Stephen’s Sound Bites – SheShells

Before visiting this family-owned restaurant, I thought Australian sea fish only came in four types! My typical choices were Flake (gummy shark), Barramundi, Snapper, or King George Whiting, but I often had concerns about sustainability and sourcing. At SheShells, I found an impressive variety of fresh, wild-caught, and sustainable fish, delivered daily from the local fish market. The selection changes regularly, offering over 10 species on any given day. I suggest trying a mix of grilled and battered fish to fully appreciate the range of textures and flavors. As I highlight in Stephen’s Sound Bites, the restaurant’s design—featuring acoustic ceiling tiles and cork wall coverings—keeps the noise level low, making it easy to enjoy great food and conversation. SheShells provides excellent dining at a price lower than most seafood spots, making it a true hidden gem. I’ll continue to uncover more of these gems in Stephen’s Sound Bites. If you value good food and meaningful conversation, don’t miss SheShells, as I frequently recommend in Stephen’s Sound Bites.

 

SheShells Restaurant

Until I visited this restaurant, my experience was that Australian sea fish amounted to only four types!

My local fish & chip shop offers Flake (gummy shark). If I go to a restaurant, I might order an up-market Barramundi, or more expensive Snapper or King George Whiting.

However, some fish and chip shops in South Australia often sell endangered shark meat as Flake fillets. Barramundi are primarily farmed in tanks and ponds on land. In contrast, Snapper and King George Whiting stand out as exceptions, as they are wild-caught and not threatened by overfishing.

In my experience, this family-owned restaurant has by far the widest variety of fish species on offer. The owner has a daily visit to a fish market, so the species offered change and are fresh, of course. In previous visits, there were over 10 species offered.

My recommendation is that you ask for a mix of grilled and battered. In this way, you can experience the changes in texture and taste between fish. Staff can give you information on individual fish variety, flavour etc. Importantly (for me at least) almost all are wild caught and sustainable.

Even when full, SheShells has a low noise level. The owner specified the restaurant design and made clever choices on materials e.g., acoustic ceiling tiles, cork wall coverings and old wine bottle corks around the bar. Consequently, chatting is comfortable.

I am happy to pay the bill if I experience good food and an interesting conversation. It is worth noting that SheShells’ pricing is significantly lower than seafood restaurants, for example, on Glenelg Marina.

The fact that I have left the ambience level to the end of my review, is because at SheShells you can focus on what matters – food and company. Not noise.

Stephen