Blue Zoo or Flying Fish?

[raph_b]

The title says it all!!

Any comments as to which one you vote for would be very helpful....

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I've never been to either but heard BZ is wonderful. We are trying there in June.

 

[mickeys#1fan]

Never having eaten at FF I would say bluezoo is worth a try. We went last spring and our experience was mostly good. Here's the good, bad, and downright ugly.

Good: the decor and atmosphere are very quirky, yet refined. The Dolphin is largely a convention hotel, so the guests are mostly business people. Yes you'll see kids there, but not likely as many as FF. The wine list is extensive, and the server we had was good at making pairing suggestions. The food is fresh, fresh, fresh. It tastes like it was swimming around just this morning. Try the seared scallops with braised shortribs appetizer. I guarantee you've not had better scallops - crisp and brown on the outside and creamy on the inside. Not a trace of fishiness. The Citrus Five Ways dessert is truly unique and delicious.

Bad: we went on a Thursday night and the service was still slooooowwww. I realize that one should expect a slower pace in fine dining, but it took the two of us almost three hours to finish our meal. In spite of the above wine pairing comment, our server was largely indifferent.

Ugly: two words - Dancing Fish. Run (or swim) away. The presentation looks spectacular when you come in the restaurant. A skewered whole fish turns at a 45-degree angle over the fire. I was sold instantly. Unfortunately, it remided me of everything I hated about eating fish as a kid. The flesh (Chilean Sea Bass) was tough and flavorless. The server mangled it at tableside while trying to remove the bones. I spent the rest of the night pulling bones from my mouth. This was almost enough to make me never return.

Return we will, though, and we'll hope for a better night. Besides, I'd crawl on my hands and knees through a nest of cranky scorpions to have that scallop appetizer again. We'll try Flying Fish first, but someday we'll be back to bluezoo.

 

[madalex]

I have been to FF many times and BZ once. They are both very good seafood restaurants. There will be more kids at FF and the atmosphere there is a bit louder and livelier. Unless that is an issue, you really can't go wrong at either one.

 

[Booyakasha]

I ate at both a few weeks ago. The food at FF was better prepared than Blue Zoo. FF was more Disney like, lively more kids etc. Blue Zoo was good also just not quite as good. It was much more adult, much like many upscale hotel restaurants. The wine list at FF was better.

B.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

FF has been my fave for many years. The steak is GREAT and I always have loved everything. That said bluezoo is now the best on property, IMO. The fish is perfection, the waitstaff truly professional and the ambiance is just sublime.

Both are great but, IMO, at this point in time blueezoo wins easily.

 

[Dana49]

We like both places and you really can't wrong with either. Just hope and pray that there isn't a convention staying at the Swan and/or Dolphin. If there is, BlueZoo will packed with people and it's going to very loud.

 

[babiebelle]

Been to Bluezoo twice and FF more times than I can count. We enjoy FF more, but I don't think you'd be dissapointed with either choice.

 

[cmwilson523]

I agree with other posters who have said that both are good experiences. Must say, though, that you might not be able to find two more different restaurants (at least among seafood restaurants) than these.

bluezoo is very much a "designer" restaurant - dark interior, more of a quiet place (at least when we ate there), seems much more formal. No children around when we dined at bluezoo. Even the plating of the food had the look of "how the in chefs are doing plating now" (if that makes any sense).

Flying Fish, while having fabulous food, definitely has a more casual atmosphere. Always seem to be lots of kids around. Definitely louder (not really a "bad" loud, just louder). It is designed around a Coney Island theme, so this is not unexpected. The plating is beautiful, if not as trendy as bluezoo's.

bluezoo had a much slower pace, but Flying Fish staff will accommodate you if you want to have a more leisurely dinner (they will wait to take dinner orders until you have ordered or even received your appetizer, etc.).

 

[tejasranger]

We ate at flying fish. Superior service very good food.