Jump to content

Dover Sole


hoffdahl

Recommended Posts

I will be traveling with my dad on the Marina in April. Looking forward to good food is one of his main cruising pleasures and he is hoping that Dover Sole will be offered in the GDR or in a specialty restaurant. Has any one had this fish on the Marina, and if so, where and how delicious? Thanks for any input.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somewhat off topic but when we were pre-cruise in Dover in June 2006 we went to a restaurant that had been recommended to me by a local. (The restaurant sadly is no longer there.) It was just down the street from the Hotel Churchill where we were staying which was a plus.

 

One of our party ordered the Dover Sole for 25 pounds. When the fish came to the table we all wondered if 25 pounds was the price or the WEIGHT of the fish! The biggest thing I have ever seen served to only one person ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will be traveling with my dad on the Marina in April. Looking forward to good food is one of his main cruising pleasures and he is hoping that Dover Sole will be offered in the GDR or in a specialty restaurant. Has any one had this fish on the Marina, and if so, where and how delicious? Thanks for any input.

 

 

Dover Sole is also occasionally available in the GDR. I'm sure that if you have your travel agent forward the request to Oceania, they will be happy to put it into heavier rotation. In fact, they may make it available to your father whenever he chooses to order it. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somewhat off topic but when we were pre-cruise in Dover in June 2006 we went to a restaurant that had been recommended to me by a local. (The restaurant sadly is no longer there.) It was just down the street from the Hotel Churchill where we were staying which was a plus.

 

One of our party ordered the Dover Sole for 25 pounds. When the fish came to the table we all wondered if 25 pounds was the price or the WEIGHT of the fish! The biggest thing I have ever seen served to only one person ...

:)....Now we know why that restaurant had to close....True Dover Sole weighs in at 6-10 ounces only.....The inhabitants of Dover are especially aware that Dover Sole is really a small and delicious fish found only in the waters fairly close to Dover...It is very similar to a Catalina Sand Dab which unfortuneatly is no longer fished commercialy in the Channel Islands of California. Fished out.....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well now, that IS interesting. The menu definitely claimed they were serving Dover sole.

 

But that isn't why the restaurant closed up. It was actually an excellent restaurant but it had been bought by an outfit that closed down the restaurant and opened up some sort of night club. They never had an intention of continuing the place as a restaurant. The night we were there (one of the last nights it was open as a restaurant), the place was packed.

 

Mura

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well now, that IS interesting. The menu definitely claimed they were serving Dover sole.

 

But that isn't why the restaurant closed up. It was actually an excellent restaurant but it had been bought by an outfit that closed down the restaurant and opened up some sort of night club. They never had an intention of continuing the place as a restaurant. The night we were there (one of the last nights it was open as a restaurant), the place was packed.

 

Mura

....that is interesting.....over 50 years in the seafood industry and I never saw a true Dover Sole, not dressed but whole, over 2 pounds. Obviously I did not get to the right place....I really enjoy Dover Sole prepared tableside by a professional waiter in butter,lemon, salt and a dash of pepper. I look forward to having it in Jaques in January.....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I didn't say our monster fish was a true Dover sole! The menu said it was, and the diner was happy with his meal. I accept your assertion that a true Dover sole is smaller.

 

We were all astonished at the fish that was presented -- which the diner had to bone, etc. OTOH, his wife wasn't feeling well and there was more than enough left over to bring home to her.

 

 

Mura

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I didn't say our monster fish was a true Dover sole! The menu said it was, and the diner was happy with his meal. I accept your assertion that a true Dover sole is smaller.

 

We were all astonished at the fish that was presented -- which the diner had to bone, etc. OTOH, his wife wasn't feeling well and there was more than enough left over to bring home to her.

 

 

Mura

....It souds as though everyone had a good time ...Except the fish of course...Did I read the above correctly that the diner was expected to filet his own fish?..Now I am really sorry that We missed the opportunity in July to try that restaurant. (If it was open).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, AWED, as I recall he did his own deboning of the fish ... although it may well be that the waiter took care of that. It was a whole fish and as I said just about the biggest fish any of us had ever seen being served to one person.

 

Unfortunately the restaurant closed in June 2006.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello,

 

Dover sole or 'zeetong' (flemish) as we call it is also a favourite dish of my husband. We live in Belgium, the other side of the channel/north sea from Dover. In Belgium it's usually one of the most expensive dishes on the menu. And yes you have them is different sizes, depending on where you eat the fish. My husband almost always debones the sole himself. When he started deboning the dover sole himself on our last cruise on the Nautica some of the people at the table were rather surprised he did this himself. I think he just wants to make sure nothing edible of the fish goes to waste. He had the dover sole twice in the Italian specialty restaurant and one time in the MDR on the Nautica.

 

Regards,

Sonja

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Dover Soles served on "O" are very small. Like the Belgian gentleman, I too like them served on the bone. In Jaques I did order a double helping and the server was very put out when we asked for them to be served that way. The fish had been trimmed of their fins which, when properly cooked, are crispy and delicious!

The premier place for a wonderful sole is a restaurant in Finchley, London called 2 Brothers. I believe the current MP is 26-30 UK pounds. Restaurants in Los Angeles, for a very much smaller fish charge $30 - 35.

Yes, it is a real luxury item but IMHO worth every penny!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Save $2,000 & Sail Away to Australia’s Kimberley
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...

If you are already a Cruise Critic member, please log in with your existing account information or your email address and password.