Fischer’s is the latest offering from restaurateurs Corbin and King – the pair behind the Wolseley, Delaunay, Brasserie Zedel and Colbert. It’s based on Marylebone High Street on the former site of Cotidie; a dire Italian restaurant where I had one of the worst meals of my life.
What a transformation; it’s a really beautiful restaurant – like a glamorous Austrian cafe in a railway station. The atmosphere felt lively and buzzy yet not manic or out of control which was impressive seeing how busy the place was; there was a constant flow of people coming and going throughout our entire visit.
The Austrian theme doesn’t end with the decor; the menu is littered with ‘Zwielbelrostbraten’ here and ‘Überstürtzer’ there. To start I opted for ‘Käsespäztle with bacon’ (£6.25) which was a type of egg noodle/dumpling similar to pasta, in a carbonara sauce – it was comfort food in its purest form.
The ‘beef broth with cheese dumplings’ (£6.95) had the sort of intense beefy flavour that made me want to pick up the bowl and lick it clean – it was really impressive. The cheese dumplings were well made, not stodgy, and actually tasted of their said flavouring which isn’t always the case. The ‘beetroot cured salmon’ (£9) was vibrantly purple in colour and its quality was sublime. With the accompanying horseradish cream and Nordic bread it made for a perfect mouthful.
For main, the ‘Würstchen’, or sausages (you had the choice of two with potato salad, Sauerkraut and caramelised onions) seemed great value at eleven quid. My gentleman companion went for the ‘Nürnberger’ and ‘Käsekrainer’, the latter being a real highlight as it was stuffed with emmental cheese – I do love a cheesy sausage! There was a choice of three great mustards too which varied in eye watering strengths – German mustard has got to be the best around.
I couldn’t resist ordering the Wiener Schnitzel (£19.95) which was served with a ‘Preiselbeeren compote’ – I haven’t heard of it either – which provided a perfectly sharp antidote for the richness of the veal. The Schnitzel was a beautiful blanket of crisp breadcrumbed meat atop a thick gravy which was absolutely delicious.
The ‘grilled spatchcock chicken’ (£15.50) was served with a herby garlic and tarragon concoction and although the flavour was great, the dish lacked one extra element to lift it.
Sides were all great; the medium cut chips (£4) changed my mind about fat chips as they were so bloody tasty – I always find fat chips a bit too ‘potatoey’ but not here. The buttery mash (£4.25) was exactly that and the pickled cucumber salad (£4) shall remain one of my Mum’s favourite side dishes of all time.
For dessert, the ‘Scheiterhaufen’ (£6.25), which we only ordered so we could say ‘Scheiterhaufen’, was a joyous bread and butter pudding filled with apple, topped with soft meringue peaks and drenched in a calvados anglaise – it tasted every bit as delicious as it sounds.
The ‘Wien ice cream coupe’ (£5.95) was a filling blend of coffee and vanilla ice cream topped with crunchy meringues, whipped cream and an espresso anglaise – it was the perfect pud for sharing.
Finally, the ‘chocolate and Grand Marnier Dobos’ (£4.25) was proof that whoever’s running the pastry section really knows what they’re doing. There were layers upon layers of creamy, yet not sickly, chocolate and sponge which all had a subtle flavour of boozy orange which is never a bad thing.
I knew I was going to enjoy Fischer’s as soon as I walked in the door – a feeling which I get at the other Corbin and King restaurants too. They just get it all so right; the look of the dining room, the tasty food, the friendly staff – even the toilets are beautiful. It’s worth a trip for that cheesy sausage alone.
9/10
