Review: Westgate Shopping Centre's latest restaurant Six by Nico

Most of the time, people know exactly what they are going to get from a fish and chips, and there are certainly enough great places in Swindon to get one. 

But a new restaurant has opened a short drive away in Oxford's Westgate Shopping Centre that has taken a classic fish and chips and turned it into a mid-range fine-dining experience spanning six courses, so I had to check it out. 

Six by Nico, on the roof of the shopping centre, offers diners just one choice - a themed six-course tasting menu and wine pairing, with the 'Chippie' being the choice on offer for its opening - and it was simply delicious. 

Things kicked off with Chips & Cheese being reimagined as parmesan espuma and curry oil and emulsion with a crisp potato terrine. 

This was followed by a Scampi served with brandade, dill emulsion, gribiche, peas and beurre blanc.

Next was a traditional Steak Pie, of 24-hour Beef Shin and Burnt Onion Ketchup, and mushroom duxelles.

After this, Six by Nico served up a modern take on the traditional Fish Supper with scrabster coley, pickled mussels, confit fennel, samphire and beer emulsion.

The menu's most theatrical dish followed with a smoky trio of pork, apple, crispy crackling, salt-baked celeriac and choucroute. 

And for dessert, guests can indulge in a whimsical Deep Fried Mars Bar, complemented by chocolate pave and Irn Bru sorbet. 

But was it any good? First of all, it's important to bear in mind exactly what Six by Nico is aiming for. It wants to create that fine Michelin Star-style dining experience but make it accessible to people. 

At £50 for the tasting menu and £39 for the wine pairing, the whole thing comes at well under £100 which is remarkably good value for what it is. 

And on top of this, each dish was delicious, bursting with flavour and incredibly well thought out and put together to capture the theme at the centre of it, with no apparent loss in the quality of ingredients you might expect because of the lower price point. 

My favourite was possibly the opening one and the dessert, with the parmesan espuma blowing my mind and the Irn Bru sorbet proving to be a real delight, but aside from that, all of the meats, from the steak to the fish, were cooked perfectly, and each dish left me excited for the next one. 

I didn't have the wine pairing as I was driving, but my wife did. It was the first time she'd ever eaten a tasting menu with the accompanying hand-picked wines, and she said that the glasses she had did truly compliment the food really well. 

For people who appreciate the art of cooking, and those who enjoy Masterchef, Six by Nico is a truly accessible, affordable and fun entry point into the world of fine dining that I would strongly recommend. 

The restaurant itself is beautifully put together, with a dark and comfortable vibe, the kitchen itself is on display providing a bit of theatre for expectant diners between courses. 

Seaside-themed cocktails are also available with the Seaside Spritz (also available in a non-alcoholic option) being a sweet sensation. The dirty chippie martini on the other hand was too sour for my tastes, but could well be a winner for people who like martinis in general. 

A word of warning though, as is always the case with tasting menus, less really is more, so anyone looking to fill their bellies rather than satiate their taste buds might be better off seeking a traditional fish and chips instead, but I would say, why not both!

And in six weeks time, Six by Nico will be offering an entirely different themed menu.