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Head chef Francois Faydherbe, owner John Moyle and Heidi Rice |
Fish and mash are a real smash at the Shop
Mills and Boon author Heidi Rice likes nothing more than escaping to The Fish Shop. By Peter Gruner
SEX and love are very much on the menu at The Fish Shop restaurant near Sadler’s Wells this week. That’s where I meet popular Mills and Boon writer Heidi Rice, whose latest “extra sensual” romance, Bedded to a Bad Boy, has just been published.
As the title suggests, it’s a rather spicy tale. A young and ruggedly handsome American chap with a troubled past meets a beautiful red haired feisty English girl.
To begin with he irritates the hell out of her but they inevitably get it on and make mad passionate love.
Heidi, who lives in Highbury and is married with two young sons, is following up Bedded a Bad Boy with another raunchy read, the Mile High Club (not about aeronautical engineering, I suspect).
She admits that the titles are not her choice and do not really represent the content of the books.
“It’s not really all about sex,” she said. “It’s about feelings and emotions. It’s relationships and a lot of women’s fantasy – but there is always a sexual tension.”
So when she wants to unwind after working with all that emotion she’ll pop along to The Fish Shop, where on a sunny day she can sit on the balcony and watch potential characters for her books walk by.
The restaurant has many famous customers, including actress Denise Van Outen, Jimmy Carr, and a host of names and faces from nearby Sadler’s.
Heidi has been coming to the restaurant for as long as it has been open – about five years.
She started with a glass of good house dry white wine and the delicious taramasalata on grilled bread.
I enjoyed the excellent fish chowder.
Then we both had the smoked haddock with spinage – cooked to perfection – and mashed potatoes.
Heidi said: “The fish was firm and tasty and I’m a real fan of mashed potatoes. I think you don’t get them often enough in restaurants.”
She had a tasty lemon tart for dessert, followed by a latte.
The lunch and early evening menu – £13.50 for two courses and £17 for three – is highly recommended.
Also the seafood platter – including oysters, whelks, mussels and Devonshire crab.
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