Fish & Chips News

One of Dallas' most authentic fish & chips spots closes due to lease issues

Authentic fish & chips as only a Brit can do it.

Photo courtesy of Fish & Fizz

After a mere five years of bringing some of the most authentic fish & chips to Dallas-Fort Worth, Richardson restaurant Fish & Fizz has closed.

Located at 400 N. Coit Rd., the restaurant from chef Nick Barclay, an actual native of England, and his Dallas native wife, Kelli, has closed due to their inability to negotiate a satisfactory lease with the landlord.

"With that in mind, our journey in this building has come to an end," Nick Barclay says.

"For us to stay for another five or 10 years, the space would have needed some work," he says. "For us, it got down to, why not go to a place where the landlord says, 'We would love to have you guys.'"

"As sad as I am to leave the space, I’m excited for 2023," he says. "We've got some exciting plans we’re working on, and that's the way I’d like to leave it — that we are working on exciting ideas for 2023."

Fish & Fizz won over fans for its excellent chef renditions of dishes like fish & chips plus English dishes like bangers & mash and Cornish pasties.

When they opened in 2018, Barclay described his rendition with traditional sides like curry sauce and pickled eggs and proper malt vinegar with Cornish sea salt.

He used a signature batter to create a crust that was light but with a golden brown crunch, with chips that were a little fatter than what is generally served in DFW.

The fizz part referred to beverages, all of which sparkled, including Champagne, sparkling wines, Prosecco, craft beer, and soft drinks.

For the couple, Fish & Fizz was a return to the Dallas dining world; they once had a restaurant here before going to England to run an inn by the sea.

Barclay also earned a nomination in 2019 for Best Chef of the Year in CultureMap's annual Tastemaker Awards.

In 2020, they joined forces with fellow authentic British business British Emporium, the UK-themed store based in Grapevine, providing space for a pop-up inside the restaurant that sold grocery staples, British teas, biscuits, and shortbreads.

The space they took previously housed restaurants such as Pelican House and Alligator Cove. They gave it a pleasing seaside feel with beach huts, plus an old-school nostalgic London black taxi in front, a marker to all of the British that lay within.

chefs closings

Steakhouse Opening

Docent Steak brings Kobe beef and samurai art to Dallas' Harwood District

Photos courtesy of Harwood Hospitality

The main dining room at Docent Steak.

The newest restaurant from Harwood Hospitality Group, called Docent Steak, is ready to open its doors near Uptown Dallas. The steakhouse will debut October 1, and reservations will open September 16 via Open Table.

First announced in 2024 and located within the Harwood No. 14 development at 2801 N. Harwood St., Docent Steak will offer several different dining experiences under one roof, according to a release.

The main dining area, which includes access to an expansive wraparound patio, will showcase traditional white-tablecloth, fine-dining. The restaurant's lower level gives way to a more casual, energetic atmosphere boasting TVs, a lively soundtrack, and a relaxed setting for drinks or watching TV.

Private dining spaces will accommodate everything from intimate dinners to events with up to 80 guests.

General manager Rhea Knight, a 10-year veteran of Dallas' restaurant scene, will oversee the opening team and front-of-house operations.

Docent Steak patio The wraparound porch at Docent Steak.Photo courtesy of Harwood Hospitality

“Great restaurants start with great people, and we’re focused on building a team that takes pride in what they do and how they take care of guests,” Knight says in the release. “I want Docent to become a restaurant people return to for the big milestones, but also the regular nights in between.”

Beefy menu
Docent's menu is built around HWD Beef, Harwood’s exclusive premium beef developed with ranchers in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. It follows a zero-waste philosophy that uses the entire Akaushi cattle. Because HWD Beef is exclusive to Harwood restaurants, Docent will serve cuts unavailable elsewhere.

Prime cuts beginning at $72 include filet mignon, New York strip, ribeye, bone-in strip, Chateaubriand, and porterhouse. HWD Texas Wagyu selections include dry-aged New York strip and ribeye, starting at $85.

Docent also is authorized to serve Kobe Beef, which requires being a member of the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association. Its menu features several A5 Wagyu selections from Japan, available by the ounce, along with a rotating Kobe flight featuring five cuts.

Beyond the meat, the menu includes globally influenced dishes such as lump crab cake, Kobe potstickers, steak tartare sliders, tempura lobster, oysters, spicy tuna tartare, and a seafood tower.

Seasonal entrées include Texas bison filet, Elysian Fields rack of lamb, Kan Kan pork chop, Ora King salmon and miso Chilean sea bass. Sides include tallow-fried shoestring fries, whipped potatoes, mac and cheese, lobster mac and cheese, potatoes au gratin, and Brussels sprouts with Japanese whiskey, soy, maple and braised bacon. For dessert, there's baked Alaska, New York cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake, coconut cream pie, and bread pudding.

Knight — who has helped open several Dallas restaurants, including Town Hearth, two Neighborhood Services locations, National Anthem, and Brass Ram — is also a graduate of the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas’ Introductory Sommelier program and will also oversee Docent's beverage and wine program.

The cocktail menu mixes classic and unexpected drinks, ranging from a traditional martini and French 75 to original drinks such as the Strawberry Lychee Martini, Tamarind Buck, and Bread & Butter, made with reposado tequila, grapefruit, and bread-and-butter brine.

Docent Steak Docent's high-energy lower level.Photo courtesy of Harwood Hospitality

The wine list will reflect the restaurant's art. The selection spans celebrated regions, historic vineyards, and emerging producers, boasting bottles from Italy, France, and America. The program also features a range of sake from producers such as Soto, Dewatsuru, Yuki Tora, Negaibito, Shonen, HeavenSake, Kamitaka, Tengu, and Manotsuru.

In addition to its culinary artistry, Docent offers unique art-filled surroundings shaped by the renowned Barbier-Mueller Collection, which has one of the world’s largest and most significant collections of samurai art.

"The two-story restaurant features more than 100 objects woven into the restaurant’s design, including large-scale sculpture, architectural elements, textiles, armor, and historic equestrian objects, with several works dating to the 16th century," says the release. "Horse and cattle imagery, alongside a display of stirrups from around the world, offers a subtle nod to ranching culture. Together, these works create a dramatic setting that invites curiosity and discovery, with unexpected details revealing themselves throughout the space."

Docent Steak will be open Monday through Thursday from 4-10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 5-11 pm, and Sunday from 5-10 pm.

openings harwood district steakhouse dining news