South Queensferry is probably the perfect place for a seafood restaurant, and so taking the short hop from Edinburgh to the Firth of Forth to sample the fruits de mer at The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack made perfect sense. The shack may not be perched on the seaside (and it’s not really a shack either), but it is conveniently located just by Ferrymuir Retail Park. And once we walked through the double doors into the spacious restaurant with comfy booths, wood panelling, exposed brickwork and an open kitchen to allow us to ogle the chefs at work, we were swiftly transported to the shore.
The menu is ideal if you have a mix of more adventurous seafood fans and those who prefer to stick to the classics. We didn’t sample the battered haddock but watching crisp, golden whale after whale emerge from the kitchen was a joy to behold. There’s even a sausage supper or sirloin steak for anyone who doesn’t even fancy dipping their toe into the water. At the other end of the scale you will find ample oysters, caviar, mussels, squid, prawns, scallops and even soft shell crab for those who really love their crustaceans, molluscs and roe.
I’m going to start by telling you how great the service is. The staff were incredibly friendly, never without a smile, as well as being helpful and knowledgeable. So impressive was the description of the monkfish gratin – a special of the day – that we ordered it as a main. Sadly a large table of American tourists was also enamoured by the sound of the special and had ordered the last seven portions just minutes before us. C‘est la vie!
We kicked off with an enormous sharing portion of crab nachos and a wee bowl of marinated olives in a tasty, spicy dressing. The mound of nachos was generously topped with lashings of dressed crab, sour cream, salsa and jalapenos and was excellent value at just £10.
My lobster supper, served with garlic butter, aioli and chips (half £25/whole £50) was sweet, meaty and perfectly presented. An out and out treat and the perfect example of how to showcase Scotland’s incredible shellfish. The dressed crab salad (£22) was again a huge portion. The crab was fresh and delicately briny and the only minor gripe was that the leaves were slightly over-dressed. But that was more than made up for by what were described as ‘the best chips I’ve had in a very long time.’
The portions are substantial so we’re happy to take a wee break before ordering an ice cream sundae and two spoons (£8). This grown-up version of the classic kids’ dessert was studded with large chunks of chocolate brownie and drizzled with copious amounts of caramel and chocolate sauce.
The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack is run by the Coghill family who once ran The Black Pig & Oyster in Leith and are also at the helm of the highly regarded Jack O’Bryan’s in Dunfermline and it’s clear they know a thing or two about hospitality. If you’ve a hankering for a great fish supper in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere you’d be hard pushed to do better.
The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack, 7 Ferrymuir, South Queensferry, EH30 9QZ.
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