Champagne Bar & Seafood Restaurant

On our recent UK road trip, we had the pleasure of staying in Leith. In recent years, Leith has undergone significant regeneration and is now a busy port with visits from cruise liners and now plays host to the out of commission, Royal Yacht Britannia. The shore area of Leith, once unattractive, is now a centre for a range of new pubs and restaurants in charming surroundings. One of the restaurants that has built a strong reputation for its extraordinary seafood selection is The Ship on Shore.

Once you step inside it becomes very clear that what looks like a local pub from the exterior, is more the serious wine bar and restaurant as an interior. As you peruse the menu, it becomes very clear that seafood at The Ship on the Shore. As an accompaniment, the beverage list offers a selection of the finest champagne, international wines and cocktails making this waterside restaurant a ship well worth boarding.

https://www.theshipontheshore.co.uk/menus/

Once seated, our server walked us through the our options on their extensive menu. The Ship on the Shore is the ultimate seafood destination, offering mouth watering dishes such as Fruits de Mer 'Royale', Seafood Platter, Smokehouse Platter, Loch Creran Oysters, Mussels, Crab, Lobster, Langoustines, Scallops, Salmon and The Ship's own recipe Bunnahabhain Smoked Salmon. For diners more inclined towards the 'turf' than the 'surf', The Ship's menu also stretches to shore-bound creatures, with steak and haggis venturing forth from the kitchen.

Drooling like a couple of Pavlov's lab puppies, we started our culinary adventure with 1/2 doz Loch Creran Oysters and an old 70's favourite the prawn cocktail. Of course no meal is complete without a tasty beverage. To get our experience rolling we opted for a carafe of the sangria, a house specialty.

Having been permitted sufficient time to digest the entrees, our server approached the table for selections from the secondi menu. A difficult decision given the multitude of choices however we decided upon the Whole Oven Baked Sea Bass fillet with Baby Potatoes, Confit Shallot, Marinated Olives, Cherry Tomatoes & Samphire and the Monkifsh Tail Thai Curry with Pak Choi, Tenderstem Broccoli with Basmati Rice. Not a word could be heard at our table as we indulged in the thoughtfully prepared and well-presented seafood fare. The local hype from those that recommended we try The Ship was well and truly justified. Had the restaurant not been so well subscribed at our seating time, we may well have licked our plates clean 😋.

Despite The Ship on Shore being surrounded by bars and restaurants of note including two Michelin * establishments, one should never judge a book by its cover. This almost nondescript outwardly looking establishment offers a high quality experience. Make no mistake, the Ship on the Shore succeeds in its goal to prove that Scotland, arguably, has the best seafood in the world.

Bon appetite...