Portland Bill : personal experience

[Ammonite]

I can wholeheartedly recommend Welcome | Catch at the Old Fish Market

We ate at the cafe / bistro Weyfish below Catch a few weeks ago, which I "think" belongs to the same outfit (apologies if not). I appreciate its not the same as the restaurant but it was a real disappointment. You have to pay when you order, which I'd assumed was due to the proximity to the street, but the portions (we had fish and chips and scallops) were miniscule and akin to a child's portion so its more likely they weren't expecting a tip. The food itself was good but Mitch Tonks Rockfish restaurants, which we sampled in Torquay and Dartmouth, were in a different league in terms of value, given similar prices / quality, and they have a restaurant in Weymouth. It doesn't offer Michelin star sophistication but if you are into fresh fish I'd recommend it and the whole Brill I had in Dartmouth was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Rockfish Seafood Restaurants & Online Seafood Market - Fresh seafood
I shall endeavour to try Catch when I'm next down there (if they will have me)

 

[wonkywinch]

Another vote for Rockfish. Eaten at the Brixham one a few times and the Plymouth one last week.

 

[Ammonite]

I was planning to try the Rockfish in Brixham but they were selling whole ray wing at £3 each in their fishmongers and you could have easily fed a family of four on two of them so obviously we had one each. Had to cook them one at a time but with some capers and black butter they were delicious. Apologies for the thread drift!

 

[stranded]

Another vote for Rockfish. Eaten at the Brixham one a few times and the Plymouth one last week.

I’m a long time fan of Rockfish. Although my last experience at Exmouth was a serious disappointment - very very very small Dover sole, poorly cooked - because it was so small I suspect: pool of blood on the plate from the head/gills, £40 for the pleasure (and I forgot my Cruising Association card for the discount!).

Catch upstairs is I think more akin to Mitch Tonks’ Seahorse in Dartmouth in ambition and, on our visit a few months ago, in execution.

 

[Seven Spades]

I’ve done Portland Bill a few times. Now, sailing in Scottish waters, I’d say that I find the Mull of Kintyre more intimidating.

Try the Raz, get the timing wrong there sorts the men from the boys.

 

[GEM43]

Try the Raz, get the timing wrong there sorts the men from the boys.

I went through the Raz and all seemed fine, but a mile south we encountered very large swells. The killer though was the many lengths of timber, about 12 x 12 and 20ft long in amongst the waves, avoiding them made the threat of the Raz fade fast!

 

[wonkywinch]

I’m a long time fan of Rockfish. Although my last experience at Exmouth was a serious disappointment - very very very small Dover sole, poorly cooked - because it was so small I suspect: pool of blood on the plate from the head/gills, £40 for the pleasure (and I forgot my Cruising Association card for the discount!).

Catch upstairs is I think more akin to Mitch Tonks’ Seahorse in Dartmouth in ambition and, on our visit a few months ago, in execution.

We had one bad experience at Rockfish, not the food but the service. A change of shift or something has them forget us and our order. I'm a big believer in offering feedback at the time (rather than not going back and moaning in the online reviews).

The manager was very apologetic and knocked the entire drinks off our bill. Our custom was retained.

On the other hand, a bad experience in our local pub was ignored and follow up discussions with the owners met with "take it or leave it" because their ego too big to recognise customer service.

 

[Bristolfashion]

We had one bad experience at Rockfish, not the food but the service. A change of shift or something has them forget us and our order. I'm a big believer in offering feedback at the time (rather than not going back and moaning in the online reviews).

The manager was very apologetic and knocked the entire drinks off our bill. Our custom was retained.

On the other hand, a bad experience in our local pub was ignored and follow up discussions with the owners met with "take it or leave it" because their ego too big to recognise customer service.

Rockfish in Torquay was excellent - despite the determined seagulls!

 

[Daedelus]

A bit closer in to the Bill and he'd have been out of the breaking waves, closer in water is still lumpy but not as bad as further out.
Taken from just by the lighthouse in about F5/6. Yacht is I think at least 40 ft.

 

[PhillM]

Anywhere less than 5m you need to be especially alert to it. Tacking up the shore against the tide it’s a real headache. Hopefully you’ll avoid that with decent passage planning. Yarmouth well worth a visit too, cheaper than Lymington and no tedious trip up a river to get there. Though you have to watch out for madmen in their XODs on race days, we appear suddenly, from behind the pier

Lymington is cheaper this year. £21 for a 6.3 m boat compared to £38 in Yarmouth. Free power at Lymington town quay too ( cannot remember if there is power in the Dan Bran as I don’t use it often).

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Lymington is cheaper this year. £21 for a 6.3 m boat compared to £38 in Yarmouth. Free power at Lymington town quay too ( cannot remember if there is power in the Dan Bran as I don’t use it often).

That’s not what the respective harbour rates show. You should pay 29.50 in Yarmouth, and £29.40 in Lymington. For other boats, prices are in bands in Yarmouth and by the metre in Lymington. Midweek that is. Lymington has a weekend rate, higher of course.