A popular Aberdeenshire seafood restaurant has opened its second location – but it’s 3,000 miles away across the pond in the US capital, Washington, DC.
Fish Shop, in Ballater, opened in 2023 to rave reviews and has won many accolades since.
Now owners, Artfarm – a hospitality and development firm run by owners of Braemar’s Fife Arms Hotel – have decided to open up in America.
Designed to cater to local residents and visitors to the US capital, Fish Shop will have an informal 180-cover restaurant and bar with three private dining rooms.
Within its first year it was named as one of Conde Nast Traveller’s Best New Restaurants in the World and it was one of 36 eateries to receive the honour of Bib Gourmand Restaurants distinction in the Michelin Guide this year
Now landed on The Wharf in Washington DC, significant as the site of the oldest open-air fish market in North America, Fish Shop will honour both its birthplace and the customs and culture of the Chesapeake Bay.
Traditional fishing communities along the Potomac are celebrated alongside local makers and artisans that draw inspiration from fishing and the seafaring community.
Hero dishes from Fish Shop Ballater, (including their infamous crab crumpets) will feature when in season, alongside newly crafted dishes and bar snacks freshly prepared in an open kitchen. Fish Shop will also have a dedicated fish preparation room, dealing with whole fish to minimise waste and to allow chefs to cure, dry and age fish on site.
Artist Angela Eastman, based in North Carolina, was commissioned alongside Helen Jackson in Aberdeenshire, to create a 200 basket-weave fish shoal suspended from the ceiling, floating above the bar, using native wisteria and willow.
Other nods to Scotland include a custom-designed Araminta Campbell tartan on the chairs and walls, with colours of the twine used in traditional fishing nets represented throughout.
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