known
for his cooking at Embassy London.
We loved everything about Geales,
from the understated but elegant
décor, to the starched white
tablecloths, and polished cutlery.
The walls are chic grey walls and
French windows allow plenty of
natural light into the room. In
the summer there is al fresco dining,
with the windows opened right back
and the tables spilling onto the
pavement. There is ample space
and no music, just the sound of
contented banter between diners
enjoying the food and each other’s
company.
The stylish art deco style menu
had plenty to tempt us, with nine
starters in total ranging from
classic fish soup to dressed crab.
I began in a highly decadent fashion
with half a dozen Duchy of Cornwall
oysters and a glass of perfectly
chilled house champagne. The oysters
tasted very fresh and clean, with
a dense creamy texture and a wonderful
aftertaste that whisked me to a
virtual seashore. These came served
with a merlot vinegar and shallot
sauce which added a nice degree
of piquancy. My guest began with
the Thai soft shell crab; this
came battered and deep fried, and
was served with a very pleasing
sweet and sour dipping sauce.
To follow, of course, there is
battered fish, with four different
types to choose between - cod,
hake, haddock and sole. The fish
was moist, the batter crispy. There
are numerous side orders, including
chips, proper mushy peas, and a
whole host of accompaniments to
tickle every whim. If this sort
of dining isn’t what you
fancy there is the gut-busting ‘Geales
Breakfast’, consisting of
poached haddock, dry cured bacon,
black pudding and poached egg,
or lighter seafood and shellfish
options from the daily specials
menu. Meat lovers have not been
forgotten either, with a sirloin
steak served with Béarnaise
sauce for those who are not fans
of aquatic cuisine.
To conclude, there were seven
desserts, including nursery favourites
such as jam roly-poly and rice
pudding. We shared a rich and fudge-like
treacle tart, which came served
with nostalgic ‘hokey-pokey’ ice
cream. This, if you’ve never
tried it is a wonderful combination
of vanilla and honeycomb and is
a must have when you eat here.
Our other choice, a selection of
sorbets (lemon and raspberry,)
came served delightfully in a traditional
sundae glass evocative of yesteryear.
There is a short but comprehensive
selection of wines on offer, with
several available by the glass
(which includes five different
champagnes). There are also soft
drink fish and chip classics, including
ginger beer, dandelion and burdock
and cream soda.
A night out at Geales is a most
agreeable experience. The food
is neither heavy, nor filling,
and we came away feeling both content
and keen to return - you can’t
say fairer than that.
Louise Elgin. August 2007.
A three-course meal for two with
wine and water is around £75.00.
Fish and chips from £11.00
Geales
2 Farmer Street
London W8
Tel: 020 7727 7528
http://www.geales.com
