What Makes Fish at the Wet Fish So Good?

When people ask us why the fish tastes so good here at the Wet Fish, the answer’s simple: we don’t cut corners.

We serve wild Cornish fish — not the cheap, farmed, frozen stuff most places use. Ours is fresh off the boats in Cornwall and delivered to our kitchen within 24-48 hours. No freezing, no middlemen, no compromises. Just superb fish with pristine flavour and beautiful texture, every time.

Straight from Sea to Plate

Most restaurants rely on wholesalers and the old Billingsgate route. Not us. We source direct from Flying Fish Seafoods, the most respected seafood supplier in the UK — so highly regarded there’s a waiting list to work with them. It’s a point of pride that we’re on it.

When Farmed, It’s Farmed Right

We do serve some farmed fish—but only from best-in-class producers who care about welfare, sustainability, and flavour.. Such as Loch Duart Salmon from Scotland or Chalk Stream Trout, farmed with high fish welfare standards and clean feed. Better farming = better flavour = better for the planet.

Meet Some of the Stars

Here’s a flavour of what you might find on our changing menu and the fish board outside — where you can grab fillets to cook at home, always based on what’s seasonal, sustainable, and at its best:

Brill – Like cod’s elegant cousin. Finer texture, mild flavour, a chef’s favourite.

John Dory – Meaty white flesh with a gentle sweetness. Rare, delicious, and always special.

Hake – Spain buys most of the UK's hake for a reason: it’s that good. Tender, flaky, and wild.

Pollock – Used to be the ‘poor man’s cod’, now prized for its high omega 3's and depth of flavour.

Red Gurnard – Mild, slightly sweet, and flaky—known as the taste of Cornwall.

Monkfish – Meaty, premium, almost like lobster. Always a favourite.

Turbot – They call it the prince of the sea in France for a reason: it’s luxurious, firm, and sublime.

And that’s just a taste — from deep-sea farmed mussels to iconic line-caught sea bass, everything we serve has a story and a standard behind it. Actually, let’s pause for a moment on those mussels:

St Austell Bay Mussels — Grown year-round in pristine deep-sea waters off the Cornish coast (rather than the old-fashioned way in estuaries). Plump, nutrient-rich, sustainable, and bursting with flavour. Guaranteed the best mussels you’ve ever had! 🦪

Why Sourcing Matters

Good food starts with good sourcing. That’s why we put in the extra effort. You won’t find frozen blocks of anonymous white fish here — just real, seasonal seafood, served simply and cooked with love.

Come taste the difference. 💙🐟

🎥  From Boat To Plate:  Watch Our Fish Journey

🐟 Fish Glossary–"What Does {Fish} Taste Like?"

Wondering what brill tastes like? Or how Chalk Stream Trout compares to salmon? Here’s our diner's guide to flavour and texture — fish by fish.

Wild – Cornish Waters

Brill Like cod’s elegant cousin — finer texture and milder flavour. A real chef’s favourite.

Cod Tender and flaky — the nation’s favourite! When it’s this fresh and wild, the texture really stands out.

Coley Similar to cod, milder and less flaky, slightly grey in colour. Considered more sustainable than cod.

Dover Sole Popular with 19th-century London high society. Firm yet silky, with subtle, refined flavour.

Hake Very similar to cod, slightly less flaky but just as tender. Most of the UK’s hake is actually exported to Spain, where it’s considered a luxury.

Haddock Like cod, but even more delicate. A lovely fish — and the boss’s favourite!

John Dory Usually solitary, occasionally schooling. Prized for meaty white flesh and mild, slightly sweet flavour.

Ling In the cod family. Slightly less flaky, but a little more flavoursome.

Lemon Sole Soft and delicate white fish, similar to plaice. Really gorgeous — another boss favourite!

Mackerel Line-caught, oily, full-flavoured and delicious. Always a top recommendation in the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide.

Monkfish Premium white fish known for its meaty texture. Think lobster tail or langoustine.

Plaice Plentiful in summer. Often used for fish & chips, but subtle and delicious — a rising star among chefs.

Pollock Very similar to cod, slightly firmer, and higher in omega-3. Once “poor man’s cod,” now respected in Michelin-star kitchens.

Sea Bass Line-caught with delicate white flesh — always a favourite. Carefully controlled in Cornwall to ensure sustainability.

Stone Bass Firm, white, and meaty — somewhere between sea bass and cod.

Red Gurnard White, flaky, and delicate. Mildly sweet thanks to a crab-and-shrimp diet. Often showcased as “the taste of Cornwall.”

Red Mullet Lean white fish, quite flavourful with slightly earthy, rich notes. Great in Mediterranean dishes.

Turbot Known in France as “the prince of the sea.” Luxurious flavour and meaty texture — like a firmer Dover sole or refined halibut.

Farmed – Best-in-Class Producers

Chalk Stream Trout Similar to salmon in colour, flavour and texture, but a little more delicate.

Loch Duart Salmon Scotland’s best farmed salmon — clean, buttery, and rich. Small-batch farmed with a focus on fish welfare.

Nordic Halibut Farmed off Norway’s pristine coast. Clean, slightly sweet, firm, and luxurious — like an elegant version of cod.

St Austell Bay Mussels 🦪 Grown year-round in pristine deep sea waters. Plump, sustainable, and bursting with flavour and nutrients. A pioneering approach — and guaranteed the best mussels you’ve ever had.