Seafood restaurant turns fish and chips into an art
THE woman behind one of Birmingham’s most popular Jewellery Quarter pubs has opened a new fish and chip restaurant – with an artistic flourish.
Fishylicious is the brainchild of Sarah Thornton, the former landlady of another Jewellery Quarter institution, The Lord Clifden.
The new restaurant, in Pitsford Street near the quarter’s famous Warstone Lane Cemetery, sports a bright blue exterior and interior designs by renowned Birmingham street artist Temper.
Ms Thornton said: “I’m lucky that Temper is friend of mine and I knew he could really create something that sums up the style of décor that I wanted for Fishylicious.
“I asked for something like a sepia-style postcard with a sailor, something that fitted with our beach theme.” She said it was a long held dream to open a seafood restaurant in Birmingham “that made you feel you were actually by the sea”.
“Everyone knows fish and chips tastes better by the sea and in fish and chip paper,” she added.
“That’s exactly how I’ll be serving them on the plates. Birmingham is not great for seafood, so knew it would be something really great for the city.
“After leaving Lord Clifton last April, I started looking at potential places to launch. I had three other premises in the Jewellery Quarter fall through for various reasons.
“And then I came across this. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to paint it blue. It took a while to get the right shade but I think it’s perfect now.”
The restaurant will seat 27 inside, and a further 28 in an outdoor courtyard, and serve traditional fish and chips with tartar sauce and pea purée.
The kitchen will be staffed by chefs who have previously worked for Rofuto at Park Regis, The Plough in Harborne and Hilton Metropole respectively.
Fishylicious is the latest in a line of new bar and restaurants openings in the Jewellery Quarter in recent months including The Pig & Tail, 1000 trades and St Pauls House, formerly The Ropewalk pub, in St Paul’s Square.
Jewellery Quarter property consultancy Mason Young secured the letting to Fishylicious.