Sea Spirit Fish Market – East London’s best kept secret!
If you go down to the Buffalo River today… you are in for a big surprise! Situated just a stones throw away from the NSRI and the East London Boating Club you will find Sea Spirit, a little gem of a place if you are a connoisseur of fish & slap chips!
Now it is nothing fancy mind you, just a boating shed that has been converted into a fisheries, selling fresh fish off the fishing boats for you to take home or, if you are anything like me, the option to sit down while they clean and fry you a lovely piece of fish fresh from the sea, served with a man-sized portion of chips.
Is it any good you may ask? Well, to answer your question, you should look around at who is eating there. While you sit outside waiting for your fare, you are guaranteed to be sitting next to at least one or more fisherman enjoying the fruits of their labour. Sitting amoungst them you will see the who’s who of East London, and if you visit there frequently you will start recognising the faces of some of the regulars, some of whom are renowned names in business in our city.
The menu is simple … fish … or … fish & chips. Beverages are also pretty straight forward, bottled water or cans of cold-drinks – no bar menu in sight. Service? Well, ‘courteous self service’ is the name of the game. You go inside, give your order, grab a cold-drink out of the refrigerator and pay. If you don’t like the service, you only have yourself to blame.
You then have the option of sitting inside upstairs on pub benches with breathtaking views overlooking the river; outside at the frying station on bar benches while you watch your fish and chips being deep fried or if you prefer the great outdoors, you can even lay a blanket on the grass next to the river and have a wonderful and relaxing seafood picnic. I can personally recommend this having done it myself, along with some great friends, an ice-bucket and a particularly good bottle (I will only admit to 1) of chilled white wine.
So what is the charm you may ask? Well, at the Sea Spirit Fish Market, it is all about the FISH! It has to sell some of the best fish & chips I have had anywhere and it is always fresh from the sea. Bring your appetite because in this case, more is more! Don’t be worried by the fact that you cannot get any alcoholic beverages, at the Sea Spirit Fish Market, you can bring your own. This is down to earth, good seafood without any frills and fancy. It is not a restaurant, rather think of it as a Fish and chips take-away – fisherman style. If you are a lover of fish, put your name down on their SMS list and you will be notified via SMS each time the boats come in with a fresh load – it is as easy as that.
So on a good day, grab the family, a cooler box with your preferred poison, a blanket… oh yes and don’t forget the kids and head to the Buffalo River for a fabulous family meal at the Sea Spirit Fish Market. How much is it do I hear you ask? Very little really … it is actually a cheap as chips!