Sheppey gets a lot of shit, for, well, being shit, but I love the place so much I go and pay homage every time I am back. Therefore, when there is a new restaurant like Love Fish Bar & Restaurant, I embrace it.
This is particularly the case when it is a bar AND a restaurant. You see what they did here? Play on Fish Bar. I digress, but this little gem is in some truly historic real estate and had great promise. Would it deliver though?
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What is the Isle of Sheppey?
The Isle of Sheppey is, as you might expect, an island in the UK which was formerly very remote and the closest most Londoners would come to going abroad. It is a big place covering almost 100 square km and, with 40,000 people, could be its own Isle of Man type country. Alas, this is not the case.
To say things have been on a slide over the last 100 years would be a great understatement and it is more famous now for being inbred and its chav culture. In fact, it was Sheppey that got one of the easiest spoof websites. Despite this though, I truly enjoy coming here and feel it is a great insight into a Great Britain that scarcely exists now.
What is the Love Fish Bar & Restaurant Leysdown?
This new restaurant and bar is located in Leysdown-on-Sea, which can be described as the beach and party capital of Sheppey, as opposed to Sheerness, which is like the big smoke. This town is dominated by a promenade leading down to the beach which is full of arcades, restaurants and the like. When it is not a school or bank holiday, much of this is fairly dilapidated.
Right at the bottom and on the beach was formerly the Family Fun Pub, which had been there for decades. This was a classic Sheppey boozer and holds some fond memories for me. In fact, it was where my daughter first tried Jägermeister, although she was five at the time. Pubs though are closing like wildfire in the UK, so this place was taken over by Love Fish Bar & Restaurant Leysdown.
The place has now reinvented itself as a fish and chip restaurant, while also serving traditional seafood and operating as a cocktail bar right on the beach. It also connects to the arcade and, by the looks of things, is doing bloody well. Therefore I had to try the food.
Could you digital nomad in Sheppey?
The Menu at Love Fish Bar & Restaurant Leysdown
The menu here is simple and to the point, offering fish and chips of different varieties, saveloy, sausage and big ass burgers. For some God only knows reason they also offer salads. Overall the prices are OK food wise and I’d go as far as to say decent for a restaurant.
The drinks list is actually huge, with draft beer and a fairly decent cocktail list. I nearly got five Sourz for ten quid, but decided against it.
Fish and Chips 15/16.50 GBP (depending on fish)
Burgers 10-13 GBP
Pie and Chips 9 GBP
Salads from 5 GBP
Full English Breakfast from 6.50 GBP
Pint of beer from 3.20 GBP
Check the photo for more options, alas they do not print their menu online.
How was the food?
OK, so fish in the UK is now crazy expensive so we went for a saveloy and chips, a quarter pounder and a half pounder, with a pickled egg thrown in for good measure. All meals are served with the option of mussy peas (which I had), or beans with a fine selection of sauces. Again I went classic with the chip shop curry sauce,
Sadly I have to say that the chips were very average and overcooked. This was to such a degree that it was almost as bad as in Berlin!
The rest of the meal though was decent enough and, with the ambiance and price overall, I would pop back to Love Fish Bar & Restaurant in Leysdown if for nothing else than a pint by the sea.
Click to read my Sheppey Guide.