London--Best Fish & Chips?

I recently had some very good fish and chips at The Golden Hind in Marylebone.

On your other thread you mentioned you were staying in Belgravia? I've had delicious fish and chips at The Thomas Cubitt on Elizabeth Street plus the wait staff was really charming with this old solo female traveler, lol.

https://www.cubitthouse.co.uk/the-thomas-cubitt-belgravia/menus/

I have read that The Laughing Halibut has good fish and chips but I've never managed to be in that area at the right time.

https://thelaughinghalibut.has.restaurant

Then in the spirit of the thread about using social media to trip plan, here is a link to a YouTube pair who eat constantly, hahaha. They are trying the best fish and chips in London in this one.

https://youtu.be/mulxVBOq-S8?si=QDgNGoOOeC1eEsfV

PS: Full disclosure - I am vegan, hahaha. BUT I've been eating fish on vacations since Covid so I have tried quite a few fish and chip meals.

I've heard the Golden Union on Poland St is highly recommended but have never been. Hoping to remedy that this September.

My usual go-to is the Hobson's in Bayswater. They have a few other branches throughout the city.

As is typical with fish and chips, I have had them a half dozen places that were highly rated (Golden Union, Poppies, etc.) and in the end, you cant go too wrong, if a place makes a good fish and has the right chips, then it is as good as any. In fact, some of the best I had was from a nondescript place in Camden Town, just a neighborhood chippy, and it was half the price or more from the famous places (do be prepared to drop at least 20 GBP [about $27 USD] on a meal, not including drinks) Gone are the days of fish and chips being a cheap meal.

Loved GOLDEN HIND.

What characteristics would good fish and chips have? I ate a lot of fish and chips in New Zealand, and I felt they were all basically fine. I didn't like other menu choices (meat heavy) so the fall back was fish and chips. I guess my preference would be crispy fries with ketchup (is that allowed?) and fish that is flaky not mushy.

Good friend from church who grew up in London always recommends Micky’s. There is one near Paddington Station. Huge portions!

I enjoyed the Laughing Halibut for lunch in March that Pam mentioned above.

Tom the Taxi Driver does a nice video on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQOXnBQZKek

Fishoria Fish and Chips up near the British Museum was VVG I thought. Ordered the haddock….yum.

The Seashell of Lisson Grove, 49-51 Lisson Grove, Marylebone.
Great fish and chips. You can get the fish fried, broiled or baked. They have healthy sides such as Greek salad. Choose from a variety of fish:
Cod
Haddock
Whitebait
Plaice
Dover Sole
Salmon

For the British members of the forum who are familiar with the above selection of fish, would you please comment and tell which you would choose/believe is the best. I am curious what your opinions are. Thanks!

choose/believe is the best

I know, not believe or choose (and I'm modest) -

cod is the old standby, good flesh, predictable shape, cooks well.

haddock is a very very good second choice, pieces tend to be a little larger, not such perfect cod-like flesh, good chippies do good haddock, mostly

plaice - ok

whitebait, not for me.

salmon should be in a restaurant, grilled, not in a chippy

same with Dover sole or other flatfish

IMnshO

I was always told that haddock was traditionally more popular in Scotland and the north of England, while cod was more popular in the south.

Yes, it was always haddock where I grew up in Scotland. Cod is an English thing.

What Rebecca describes is just more like a proper fish restaurant. Standard "fish and chips" is white fish fried in batter with thick cut chips. Where I'm from you can order "special fish" which is fried in breadcrumbs, usually to order. I doubt that is a national order though.

Not British, but eaten a lot of fish and chips...

Most would go for Cod as the standard, Haddock I am not sure if I can tell much difference, but I believe it tends to be chunkier, thicker, than a fillet, I prefer my fish a bit thinner.

Plaice and sole are similar, very mild, fine fish compared to cod, and much thinner usually, would benefit having a very light batter instead of the traditional thick batter you get on cod. Also, Sole may be offered whole as opposed to a fillet.

Whitebait, small fish fried whole, like anchovies in Spain or Italy. I really like them, but not as "Fish and Chips", but as its own thing, similar if they have battered fish roe available.

Salmon? I'm with Nigel, serve it grilled, sauteed, or poached in a restaurant, not battered and fried.

Not mentioned is Skate, you'll see it in some places, very interesting to eat, unique texture, worth a try.

Many thanks for all the fish preferences!
Haha, Paul, I'm not British either, but will give my preferences.
My favorites: (#1) salmon, grilled, sauteed, or poached (#2) Dover sole, grilled, sauteed, or poached, (#3) cod, fried, (#4) haddock, fried.

Best cod fish and chips I've had in England was at The Old Keswickian restaurant, Keswick, Lake District, on the downtown square. Perfect, flaky, fresh fish with a few bones.
Best haddock fish and chips was at The Rose and Crown pub, Salisbury, attached to the hotel of the same name. Huge, perfectly cooked pieces of fish that draped off the edge of a large oval platter. My husband said it looked like we were having whale and chips for dinner.

I have not had whitebait, plaice, or skate.

Now I'm really hungry!

Fish & chips in England - well, it traditionally has to be either cod or haddock. In fact at a lot of chippies you just say, for example “fish & chips twice” without specifying. And it’ll be either cod or haddock.

You’ll be asked if you want salt & vinegar. You can get a little tub of mushy peas or curry sauce on the side. Ketchup is perfectly acceptable - a lot of traditional chippies will sell sachets of ketchup or mayonnaise or even (if you’re fancy) tartare sauce for a small amount of money.

Go to a chippy rather than a pub. Look for somewhere that is frying fish to order (the less battered fish sitting in the warming cabinets the better). Oh, and it has to be battered not breadcrumbed.

It's OK just to order chips and assess the quality of your chippy on their chips alone. A portion of chips from the chippy is a good evening snack, especially eaten outdoors.

It's OK just to order chips and assess the quality of your chippy on their chips alone. A portion of chips from the chippy is a good evening snack, especially eaten outdoors.

Back in my youth, a portion of chips on the way home from the pub to soak up the five pints of bitter (back in the days when pubs were purely drinking establishments).

Go to a chippy rather than a pub. Look for somewhere that is frying fish to order (the less battered fish sitting in the warming cabinets the better).

Nothing beats a good, busy neighborhood chippy.

Back in my youth, a portion of chips on the way home from the pub to soak up the five pints of bitter

Sadly, finding a good bitter is getting harder and harder. My former favorite, Directors, is impossible to find in any pub.

Sadly, finding a good bitter is getting harder and harder. My former favorite, Directors, is impossible to find in any pub.

Directors was mine too. I don’t drink any more, though, so no idea what the pub beer scene is like these days.