It has been disheartening to watch the disintegration of the Fubar over the last six months. From the decline of food and service, the Fubar’s decay has been a sad reminder of the difficulties of owning an independent restaurant in Bath.
So when a sign recently appeared on the street advertising the Fubar as a fish and chip take away, it seemed a mark of its imminent demise.
Out walking the dog, passing by and seeing a note on the window saying, “Under new management,” I decided to give it one last chance. A sign in the window said, “Open,” but writing on the door said, “Opens at 5pm,” but as there was someone working behind the bar I took a chance and went in.
The bartender, new herself, explained that yes, they were open, that the bar had the same owners but new management had taken over during the new year and that yes, they’d be happy to serve me up some fish and chips to take away.
I fully expected, as did my dog, that he would be the beneficiary of the meal and would end up eating more of it than I would.
I was extremely pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case.
Presented to me in a classic Styrofoam segmented container, this was no ordinary fish and chip take out. A single large section of fish, beer battered and fried golden brown, smelled heavenly and in the two compartments were well cooked small little chips and a generous portion of mushy peas.
The fish was lovely. The batter was tasty,crisp and perfectly fried, the fish moist, flavorful and flaky and obviously cooked in fresh and good quality oil. The chips were cut in small, bite size pieces and, again, nicely cooked. The mushy peas seemed to be homemade and had a nice consistency, though just a tad bit too salty. However, as I’m not personally a fan of mushy peas, I’d take that criticism with, pun intended, a grain of salt.
My only complaint would be that the tartar sauce was presented in a little neon green cup. While a decent portion, without a lid it wasn’t the best container for a take away box and did spill on the fish. As I live only around the corner from the Fubar, it wasn’t a big deal, but someone going a little bit farther might find that runaway tartar sauce could have spoiled the crispness of the fish and so would recommend asking for a cover on the sauce container, even if it’s just cling wrap.
Also, no utensils were provided so if dining al fresco by the weir is your plan, conveniently located nearby to the Fubar, ask for cutlery and serviettes.
Be warned: this is not fast food. On ordering it took approximately 10 minutes for my order to be ready to go. I had a half pint and read a magazine in the meantime, but make sure to leave time for cooking or call ahead and pre-order for pickup. However, I think the wait is worth it for the quality compared to the normal pre-cooked, over-oiled, poor quality fish and chip takeway available elsewhere. At £6.95 (£8.95 eat in) it’s not particularly cheap, but it’s definitely worth it for the quality of food you get.
Overall, I was extremely pleasantly surprised. The new menu includes other items like a prime Irish beef cheeseburger, fishcakes, steak and ale pie, scampi and chips, and a veggie burger as well as some other dine-in small plates, all under £7 for takeaway, most under £5. If my experience is any example of what is to come from the Fubar, it’s a positive sign in a location that in the recent past has had a rather varied and sometimes questionable existence. With neighbors including Opium, the newly refurbished Rising Sun and Tambo Peruvian, a positive rebirth of Fubar could only help to see Grove Street rise again as a great neighborhood to eat and drink.
My dog, however, was extremely disappointed to find I had eaten it all. Maybe next time, buddy.
FUBAR, 2 Grove Street, Bath, BA2 6PJ, 01225 432150.
Our thanks to Kirstie Bingham for this review.