Fresh Catch By Francis - Coastal and Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Mumbai

TLDR: Don’t go here. Not worth your money, and be rest assured you’ll ruin your mood with a bad dining experience and some foods that will make you sick.

First things first, as a diner when you send food back to the kitchen, it takes a great deal of distaste towards what has been served. This review wouldn’t have even come if the service staff had been graceful and acceptant about the feedback regarding Golden Prawns (which was recommended by the captain). The prawns were stale, you could compare it easily with the medium size prawns. Instead, the captain came and told us the prawns are perfectly fine so we have to pay for it. Let’s not even get into the fact that the service is slow, so to get a replacement one has to wait for another 20-25 mins which at a point felt like a that’s it moment.

Now, there were some good things - Solkadhi, Prawn Biryani (the prawns were better here; medium ones) and I personally liked the masala of the squids. Quite tasty.

What was okay and passable was the bombil fry.

We ordered neer dosa (a bit rubbery but yet edible), chicken xacuti didn’t have any meaty pieces and the rotis were dry (there was literally atta on the cooked roti). Again the Prawn Golden was horrible and stale, so we only sent that back to the kitchen. The ambsol was also equally bad. By the end of the meal we just wanted to get out and pay for what we had eaten on the table.

We gave the captain feedback, and I pointed it out that when feedback is given it’s because the customer has some expectations. It’s unfair for them to come to a customer and in this case tell them, that the food is perfectly okay when the entire party of 3 on the table, as hardcore born and raised as seafood eaters and cooks now disagree.

Then we have an exceptionally rude hostess who comes, interjects a conversation that she’s not even been a part of and simply overhears, and threatens me that telling the captain about asking for the “prawns as Golden complimentary” is a threat. We were having a conversation with the captain how we just tasted the prawns and found it not fresh so we sent it back. The captain himself said that the masala could be the problem, but again it's a restaurant’s problem, not the diner’s.

This tells you that this place can’t cook well nor will they take any feedback, and engage in the most inhospitable practices. Honestly, her (the lady at the reception’s) misbehaviour is what has prompted me to even share my experiences because for a place that's named Fresh Catch, they surely are a scam for its most expensive dish. Moreover, my entire party and I have an upset stomach after this meal.

Ruined our meal, appetitie, mood and stomach. 0/10...

Sunday, 9th December 2023 we landed at Fresh Catch for lunch, albeit without a reservation and at first the owner Ankita told us that the place was sold out for the afternoon. After a lot of persuation she asked us to wait and she would let us know whether or not she could accomodate us and rightfully enough she did allow us to wait around for what I could term as the worst lunch experience. After a long wait of over an hour and on seeing 2 vacant tables and no more waiting queue, we approached her again to check if we could take a seat. And what followed was nothing short of arrogance and lack of respect for clients, she said "we cannot let you be seated until we have attended to the orders on all the tables and you cannot keep pestering me". We apologetically insisted that we atleast be seated as our feet were really aching due to the long wait to which she responds "I should have not accepted your booking". Quietly we move to the assigned seat and after 10 mins she approaches our table to take the order, little did we know that the food will be served only an hour later. We enquire with the waiter and we are told that all the food is prepared on the spot and hence the delay. At this stage its almost 3.45pm and the restaurant is practically empty. it comes as a real surprise as we have been to almost all big and small and fine dine restaurants but never have we waited for over an hour to get the food on the table.

Food: We ordered: Surmai Masala Tawa Fry - Rechado Red Masala. Veg Kingfish Prawns Ambotic Curry Neer Dosa Sol Kadi

Our Verdict: Service - the worst as per industry standards. Ankita lacks basic etiquette on how to deal with clients. I could term it as ARROGANCE PERSONIFIED!!

Food: A huge thumbs up for the Veg Kingfish coz it turned out to be the star on the table

Surmai Masala Fry - Okayish - nothing that we had'nt tried before. And a less that 3 cm thickness of piece of surmai at Rs 520/- l, truly not worth the money and taste.

Prawns Ambotic Curry - Absolute lack lustre. It lacked even the basic flavour and only tasted of red hot chilli powder. No salt, no tamrind, prawns were over cooked and rubbery.

Walachi Amti - Another lack lustre dish that was nothing that would give it the wow factor. It was just a simple dal with greens added to it. And its their signature dish!!

Solkadi: Average and only tasted of coconut milk.

All in all, a very disappointing experience from the word go.

Customer service is not about serving good food to Sachin Tendulkar or Gary Mehigan. Its about treating all your clients with...

Fresh catch by Francis Tucked away on the vibrant Hill Road in Bandra, Fresh Catch by Francis, this charming restaurant lures seafood lovers with its promise of fresh, ocean-sourced dishes. This spot promises a culinary experience that transports you to the coast without ever leaving Mumbai. The Goan and Mangalorean seafood dishes had distinct yet complementary flavors—the coastal simplicity with fresh ingredients and a hint of heat from green chilies. The crispy Bombay duck was fried to perfection it was just out of this world and the clams were delicately and beautifully spiced with roasted masalas and a coconut base. The smooth, coconut-rich fish curry perfectly complemented the light, airy neer dosa, which just soaked up all the curry goodness. While we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, it’s worth noting that they offer a vast array of other tempting options that we couldn’t possibly cover in just one sitting. Having started the restaurant, the late Francis seems to have left behind a strong foundation for his children to carry on. The fact that they are continuing the restaurant could symbolize their desire to honor his memory, while also preserving and evolving the family’s culinary traditions. The feature wall, adorned with his pictures and memories, likely serves as a source of inspiration for them, as well as a meaningful tribute to his life and work. Our good friend Giles was a close friend of Francis. It was a special experience for him to not only host the lunch but to also be part of the continuation of such a cherished tradition. The brother and sister, Adith and Ankita whom we met, work harmoniously, feeling their father’s presence in each dish they serve. Their bond is the central theme in their continuing efforts to uphold the restaurant’s legacy while navigating the pressures of the modern world. We left thoroughly satisfied and can confidently say that we’ll be back for more delicious seafood. Highly...