Rockfish to open eleventh restaurant with new Sidmouth site

Seafood restaurant group Rockfish is to open its eleventh restaurant along the South West coast of England with a new site at Sidmouth this Spring.

Located within the historic Drill Hall on Sidmouth’s seafront esplanade, Rockfish Sidmouth will preserve the character of the original building while introducing an 88 plus cover restaurant with an indoor dining room and outdoor terrace. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant will serve a daily changing menu of seasonal fish and seafood, delivered straight from the quayside at Brixham Market and prepared each morning in time for the first service of the day.

Nearly three decades after opening his first fishmongers in 1996, followed by the launch of his first Rockfish restaurant in Dartmouth in 2009, Mitch Tonks has remained focused on one simple mission: to do seafood better in the UK. At Rockfish, the focus has always been on serving the freshest, most direct MSC certified seafood simply and responsibly, with real passion.

The menu will include mains such as large line-caught haddock fried in Rockfish batter with tartare sauce; and The Rockfish wild prawn burger handmade with wild red prawns with Jalapeño tartare. From Monday to Friday, Rockfish’s seasonal set menu is available all day, offering two courses for £23.95 and making market-fresh seafood part of everyday dining, while a dedicated children’s menu at £9.95 invites enjoyment for the whole family.

In true Rockfish fashion, Mitch’s seasonal selection of fish will be hand-annotated on the tablecloth by the team, inviting guests to explore what’s at its very best that day.

Commenting on the opening, Mitch said: “Sidmouth feels like a natural home for Rockfish – right on the seafront, with a real sense of place and community – and we’re so excited to become part of it. Everything we do is led by what’s coming into Brixham Market each day, so our menus are always seasonal and at their very best. Opening our eleventh restaurant here gives us another chance to share that way of cooking and keep championing British seafood in a way that’s honest and responsible, and hopefully get more people enjoying what’s caught in our own waters.”

The Sidmouth opening follows recent launches in Salcombe and Lyme Regis, continuing the brand’s steady growth along the South West coast.