There's a certain corner in Crows Nest/St Leonards that is undergoing a renaissance. When I lived on Albany St many years ago, like much of the area, it was a mix of new apartment blocks and old office buildings and the vibe was- quiet. Fast forward almost 10 years and the intersection where Albany St meets Oxley St is a buzz with the openings of Rough & Bare, Cavalier 1.0 and FIN Fine Fish and Chips.
It's a beautiful sunny winter's day this Monday lunch time and after taking the kids to morning sports class, my friend and I decide to take our brood of 4 children (2 each) out for fish and chips. FIN Fine Fish & Chips have been open since March this year and have been popular with Crows Nest and St Leonards locals. The menu covers your classic fish and chips, burgers, salads and a selection of more exotic snacks such as Sesame Prawn Toast on sourdough with Sriracha Mayo, Szechuan Pepper Calamari with Smokey Aioli and everyone's favourite: Fish Tacos.
Going out to eat with kids is chaotic at times, especially when they outnumber you. It's loud, messy, we need space for prams and highchairs and it usually ends in tears. We mums (and Dads) have a toolkit of techniques to minimize the disruption but sometimes it's a plain old sh-tshow. I can totally understand why restaurant and cafe owners would shudder at the thought of a family with young kids coming to their establishment. That being said, this is my fourth or fifth time at FIN and every time they have bent over backwards to accommodate us, moving tables, cleaning spills and even entertaining the offspring. There are plenty of highchairs and plenty of space in between tables to fit the tractors we all seem to call prams these days. But that's not even the best part. The food is really good too!
“Service is friendly and quick, with our meals ready for pick up from the counter in a matter of minutes. There is a sauces station so you can help yourself to chilli oil, malt vinegar, tomato/barbecue sauce and the nectar of the gods: chicken salt.”
Today we've opted for the FIN's Classic Beer Battered Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas and Greek Salad, because #health. The beer batter is crisp and light, encasing juicy fresh New Zealand Hake, great chips, and wonderfully seasoned mushy peas. There is also the option to upgrade the fish to Barramundi. This is served with tartar sauce and I have rained down a glorious dose of chicken salt which is making my kids whinge for water. The Greek Salad isn't quite traditional with the addition of salad leaves but it's tasty and keeps me from gorging on the kids leftover chips. Side note: this is why parents put on weight, because we eat our meals and our children's leftovers!
Eating with kids, there are 2 rules that you absolutely must follow in order to be courteous to other diners which are: 1. eat early and 2. eat quickly, so with that, by 12:15pm we pack up the circus and clear out so that other people can enjoy their lunch in peace and FIN can serve other customers without us taking up half the floor.
48 Albany St, St Leonards
*This meal was independently paid for.