Southbank, Fish & Chips Restaurant Guide

2022 Review: For a “cheap ’n’ cheerful” fish ’n’ chips hit, fans still recommend a meal at the Formica tables of this long-standing Waterloo chippy.

This “great fish restaurant offering a range of seafood (and other) dishes” has been a fixture for more than 20 years, behind a glass frontage “in the middle of buzzing Borough Market”. The fish is “the freshest” and there are “usually some unusual specials” – although many would argue that “the most appealing thing is its location”.

A classic “cheap eats place” on the fringe of Covent Garden that’s particularly handy for feeding groups on a budget, with “very good fish ’n’ chips” that are “great for eating outside with the sun shining”. There’s been a chippie on the site since 1871 – although not under the current very 1970s name.

2023 Review: You can “travel back in time” at this trio of deliberately retro chippies, with their “Formica tables and period posters creating a great atmosphere” – “the fish ’n’ chips are excellent, too”. Founder Pat ‘Pops’ Newland, an East Ender who started working at the age 11, was still a hands-on owner in his 80s when he died in April 2022.

This “absolutely reliable” chippie has done sterling service in Pimlico for 59 years, with a recent refurb enabling it to live up to its name. “Dishes range from excellent fish ’n’ chips to more complex and flavourful fare” – and it’s “reasonably priced”.

“A hidden gem in the back streets of Bloomsbury” – this traditional chippie has been owned and run by the Beauchamp family for the best part of 50 years, and excels for its “exceptionally good grilled fish” and “super-generous portions” of “normal fish ’n’ chips”.

“Going strong” since 1914, this Marylebone veteran is one of the oldest in central London, serving “reliable and authentic fish ’n’ chips in a part of town where no-nonsense dining is not so easy to find”. Unusually for a chippy there’s “outdoor seating in warmer months”, and when it’s cold you can finish your meal with a traditional sponge pudding.

2023 Review: You can “travel back in time” at this trio of deliberately retro chippies, with their “Formica tables and period posters creating a great atmosphere” – “the fish ’n’ chips are excellent, too”. Founder Pat ‘Pops’ Newland, an East Ender who started working at the age 11, was still a hands-on owner in his 80s when he died in April 2022.

The very “essence of chip shop” – this century-old Lisson Grove institution serves “lovely fresh fish” with a “great choice” of preparation (“plain grilled or deep-fried in batter or breadcrumbs”) and “LOTS of chips – it’s bottomless and they mean it!”. “Staff can be a bit pressurised on a busy service, and not terribly engaged with customers”.

2022 Review: Returning in early 2020 to an Islington site its owners used to run in the 1980s (and unconnected with Trawler Trash which recently closed on this site, RIP), this somewhat modernified but relatively traditional chippy provides a proper fish ’n’ chip fix for those times when the many more rarefied options available locally just won't hit the spot.

2023 Review: You can “travel back in time” at this trio of deliberately retro chippies, with their “Formica tables and period posters creating a great atmosphere” – “the fish ’n’ chips are excellent, too”. Founder Pat ‘Pops’ Newland, an East Ender who started working at the age 11, was still a hands-on owner in his 80s when he died in April 2022.

“Love coming here”, say fans of the “excellent fish ’n’ chips” served for 36 years by Harry Niazi opposite Brockwell Park – where it’s “great to eat a takeaway”. It takes its name from Oliver Twist, in which Dickens refers to Londoners’ favourite dish.

“The fish is consistently very good (whether battered, grilled or steamed)” at this “perennial favourite” chippy near Putney Bridge in Fulham, which offers “takeaway and a small dine-in area with a half-dozen tables”. “The chips are not bad and the price is reasonable”.

This “classic family-run chippy” in West Hampstead has served “top-notch fish ’n’ chips or any grilled fish alternative at a more than fair price” for longer than anyone can remember. “George the owner is lovely” and “the staff welcome you like you’re family – once you’ve been a couple of times they’ll know your order off by heart”. “The dining room, though, is very basic and has the atmosphere of a station waiting room, with its fluorescent lighting”. Top Menu Tip – “the matzo meal batter is really light”.

“Sensationally good grilled plaice” and the “freshest fish and prawns” help make this 55-year-old north London chippy a “favourite place to go to be cheered up” (“my partner and I think it’s well worth catching the two buses needed to get there!”). “Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan is known to frequent it when playing in the Masters Championships at nearby Ally Pally”. Top Menu Tip – “always order the delicious Greek salad, with the family’s own-recipe dressing”.

“Always fresh and good-value fish ’n’ chips” – cooked “over charcoal as an alternative” and backed up by a selection of Turkish small plates – ensures this 25-year-old family-run operation remains “an attractive option” for eating in Finchley.

“With a varied fish menu”, “nice interior” and “very friendly staff”, this spacious South Woodford chippy is “great for a family lunch”.

2021 Review: An “incredible selection of fresh fish” from its in-house fishmonger, Jarvis, next door is the draw to this offshoot of a Borough Market stalwart of two decades standing. “Everything can be grilled for you to order” – and there are “very good specials”.