More Riley’s. More goodness.
A five-minute walk from nationwide favourite and perpetual ‘best outdoor dining experience’ list-botherer Riley’s Fish Shack is Riley’s Fish Shop. A more traditional, sit-down, late-night type affair with comfy seating, it’s got an open kitchen and naturally, whatever has come off the boats that day. When I first encountered it, I thought it seemed a little redundant. It’s ‘just more Riley’s’. But it’s a very different vibe to those used to the Shack. It reminds me of some of my favourite places in European cities, humble gaffs where they do wonders with the fruits of the sea, rekindling a romance for fish, showcasing ‘proper’ cooking, and in essence, feeling like everything a restaurant should be.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the shack, but Riley’s Fish Shop (not sure it even operates as a shop) is a more civilised setup altogether, and in the colder winter months, you don’t get frostbite as you eat your mackerel wrap. In fact you won’t even find a wrap on the menu. This is where the chefs come to put together much more familiar restaurant dishes, with garnishes and sauces and (as good as they are) not just those potatoes and caperberry salads.
An interesting quirk/revenue stream is here they put on filleting and fish classes here which are no doubt a perfect middle-class afternoon activity. And to be fair, we could all be a lot better at buying, choosing, preparing and eating fish in the UK. It’s no wonder fish restaurants do so well when as a country we’re so scared of it.
Anyway the scran. Well it’s stupendous from start to finish. Starting with this beige plate. So good it made my ‘Best Things I ate in 2024’ list, the scallops (hand-dived, cooked tender with a gorgeous crust), chicken wing (confit), and caramelised onion puree are matched only by the Sunday best gravy which brings it all together. Accomplished, triumphant cooking, and nearly a ‘let’s order another’ dish. Challenge you to find me a better plate of food in North Tyneside. DARE YA.
I thought crab with tomato and olive would have been the plate to depose it, but it was merely a 9/10 dish. Crab from NE29, heirloom tomatoes and a salty crumbling of olives are best friends, and this was also just a joy to eat. Good start then? With a glass of ESW, I also liked the dill & cucumber oyster, but plain old Lindisfarne bivalves with just a squeeze of lemon are plump and briny perfection.
Main courses here are exemplary and if you follow the team over on socials, you’ll see plate after plate of ‘fish and a couple of other things’ that just look so bloody inviting. Take a seat at the bar, neb at the mise en place, and everything prepped for the night’s service. It makes it all the more appealing for me. Chat with the chefs, pick exactly which turbot you want, it’s a bit nerdy in the best and fishiest way.
On tonight apart from these were small turbots, salt cod, and mackerel, and it was a joyously difficult decision of narrowing down the short menu. Alas, monk tail comes with pesto and caponata, three things that love each other. Hake marries buttery mash, grilled onions, girolles and more of that chicken jus from the above. It’s a proper restaurant dish, and naturally, every bit of fish is handled with care and cooked better than you can at home 🤌🏻
Sides of baby potatoes dripping in pernod and fennel butter (yes please) and grilled hispi with walnut ketchup lift things even further, including the price which bumps the cost of the mains to about £35. It sadly pushes the Fish Shop out of everyday territory for me (and most!) but for aficionados, lovers of proper restaurants, and all that coastal wealth, this is exactly the type of restaurant that Tynemouth has been missing out for as long as I can remember.
Wines are impeccably chosen — mostly white and mostly European. We had a couple of ESW as well as a few other glasses chosen by the ‘on-it’ service team. It’d be easy to get carried away but you’d have an absolutely lovely time out coming just for a couple of nice glasses and some oysters.
We shared a lemon tart to finish, with strawbs (this was mid-last year), like a refreshing hit to the senses after some fairly rich dishes. A very fine and well-made tart, with crisp pastry and not too much sweetness. Making it annoyingly difficult to find things not to love about Riley’s Fish Shop, really, other than the sizeable bill at the end.
Does the lack of the sea air make this a less appealing prospect than the Shack? You be the judge. There is a lot to be said for King Eddie’s Bay on a gorgeous July afternoon. But for me, the weather in NE30 is turbulent at the best of times (currently a frosty -1C) and a ‘proper’ kitchen makes the Shop an essential North Tyneisde restaurant.
It’s a treat, for sure, but one that justifies its position on our coast more than another ten shitty coastal cafes, bang-average Italians, and terrible gimmick spots. Riley’s second outlet is doing the heritage of the local towns justice, is a must for seafood lovers, and is one of the best restaurants in the NE.
Contact: rileysfishshop.com
Address: 3-5 Percy Park Road, Tynemouth, NE30 4LZ
Similar to: Riley’s Fish Shack, Saltwater Fish Co.
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