Ask anyone from outside of the UK about the kind of stuff we eat here and ‘fish and chips’ will probably be near the top of a very short list. Sutton and Sons take the premise behind the much loved traditional British chippie and throw in a few ‘fancy’ extras. Too fancy? We don’t think so. And – does it all work altogether? We think so – you CAN have your (fish)cake and eat it…
Rating
Cuisine
Fish restaurant / traditional fish and chip shop
Appeals To
East End old school and residents. Connoisseurs and seekers of the ultimate traditional fish and chips / malt vinegar abuse (I’m not saying you’ll find it but you will certainly find something…takeaway or dine in!). People who like unhealthy varieties of traditional British food (jumbo battered sausage OK!). Fans of seafood, (not just battered fish…) Sutton & Sons restaurant is an extension of Danny Sutton’s fishmonger – the produce is very fresh and there’s a lot more to it than battered plaice. Chargrilled mackerel? Absolutely…
In A Word
Honest
“Less Of A Chippie, More Fish Restaurant That Does Takeaway…”
The origins of Sutton and Sons date back to 1998, when a man named Danny Sutton opened a fishmongers (formerly ’The Fishery’) on Stoke Newington high street. Things must have worked out rather well as, in 2010, Danny and his wife Hana decided to open a fish and chip restaurant just up the road.
As you can probably imagine, this is no ordinary fish and chip shop and, although they’re much beloved for their traditional takeaway, this place is more of a fish restaurant that puts some emphasis on takeaway fish and chips and traditional British food.
After all, when was the last time you saw a chippie doing an offer on half a dozen oysters and a bottle of prosecco? Or an actual wine menu at a chippie? Yes indeed!
The Ambiance
From out front it’s got the ‘proper chippy’ look – i.e the neon lights and the glass front where you can watch guys frying things. Step inside and you’ll find a very compact place – and on this rainy wintery day it is warm like a hoddamn sauna in here. The atmosphere is very much that of your local chip shop, though I guess with a few ‘contemporary’ touches.
That said, there are the obvious nods to the traditional chippie such as tiled walls and one of those things at the counter where you can watch freshly made fish under those oddly coloured heat lamps that keep the food warm. I come in to the sax solo blaring out on ‘California Dreaming’. It’s based on two floors. Downstairs there’s a quiet, almost abandoned, sad room – which is good for privacy I guess
The place has the feeling that it’s been there for ages but had a recent touch up in the decor (though this could be completely wrong). There’s the ‘clean’ muted wood tones as oppose to the greying and slightly dirty tiles I’m used to in my kinda local chippy. From my seat I can watch the chef cutting white fish for frying in the open kitchen.
When I arrive there’s a trio of blokes with strong East End accents two tables down singing along to Hey Jude intermittently. I am reminded by these guys that arm tattoos were ‘East End’ long before East London became hip. There’s also a solitary mid 50s possible old timer beside me rats a solitary meal. He looks quite a lot like the millionaire owner of a tech business. For all I know, he might be. They also have regulars here – I later hear people request to order ‘the usual’.
There’s not so many tables here even though it’s a licensed restaurant – it can’t be more than 50 covers? There is an energetic fast moving atmosphere to the place, even despite the quietness of the day. They run a tight ship!
The Food & Drink
As you’ve probably gathered, it’s a lot more than battered fish on the menu here. Go for fish and chips served on paper to go (as is chippie tradition), or for a mackerel chargrill with a seasonal salad and a glass of chablis. Doesn’t everybody love choices?
Sutton & Son’s non piscine offerings include traditional english fare like steak and kidney pie. I don’t order a traditional fish and chips but the portion sizes appear immense if what anyone else is eating was anything to go by.
Whilst Danny oversees the running of the business, Hana produces a range of desserts and pickles for the restaurant. There’s a chalkboard which shows (presumably) what she has created on the day. We enjoy her vanilla cheesecake, which is absolutely and exactly what a cheesecake should be :3
It’s not just the desserts that change regularly. Asides from the regular a-la carte, the ‘Catch of the Day’ – which, as far as I can tell, the stuff they got in earlier in the day from the fishmonger side of the business. On the day this includes quite a few delicious fishes – but we try mackerel (for me) and a pint (yes, pint) of prawns for my friend Felix.
What we get is representative of a good fish restaurant – unpretentious, high quality seafood, prepared simply. Nothing particularly mindblowing, but at the level of quality you would expect, fresh from a fishmonger.
Another thing worth mentioning is that they have definitely got the recipe for chips right. As you probably know, a lot of the time, when a fish and chip shop fries a wedge of potato, the result can be quite…limp and oily. Not so here – the chips are just delicious: crispy and lightly salted. And, lest we forget: deep fried Mars Bars are also a thing, and also on the menu.
It’s also worth noting that they supply their own fish (since they own a fishmonger). Like many good fish restaurants there’s also a a catch of the day menu that changes on the regular – check the chalkboard (or the clipboard hanging off of the wall net to you) to see what’s going. They also fry everything in groundnut oil (I’m not sure that this is a good thing).
As for drinks… the menu lists but three wines but there’s actually a board with more than three and that seems to change regularly. There’s also a kinda small beer selection (though they manage to get a nice representation of ‘craft’ and ‘mainstream’ on there). And, for some reason, they do Tregothnan tea here!
Cromer Crab On Toast £5.95
Well, this is a fantastic start. The crabmeat is rich, tender and piled to the point of falling off of the bread…
Half pint of fresh king prawns with Marie Rose Dip £5.95
Nothing particularly special asides from the presentation here. The prawns are as fresh and good as you would hope/expect them to be.
Pickled Quail Eggs £???
I have no idea how we end up with 4 pickled quail eggs. I can’t find them on the menu and don’t even remember ordering them :3
Grilled Mackerel £9.50
Mrs Suttons Vanilla Cheesecake With Blackberries and Mint Compote £4.50
I hope Mrs. Sutton came up with this one herself. I find the side of compote to be ‘surplus to requirements’ – the cake on its own is more than enough.
And yes, my picture doesn’t do it justice.
The Verdict
I’ll sum this up with the thoughts of ‘Chris b’, a TripAdvisor commentator: “…there has been such a decline in fish and chip shops, and many today are kebab and chicken places with perhaps an old bit of fried fish lying about. But not so here…” Spot on, whoever you are!
If you’re interested in putting these guys to the test for yourself, there’s at least two more Sutton & Sons restaurants – one in Islington, a new one on Graham Road, Hackney and (possibly) one in Shoreditch’s Boxpark (which I assume is more temporary).
My only real criticism here is that they are cash only and the prices quoted are without a service charge. In my opinion this is draconian and a little misleading.
Also can we make takeaway mackerel a thing? I would love to live in a country where takeaway mackerel was a thing…
The Details
90 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7NY
http://www.suttonandsons.co.uk/