BITE - Fish Ahoy!!

BITE is the new restaurant du jour and it's not hard to see why. Based on South Fredrick Street, BITE, opened by restaurateur Ronan Ryan, offers something for everyone.The menu is short but interesting and filled with fresh fish and 'land - based bites'. So having managed to secure a much sought after booking, we headed down there last Friday night.

We were greeted by a very lovely hostess who was incredibly efficient and was helped by a team who are friendly, courteous and on the ball. Not once did we have to ask for water top ups which is a personal gripe of mine! The meal started off with some chilli squid popcorn followed by some buttered popcorn. This is a very clever idea as it is enough to stave off major hunger but not enough to fill you up unlike bread baskets.

For starters we ordered the Pil Pil Prawns, Deep Fried Mozzarella Balls and Potted Crab with Apple and Fennel. The Pil Pil Prawns were delicious with a strong garlicky flavour, the Mozzarella Balls are a great sharing starter and the Potted Crab was divine. It had a lovely texture but as usual with these things I always finish the Melba Toast before I even get near the end of the pot!! Even my non fishing loving friend thought it was a winner.

Pil Pil Prawns

Deep Fried Mozzarella Balls

Potted Crab

As there were four of us we managed to sample quite a lot of the menu so for our mains we ordered the Lemon Sole Fried in Panko breadcrumbs, the Grilled Sea Trout and Roasted Couscous with Sweet Potato Wedges and Crumbled Feta. One of the girls didn't feel like a big main so she just ordered a few sides with absolutely no objections from the waiting staff.

Lemon Sole Fried in Panko Breadcrumbs

Roasted couscous, sweet potato wedges and crumbled feta

Grilled Sea Trout

Both the sea trout and the lemon sole were lovely and the skinny chips were grand. You are given exactly what you are order - they are essentially posh fish 'n' chips. They even come in a little paper carton on a plate for a try at an authentic feel. For me though it was the roasted couscous and the sides that stole the show and demonstrates what the kitchen is truly capable of. The sides of baked sweet potato wedges, truffle & parmesan fries, spinach with new season garlic and slow roasted beets were a meal in themselves and were filled with flavour. 

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Truffle & Parmesan Fries

We were very tempted by the range of desserts which included popping candy ice-cream but instead opted for cocktails out in the heated seating area. One of the great things about BITE is their range of seating areas for pre or after dinner cocktails and drinks. We sat in the heated outdoor area but there is a lounge area downstairs. The cocktails were deemed not balanced enough by the cocktail loving connoisseur but that could be down to personal preference. I thoroughly enjoyed my wine and prosecco though!! One thing for the staff to note though is that if a customer asks for a pomegranate cocktail don't bring them a pineapple one just because you have run out! Other than this small glitch BITE is a restaurant I will be returning to. It is a lovely venue with exceptional staff. They  allowed us to stay all night, looked after our every wish and helped us celebrate a friend's very special occasion in style! 

You can find more info on BITE here.