The UK’s 25 best fish and chip shops

North Lily’s, Foxhall Road, Blackpool How do you choose where to buy a chippy tea in a place with more than 80 fish and chip shops? As in any seaside town, move away from the gaudy trappings of the seafront. Head for the yards and back streets removed from the ocean and find those places where the locals – a mysterious unseen breed of batter sages – feast. In Blackpool, push the door into Lily’s Traditional Fish and Chips, a cheery sanctuary, and devour chips the bewitching colour of cartoon doubloons and sizzling cod. Tel: 01253 522794 The Fish Hut, Liverpool Road, Manchester Exempting them from rationing due to their importance to morale during wartime, Winston Churchill called fish and chips “the happy companions”. If he could have added a third member to this jolly gang, surely it would have been a decent pint. Fish Hut’s fine offerings can be consumed in the adjacent cask pub accompanied by real ale from the bar. Rustle those wrappings and raise a glass. Tel: 0161 839 0957 The Wetherby Whaler, Otley Road, Guiseley A chain of Whalers has sprung from Wetherby, with branches located across Yorkshire. All of them serve batter that soothes the soul and chips that throw the eater to some blissful childhood occasion. The Guiseley branch is victorious here due to its history – this was the site on which the legendary Harry Ramsden opened his first fish and chip hut. It is an area steeped in chippy history. In neighbouring Bradford during the 1860s, 17-year-old Clara Duce became one of the first people anywhere to sell fried fish with chips. wetherbywhaler.co.uk/guiseley Shorts The Fisherman’s Wife, Leeds Market, Leeds The Fisherman’s Wife moves to the rhythms of its venue – don’t expect to find it frying beyond 5pm. This is an afternoon kind of place; a tin of pop kind of place (dandelion & burdock, or Vimto at a push). Make sure you accompany your velvety haddock with a portion of scraps – brittle dreamy morsels of batter scooped from the frying range, criminally unavailable in the English south or Scotland. Mind, they’re called “bits” in Leeds, and “gribbles”, “scrantions” or “screeds” elsewhere. Chippies have their own lexicon of love. thefishermanswife.co.uk Colman’s in South Shields (Photo: Provided) The Scrap Box, Hull Road, Dunnington, York It seems counterintuitive to visit beautiful York and then head out of town to a lay-by, yet for the city’s best fish and chips it is necessary. The Scrap Box is where the locals go. This is a bright, modern business rooted in old chippy values: sumptuous batter; steaming, crispy yet tender chips; homemade mushy peas in snooker-baize green and lush tartare sauce. And, of course, scraps. In February, The Scrap Box won Takeaway of the Year at the National Fish and Chip Awards. No wonder.facebook.com/scrapboxyork North Bay Fisheries, Columbus Ravine, Scarborough Scarborough has more chippies per capita than any other place on earth, according to a 2025 survey. Meandering among them, their intoxicating aromas provoke stomach pangs. Turn from the sea and join the queue at North Bay Fisheries, tucked away on a terrace behind Peasholm Park. From its chrome frying ranges fly golden delights. facebook.com/northbay.fisheries Excelsior Fisheries, Staithes Lane, Staithes Once you’ve traipsed up the severe hill from the alluring seaside village of Staithes, you deserve a reward. Staffed by winningly enthusiastic young friers, The Excelsior provides that reward with battered ambrosia. A sublime discovery in the one-time home of Captain Cook. facebook.com/excelsiorstaithes Colmans, Ocean Road, South Shields The Colman family have been serving fried cheer in this North East seaside town since 1905. What began with a beach shack is now a restaurant and takeaway a few minutes’ walk from the sand. Colmans serves fish that, bitten into, releases a decadent, volcanic rush of heat – the epitome of freshness. If you eat in, enjoy identifying the celebrity customers whose photographs line the walls. A John Major as you douse on the vinegar, a Vera Duckworth as you sprinkle the salt…colmansfishandchips.co.uk Fisherman’s Bay in Whitley Bay (Photo: Provided) Fisherman’s Bay, East Parade, Whitley Bay Fisherman’s Bay presents customers with a dilemma. Sit inside and appreciate its elegant, calming restaurant? Or, take away and eat within sight of the rumbling North Sea, stabbing wooden forks into haddock so that it unleashes steam into the air? This Tyneside marvel also deserves praise for its creative vegan options. fishermansbay.co.uk Midlands Major’s, Church Street, Bilston, Wolvehampton Never mind national identity – through local specialities, chip shops help us express regional identity. Hull has American Chip Spice, a tangy powder scattered at the counter. In Cumbrian chippies, mash and mince patties are a staple. And here in the Black Country, the orange chip is a beacon of local pride. For more than 70 years, shops here have been dousing their uncooked chips in a batter that includes paprika, orange colouring or turmeric depending on who you ask, and then frying them. The result, say those bred locally, is an upgrade: a crispy chip far superior to its blander, pallid cousin – a fluorescent renegade. Major’s, just outside Wolverhampton, is an ideal place to test whether you agree. facebook.com/majorschipshop East French’s, The Quay, Wells-Next-the-Sea For over a century, the French family have been stoking up the frying range and presenting mighty fish and chips to locals and tourists alike, their vinegary vapours seducing harbour strollers. That is not to say French’s hasn’t modernised in that time – its gluten-free products are particularly appreciated by many who usually have to forgo batter. frenchs.co.uk Lucy’s Chips, Norwich Market, Norwich Amidst the bao buns, katsu and churros available from Norwich Market’s street food counters are two fish and chip stalls. Both – Lucy’s and Ron’s – are marvellous. Lucy’s wins here because, remarkably for a chippy so far south, they serve scraps. Such are the market’s tight warren thoroughfares, customers are usually forced to eat in the open air – which is always the best way.facebook.com/lucyschips114norwichmarket The Golden Union in London (Photo: Provided) London Chipping Wharf, Old Ford Road, E3 Sixteenth-century Jewish immigrants introduced fried battered fish to London and indeed Britain. In around 1860, teenager Joseph Malin of Bethnal Green – also Jewish – paired battered fish with hot chipped potatoes. The Malin family soon began selling the married dish and their business on Old Ford Road became probably, possibly, this country’s first fish and chip shop. Malin’s is no more, but the handsome Chipping Wharf does the East End’s golden traditions proud. This being a London chippy, don’t forget your “wallies” (pickled gherkins) on the side. chippingwharf.com Golden Union, Poland Street, W1F One turn from the restless chaos of Oxford Street, a red-and-white sign beckons passers-by with lusty words: Fish & Chips. Those who fall under its spell will find a haven. Sleek and pleasing on the eye, Golden Union is not unlike an American diner in appearance, but with the welcome cloy of tangy vinegar and bubbling deep fat fryers providing interludes between jukebox classics. Frying in vegetable oil and with meat-free delights cloaked in the same perfectly brittle batter as other products (vegetarians deserve indulgence too), this venue pleases every generation. goldenunion.co.uk Rock and Sole Plaice, Endell Street, WC2H Fish and chips’ Jewish origins are just one example of the meal’s intertwining with immigration – Greek Cypriots, for example, blessed us with hundreds of chippies down the centuries. The Ziyaeddin family have been custodians of the Rock and Sole Plaice since 1980. Offering a variety of battered options including rock, plaice, lemon sole and skate, their restaurant also serves glorious, broad chips that return the dish to its street origins. Eat as a Victorian did, only among gorgeously tiled walls while sipping a chilled pinot grigio. rockandsoleplaice.com South Chez Fred Seamoor Road, Westbourne, Bournemouth One way to identify a splendid chippy is by its queue. If a dozen or so hungry souls are lining up outside the door, it means everything is being cooked to order, pulsating with freshness. This is often the scenario at Chez Fred, where customers wait in gleeful anticipation of delicate batter and perky amber chips. chezfred.co.uk Chez Fred in Bournemouth (Photo: Provided) Rockfish, New Fish Quay, Brixham Devon and Dorset are graced with a dozen branches of Rockfish, a high-class chain with an impressive commitment to sustainability. All of them serve a wide range of seafood, yet once the evocative scent of batter drifts across the seaside air it is impossible not to order the haddock or hake. Sit on the terrace and watch fishing boats bobbing in the harbour, while seals seem to dance in the teal water.therockfish.co.uk/pages/brixham-seafood-restaurant Greg & Lou’s, Higher Fore Street, Redruth Cornwall is not short on quality fish and chip shops, but Greg & Lou’s possesses something that elevates it above the rest: remarkable, heavenly chips. Although their fish is exquisite too, it is the chips that linger in the memory and make you salivate on some random Tuesday morning several months later. Speckled with a subtle kiss of batter, they are unique. thinkfoodgreglous.today Wales Ship Deck, Newport Road, Trethomas, Caerphilly Cardiff has “Chippy Lane” – Caroline Street, a famous thoroughfare sprinkled with takeaways – but for the finest local fish and chips, head a few miles north to a town known more for its cheese. The award-winning Ship Deck is a breezy sanctuary of deep-fried goodness, a community chippy with universally superb food. shipdeck.co.uk Ainsworth’s, Bridge Street, Caernarfon No two chippies are the same. They are tiny republics dazzling with individuality, a gratifying phenomenon in a homogenised world of chain eateries. Further, the tiniest fish and chip shop is capable of conjuring food equal to the grandest. So it is with Ainsworth’s, a treasure trove of a place. Cradle a box of their glowing offering under your arm and head to the waterfront to eat between bay and castle. ainsworthscaernarfon.co.uk The Chippy by Spencer in Edinburgh (Photo: Provided) Scotland The Chippy by Spencer, Broughton Street, Edinburgh Scotland’s capital has lost many of its chippies in recent years. The question “salt and sauce?” is now almost completely absent from the city centre soundscape. That is not the case on Broughton Street, where the chippy sauce (a concoction of brown sauce and vinegar distinctly not available in Glasgow) runs freely and decadent batter brings glee. Escape with your bundle of steaming joy and eat in nearby Gayfield Square. thechippyedinburgh.com Carron Fish Bar, Allardice Street, Stonehaven Admittedly, there is not often room for dessert after a fish supper. However, take yourself to the pretty town of Stonehaven and try this approach: A first course from the excellent Bay chippy at the top of the town, then a refreshing seaside walk down to the Carron for dessert. The latter is the home of the deep-fried Mars bar, first concocted there in 1992. In its brown paper bag, the DFM may resemble the remains of an animal burned unidentifiable in an Australian bush fire, yet it tastes ridiculously, absurdly delicious. carronfishbar.com Nardini’s, Greenock Road, Largs Italian immigrants sculpted Scotland’s fish and chip shop landscape. Still now, shops across the land are named after Crollas, Coias and the rest. Many are compact and homely, their windows steamed up to mask an inviting glow. Nardini’s is not. Nardini’s is a fish-and-chip mansion. Its interior has the splendour of an Art Deco ballroom. Few other chippies host piano recitals. Thankfully, the food befits the surroundings – supreme haddock the shape of a Viking longboat, its batter a shade of copper, with fluffy chips. nardinis.co.uk Northern Ireland John Long’s, Athol Street, Belfast On an unpromising dead-end street, a Belfast institution dwells. Long’s wears its history on its face; still in place are mesh window covers installed at the height of the Troubles. This place one sated the hunger of shipyard workers. Now Long’s is savoured by locals from across the city and tourists in on the secret. There is restrained beauty in its mid-century interior. Plonk yourself in a booth and if you fancy a change, order a pastie – a Northern Irish chip shop delicacy comprising a battered parcel of meat, onions, potatoes and seasoning. johnlongs.com Morton’s, Bayview Road, Ballycastle Perfectly perched by the marina, the queues outside Morton’s tell their own story – this is a destination fish and chip shop, and visiting is a ritual during a grand day out to the seaside. Silky batter, down by the water. Idyllic – though beware Ballycastle’s bolshy divebombing seagulls trying to freeload their own chippy tea. facebook.com/mortonsfishandchips Daniel Gray is a writer, editor, broadcaster and author of several books including Food of the Cods: How Fish & Chips Made Britain, which was shortlisted for Debut Food Book of the Year at the Fortnum and Mason Food and Drink Awards 2024, and was Guild of Food Writers 2024 Finalist, Food Book of the Year