London is notoriously bad for fish and chips compared to its Northern and coastal counterparts. The best fish and chips you'll ever eat won't be found in a big city, they'll be found at an unassuming gaff in a small town with a name like ‘Bumbleshire’ or ‘Diddlesworth’. There are a number of reasons that fish and chips in London are sub-optimal, the first of which is price. Perhaps I'm spoilt by the £2.50 pints and £3 goujon deals back home but £13 for cod and chips feels like the worst case of inflation since the Freddo. Now, I could look past the scandalous price tags if the fish and chips were actually any good. The reality is soggy wet fish that sticks to the paper, overly greasy or cold chips and either an abundance or a deficit of salt and vinegar.
All hope is not lost though, there are a few saving graces, diamonds in the deep fryer, pearls in the peas, twinkles in the milkman's... no wait. I'm about to bless you with three heavy hitters in a sea of tourist hell holes and British culture fetishists. Pens and paper, at the ready.
Masters Superfish
Jesus Christ, let's start as we mean to go on then shall we? This chippy in Elephant and Castle will knock your socks off. Pot of tea AND a pint? "Yeah, go on then." A longstanding torchbearer of everything good about fish and chips, Masters Superfish is a place where tourists and locals coexist in harmony, seemingly untouched by the hands of yuppie investors and PR agencies. Ketchup is served in a gravy jug, prawns, pickles and bread are served complimentary and pints are served on draught.
191 Waterloo Rd, London SE1 8UX
Golden Chippy
A chippy in a pub, what's not to love? One thing you should know about this place is the batter, it's some of the best in London. Seriously crunchy, golden in colour but delicate and light. You're not limited to the usual cod and haddock either, they have plaice, skate and rock on the menu. Not to mention their underrated dessert options like banana fritters. Greenwich is pretty nice too.
62 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8LF
Cod Fellas
Aptly named after a certain mafia-crime classic, you thankfully won't find any horse's heads in the refrigerator here. Though you might find some mackerel ones. If the thought of that makes you squeamish they also offer 'Tofish' (tofu with nori seaweed) for the vegans amongst us. According to their website, they were established in 1963 (a full 27 years before Goodfellas was released) we're not sure how that's possible but we do know they do a damn good fish and chips.
125 Bellenden Road, London, SE15 4QY
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