Riley’s Fish Shack – review
For my birthday Steve treated us to a takeaway from Riley’s Fish Shack.
Like so many of us in 2020, my birthday fell during lockdown so a takeaway was our only option as restaurants were closed.
We’ve been to Riley’s Fish Shack a few times and it is an absolute treat.
As advised on their social media channels we pre-ordered on the morning as we knew it would be busy.
We also wanted to beat the forecasted rain too.
Riley’s Fish Shack is at King Edward’s Bay in Tynemouth, about a 45 minute drive from our home.
We managed to bag a space in the free car park and then headed down to the beach.
What did we order from Riley’s Fish Shack?
Steve had plumped for the Monkfish Tail Wrap but I only had eyes for one dish.
I opted for the Chargrilled Half Lobster.
Riley’s have implemented really good safety measures.
They’ve removed the highly coveted deckchairs from the beach and the balcony and inside section of the restaurant has been stripped of the usual furniture.
They’ve also marked out the queue for social distancing.
And there’s hand sanitiser available too.
The shack is actually two shipping containers which have been fitted out steampunk-style in a mixture of dark wood and artfully rusted steel.
Usually there’s music playing to fit in well with the steampunk theme but it was eerily quiet.
The seafood is fresh and local and you are warned on their website and social channels that stocks are limited.
So when it’s gone it’s gone.
The food itself is served in thin wooden boxes, with wooden disposable knives and forks and is well worth the wait.
We spotted a large log (possibly strategically placed) on the beach so once our order was in Steve’s clutches we claimed our spot.
Our overall thoughts on food from Riley’s Fish Shack
Steve opened the bag and the aroma was just sumptuous.
It was piping hot and every mouthful was absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious.
Steve’s Monkfish (£19) was accompanied with a freshly made, lightly charred flatbread.
My lobster (£20) came with freshly made sourdough which was still really warm.
To accompany our seafood we had a vinaigrette salad and Hepplewhite’s Chipotle Chilli Relish and crispy hot-plate garlic potatoes.
I started with the sourdough, dipping it into the relish and then I started on the rest.
Every bite was like a little bit of heaven in my mouth.
We were both very happy with what we’d ordered, delicious!
My only wish was that it was a full lobster as it was just so good.
Once we’d finished our food we had a little walk along the beach and then climbed up the many many stairs back to the car.
We had a really chilled afternoon watching a film and then picked Elsie up early from nursery so we could have cake together.
So it might not have been the way I thought I’d be celebrating my birthday but it was still a really lush day.
Have you had a birthday during lockdown? How did you celebrate? Let me know in the comments below.
Where is Riley’s Fish Shack?
King Edward’s Bay, Tynemouth, NE30 4BY
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Other food related posts
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Find out if I enjoyed my first taste of NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week
If you’re looking for somewhere for all the family here’s my thoughts on the Blue House Haswell.
See our thoughts on The Miner’s Arms Medomsley
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