Riley’s Fish Shop, South Shields, United Kingdom - Reviews, Ratings, Tips and Why You Should Go – Wanderlog (2025)

+44 191 296 0333

https://rileysfishshop.com/

Review score

4.6

out of 5

Wonderful

134 reviews

5/5Alan Kirk

•

Absolutely love this place. Fantastic ingredients, cooked and presented with imagination and to perfection. This time we had the cured halibut toast and smoked trout soufflé followed by the brill and the hake. Every dish was superb. Guest wine an absolute bargain at £5 per glass and the Akemi White Rioja also great value for the quality. Couldn’t resist the Basque Cheesecake at the end - probably my favourite dessert.

5/5Mai Usayapant

•

The best fish and seafood restaurant I have tried in the UK! Fish was very fresh and cooked to perfection. Side ingredients are simple and yet again made into something quite nice. My favorites are fried monkfish with butter beans, the apple ketchup was worth trying. It is a neat restaurant with seafood market feeling. Sit at the bar counter for some kitchen action!

5/5Gary Wise

•

Noon booking, sat at kitchen bar where we could interact with enthusiastic chefs who were receiving the freshest seafood right off the dock! These guys know what they’re doing with these great local ingredients and they collaborate on the changing menu. Two types of expertly-shucked oysters, über fresh. Hand chopped halibut tartare was beautifully balanced with the smoky cream, salty eggs and lightly pickled radish - yum! Then four (only £13!) off-the-boat-wriggling langoustines, halved and grilled with garlic butter & samphire- perfect! Highlight was the seared monkfish tail on wild garlic citrusy pistou & pinto beans. A plate o roast (locally grown!) Jerusalem artichokes. Absolutely superb. All washed down with tasty local draught ales and a lovely Stellenbosch Sauvignon. These guys know their food, a gluten allergy was easy, but the experience was marred somewhat by their location. Anyone with mobility issues have to navigate steep stairs to the basement - god help you if you’re on the second floor! There are two front doors which were constantly left open by thoughtless guests and vendors, effectively blast-chilling the downstairs floor. Please don’t get me wrong - the food was totally worth it! Only the freshest local ingredients treated with total respect, in simple well-executed dishes I’d be proud to serve to a discerning clientele. I see complaints in here about pricing - ha! Portions are good and prices are 2/3 what they would be in the South. Keep it up, we’re already looking forward to our next family visit when the menu changes again! We’re still talking about this meal five hours later driving back South….

4/5Dollar Reviews

•

Quite pricey, but fish is expensive…For a fish restaurant, the savoy cabbage was the most surprising dish. Would definitely recommend it.All the fish was nice. I enjoyed the oysters, langoustines and the ceviche in particular.There is reserved seating upstairs or walk-ins downstairs. The restaurant looks newly fitted-out and the plates are really good quality.Service was a bit amateur at times. The the food is a bit expensive (I wouldn’t spend £36 on the turbot chop again) and it would be nice if they put at least one slightly cheaper wine (below £35) on the menu.

5/5Colonel Camp (ColonelCamp81)

•

A genuinely exceptional dining experience. Every dish was superb. Particularly the halibut cerviche. The wine was lovely. It's pricey but as a treat it's well worth it. The upstairs of the fish shop is nice but the decor is a touch plain, however it's a minor criticism of a great restaurant.