I’ve mentioned The Capital Hotel a few times on this blog; a boutique beauty, no more than a stone’s throw from Harrods and under the remit of Small Luxury Hotels. Regular readers will know I’m a fan of the hotel’s headline chef, Nathan Outlaw having eaten at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, his two Michelin Star restaurant in Cornwall as well as right here Michelin-starred restaurant Outlaw’s at The Capital. With his passion for the produce in Cornwall, it’s no surprise that Nathan Outlaw specialises in fish and one restaurant I’m still yet to try is his Michelin-starred Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac, Cornwall.
But tonight that was to change as I would be sampling the Fish Kitchen right here in London without having to make the long journey south. Tonight a special pop up at The Capital would see Nathan joined by Tim Barnes (Head Chef, Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen) and Andrew Sawyer (Head Chef, Outlaw’s at The Capital) to serve a menu inspired by dishes served in the style of The Fish Kitchen.
With our glasses filled with local Camel Valley Sparkling wine from Cornwall we tucked into the first course, a rather excellent sourdough served with salted butter, smoked cod’s roe dip, smoked paprika and olive oil. As we enjoyed our bread we heard from Nathan Outlaw himself who told us a little about Fish Kitchen, located in 15th century fisherman’s cottage overlooking the harbour of Port Isaac, apparently the restaurant is so small that 6 foot five Nathan can’t even fully stand up. I’m a huge fan of very special rustic places and of course a big fish lover so Fish Kitchen sounds right up my street! It was my third time meeting Nathan and he’s always so jovial and friendly!
And in keeping with that rustic tradition, our food is served family style with careful dietary requirements made for anyone needing them. The pickled herring with red onion, orange and chilli dressing was strong in flavour and definitely one for fish lovers. 
Served at the same time was the cured brill with cucumber and watercress which had the refreshing flavours of a ceviche. 
The crab fritters with brown crab mayonnaise were a resounding favourite around the table and the baked scallops were juicy and firm. It comes as no surprise that all the fish used across the restaurants is local and sustainable and Nathan is a huge advocate for sustainability and limiting the impact on the marine environment. 
The monkfish tandoori had a beautiful char on it and it was just perfect with that extra twist of lime and the cauliflower pickle for notes of acidity. 
The baked turbot really was the main event and like the rest of the dishes it’s a simple, familiar dish with Nathan Oulaw’s signature flair! Onions and cider with tarragon and anchovy butter make up the sauce and there’ s delicious roast potatoes with rosemary and garlic on the side. Personally I would have added a touch more seasoning to this dish but we enjoyed the rich and hearty flavours.
The only non-fish dishes on menu were two desserts to share. Rhubarb and blood orange pavlova was sweet, light and fluffy where the sticky toffee pudding with boozy prunes and a blob of Cornish cream would satisfy the keenist sweet tooth.
I think just as Nathan Outlaw intended, the Fish Kitchen at Outlaw’s at The Capital was a fab night with great food and wonderful company! Thank you to The Capital Hotel for having us.
0207 589 5171
I was a guest on a press table for this event.
