Fish Shop

Oysters dressed with fermented green chilli, tiny crumpets piled with crab meat and negronis garnished with plump samphire fronds: it’s a change of pace for Ballater, a village in Aberdeenshire, whose usual aesthetic is more tartan-clad than the light, modern Fish Shop. Yet even mid-week there’s a hum in this incongruous side-street restaurant deep in the Highlands. Not just from guests at The Fife Arms in nearby Braemar, but locals have also warmly embraced it thanks to impeccable sourcing – they work with the fishmongers next door and have easy access to day boats at Scrabster and Peterhead Port. Chef Marcus Sherry’s nod to local delicacies like velvety Partan Bree crab soup helps too, with highlights including tangy-bright Braemar rhubarb accompanying scorched mackerel and a nob of seaweed butter melted over Ayrshire new potatoes.

Words by Rachel Walker.

This article was taken from the March 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.