We had great expectations for the Sea Tree Alternative Fish Bar on Mill Road, Cambridge. Their website has a wide array of goodies listed on the menu such as fish stew, grilled mackerel, and gilthead bream.
They also have a wet fish counter, which proves they take their fish seriously.
On this visit the Chip Fiends had a take out portion of fish and chips which we ate outside on the shop's own tables and chairs. (There's also a sit-down area inside). The take-outs are served here in a card box with a wedge of lemon, wooden knife and fork, and napkin. The attention to detail is promising.
However the service was a bit inconsistent and confusing. For example: The shake and splash was done for us, but one of the Fiends managed to add more salt and vinegar after opening the boxed meal before taking it outside. The next Fiend's boxed meal was put into a paper bag and handed over, therefore making it cumbersome to unwrap and unbox the food to add salt to the fish. It seemed like a lot of unnecessary packaging.
The cod portion was top notch: it came apart in huge, white chunks and the batter was hardly there - it was so light! This was a very good thing. It was a pity that the chips were quite cold. They would definitely have been great if they were warmer as they were nice and chunky but they had already begun to go soggy and limp. All in all, a meal of two halves.
Ratings out of 5:
Fish: 5
Chips: 2
Shop / service: 3
Packaging: 3
VFM: 2 (a bit expensive at £6.95, considering the cold chips)
Over all: 2
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