ANYONE willing to take an iconic British staple such as Fish and Chips and reinvent it completely has to be brave (and a culinary creative).

Any Brit will rave about how nothing truly beats a good, hearty British Fish and Chips or for a more adored term - the Chippy tea.

However, the talented team at Six by Nico has turned the adored dish on its head for the latest offerings at their new restaurant that has opened in Oxford.

The concept: A restaurant that offers a rotating six-course tasting menu for six weeks.

(Image: Six By Nico/Andrea Avena)

Six By Nico has restaurants right across the UK having started in founder Nico Simeone’s hometown of Glasgow, expanding to Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester, London and now Oxford.

The Oxford restaurant opened on May 20 in a beautiful rooftop setting at the Westgate shopping centre, and this newspaper was invited along try out the first intriguing concept to be offered up to Oxford diners.

‘The Chippie’

Six By Nico restaurants have built a name for themselves with their ever-changing concepts including in some restaurants even offering up a blank menu for diners to put their trust into the chefs creating that evening’s offerings.

For Oxford, however, it is the turn of the quintessential Fish and Chip-inspired menu – but very much with a twist. Inspiration was taken from chef and founder Nico Simeone’s family fish shop in Glasgow, a factor that is clear in almost every bite.

(Image: Six By Nico/Jessy Croghan)

Course 1 – Chips & Cheese

Chips and cheese but not as you know it. Any dark thoughts of drunken nights out grabbing a grubby chips and cheese for the journey home are long gone following just one bite of Six By Nico's dreamy take on the concept.

A stand out dish on the menu offering up a delicious Parmesan Espuma foam, with a crunchy little potato terrine – just one issue… you are left wanting more! That being said, it is a tasting menu and being only course one the tasty few mouthfuls was understandable. Despite being one week on and still has me wanting more!

(Image: NQ)

Course 2 – Scampi

Admittedly course 2 was my first ever taste of scampi and it did not disappoint. Beautifully presented, once again, the crisp scampi was served as a dish of brandade, paired with dill emulsion, gribiche [egg sauce], and garden peas - all perfectly paired and the just the right size of a serving.

Course 3 – Steak Pie

For the half way mark, the team presented the 24hr beef shin dish neatly decorated with a burnt onion ketchup - the crips onion coupled with the melting mouthfuls of beef - a match made in heaven. 

Course 3 also offered up a pretty mushroom duxelles and meaty salsa but to be honest it was all about the ‘steak pie’ for me. Paired with a Merlot Bordeaux AOC wine – sensational.

Course 4 – Fish Supper

The Scrabster Coley dish was essentially your belts and braces for a typical fish supper – a gorgeous and easy white fish topped with beer batter pieces, your green veggies, and for the added opulence topped with pickled mussels, samphire, and beer emulsion.

A scrummy dish that had a lot to live up to following the first four courses!

Course 5 – Smoked Sausage

Nearing the big finale, course four was brought to the table with a bit of pizzazz. A dramatic cloche dome placed in front of diners before being whisked off by your waiter leaving the trio of pork dish smoking away before you. 10 out of 10 for performance, everyone loves a small dose of flair!

The dish itself kept energies high as a trio of pork, including perfectly cooked pork belly, coupled with crispy crackling, apple, salt-baked celeriac and choucroute. Tasty through the the very last bite.

Course 6 – Deep Fried Mars Bar

(Image: NQ)

The deep-fried Mars bar. The finale. The pièce de resistance that needs no introduction. Having learned all about the Six By Nico brand and concept the deep-fried Mars bar finale has many fans raving about it and many more eager to try.

The dish came just as pretty as all the rest, not greasy at all as some visions of a deep-fried Mars bar may evoke. A course consisting of the Chocolate Pave, Irn Bru sorbet, and the celebrated deep-fried mars bar.

I had been excited to try the well-known Scottish delicacy, however somewhat of a misfortune left the Mars bar missing from its deep-fried shell for me. I didn't feel the need to mention, and fellow diners raved about the bite of sweet and savoury. I was more than happy finishing off the chocolate pave and scarily orange but beautifully tasting Irn Bru sorbet.

Final thoughts

All in all, the concept served up by Six by Nico is fantastic. All the elements of immersive dining without the cheesy concepts that often come with it and with a reasonable price tag.

As mentioned, it takes a brave person to reinvent the traditional British Fish and Chips dish but Nico and his team have done a beautiful job of glorifying every element admired by us Brits. Each crafted from fan favourites at any local fish and chip shop and elevated by a team of fantastic chefs to a level that still screams tradition but in an opulent fashion.

Six by Nico is serving up The Chippie six-course tasting menu [£50pp] until June 30, with booking available online.

The restaurant sits in an idyllic location looking across the Oxford Spires from the roof of the Westgate, and just a short train ride over the county border. Six by Nico will continue to introduce a new concept menu every six weeks in its latest space it calls home in Oxford.

(Image: Six By Nico/Andrea Avena)