The Best Fish and Chips in London - Where to Eat Britain’s Favourite Dish

Fish and chips is one of Britain’s most famous dishes, and somehow also one of the hardest to get a straight recommendation for. Ask a Londoner where to find the best fish and chips in the city and there’s a good chance you’ll get a lecture about how you really need to go to Yorkshire, Scotland, or some seaside town where the fish practically jumps straight out of the sea and into the fryer.

According to the most popular London version of the story, one of the first places in Britain to serve fried fish with chips was opened by Joseph Malin, a Jewish immigrant, in East London around 1860. The exact date and location are still debated, but either way, London has a pretty convincing claim to at least partial ownership of one of Britain’s most iconic dishes.

Since then, countless chippies - the affectionate British name for fish and chip shops - have opened across the city. Some are old-school institutions with Formica tables, impatient waiters and bottles of malt vinegar on every table. Others have turned fish and chips into a proper restaurant experience, complete with oysters, sparkling wine and upgraded sauces.

These are some of our favourite places for fish and chips in London. Each has its own take on the dish, but all of them stay fairly close to the original.

The Fryer’s Delight - Holborn

Opened in 1958, The Fryer’s Delight looks exactly the way you imagine an old London chippy should: a red-and-green shopfront, communal booths, red Formica tables, a chequered floor and a short, simple menu.

Alongside classic fish and chips, you’ll find battered sausages, pickled eggs and curry sauce, which is well worth trying.

The real attraction, though, is that the fish and chips are still fried in beef dripping. It gives the food a richer flavour and produces a darker, especially crisp batter.

It’s a great lunch stop after visiting the nearby British Museum, or simply a place to go if you want proof that a little bit of old London still survives.

Address: 19 Theobalds Road

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 11am-9pm. Closed Sunday.

Golden Union - Soho

Central London probably isn’t the first place you’d expect to find some of the city’s best fish and chips, but Golden Union in Soho is a pleasant surprise.

It’s relatively new, having opened in 2008, and the look is more colourful diner than traditional chippy, with neon lighting and electronic menus.

The fish is fried to order rather than left sitting under a heat lamp. The batter is crisp, the fish stays juicy, and the chips are golden on the outside while soft and fluffy in the middle. You may even get a few scraps on top, those little pieces of fried batter left behind in the fryer.

The sides are good too. The curry sauce is thick, rich and slightly sweet, while the tartare sauce, mushy peas and pies are made in-house. The restaurant also says its fish comes from sustainable fishing areas in the North Atlantic.

If you’re looking for good fish and chips right in the centre of London without feeling as though you’ve walked into a tourist trap, this is one of the safest bets.

Address: 38 Poland Street

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 11:30am-9pm; Friday and Saturday, 11:30am-10pm; Sunday, 11:30am-9pm.

Rock & Sole Plaice - Covent Garden

At first glance, Rock & Sole Plaice has all the warning signs of a tourist trap. It’s in Covent Garden, prices are high and there’s often a queue. And yet, it’s actually worth visiting.

The shop has been around since 1871 and bills itself as London’s oldest fish and chip shop still in operation. Inside are two small, fairly cramped floors, but on a nice day the outdoor tables are the better option, giving you a front-row seat to the chaos of Covent Garden.

The fish is generous, fresh and well fried. There’s a surprisingly wide choice, including cod, haddock, plaice, skate and lemon sole, with most dishes served with chips and tartare sauce.

Cod and chips now costs more than £20, so this is certainly not a cheap meal. Still, the quality is better than what you’ll find in many of the tourist-focused restaurants nearby.

Address: 47 Endell Street

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 12pm-9pm; Saturday and Sunday, 12pm-8pm.

Poppies - Spitalfields

Pat "Pop" Newland started working in an East London chippy when he was just 11 years old. One of his jobs was cutting up old newspapers, which were still used at the time to wrap fish and chips. More than 50 years later, he opened the first Poppies restaurant in Spitalfields.

Poppies has since become one of London’s best-known fish and chip names, with additional branches in Soho, Camden and Portobello. The original is a short walk from Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market and combines nostalgic East End style with a comfortable, easy restaurant experience.

The decor is inspired by the 1940s and 1950s, with memorabilia, old posters, period music and staff dressed to match. At times it feels more like a film set than a neighbourhood chippy, but the atmosphere is fun and it works especially well for first-time visitors to London.

The menu includes cod, haddock, halibut, skate and plaice, alongside East End classics such as jellied eels, bright-red saveloy sausages and pickled eggs. A regular portion of cod and chips costs around £20.

The fish is fresh, the batter is relatively light and the portions are generous. Add some mushy peas or curry sauce, and save room for sticky toffee pudding if it’s available.

Poppies is particularly good for families, groups, and anyone who wants the full British fish and chips experience rather than simply eating from a paper bag on a bench.

Address: 6-8 Hanbury Street

Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday and Sunday, 11am-10pm; Thursday to Saturday, 11am-11pm.

The Golden Hind - Marylebone

The Golden Hind has been serving fish and chips in Marylebone since 1914. One wall displays a list of the different owners over the years and their countries of origin.

It’s a small detail, but one that says something interesting about London itself: one of Britain’s most recognisable dishes was introduced by Jewish immigrants and then kept alive for generations by other immigrant families.

The restaurant sits on one of Marylebone’s prettiest streets, although the location comes at a price. A meal including fish and chips, peas and tartare sauce costs around £22 at lunchtime and about £25 in the evening.

The room itself is bright and fairly simple. What matters is the good fish, crisp batter and wider-than-usual choice, including skate, plaice, rock salmon, calamari and steamed fish for anyone who wants to skip the fryer.

Address: 71a-73 Marylebone Lane

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 12pm-3:30pm and 6pm-10:30pm; Sunday, 12pm-7:30pm.

The Mayfair Chippy - Mayfair

The name tells you almost everything. The Mayfair Chippy is the polished, upmarket version of fish and chips, and yes, you can have it with a glass of Champagne.

The original restaurant opened in 2015, a short walk from Oxford Street and Hyde Park. The design is a tribute to traditional chippies, with chequered floors, white walls and booth seating, but everything here is brighter, smarter and considerably more polished. There is now another branch in Knightsbridge, close to Harrods.

The fish and chips itself is excellent, made with good-quality fish, light beer batter and thick hand-cut chips. Gluten-free batter is also available.

What really makes the restaurant different, though, is the rest of the menu. You’ll find oysters, mussels, crab salad, lobster and crab rolls, and a soft-shell crab burger with sriracha mayonnaise and slaw.

The sides follow the same idea. Traditional mushy peas and curry sauce sit alongside truffle and cheese chips, homemade pickles and garlic-lemon sauce. You can order British beer, gin or sparkling wine, or even start with oysters and a glass of rosé at one of the outside tables.

This is definitely not an authentic neighbourhood chippy experience. But if you want a more refined, modern version of fish and chips, it does the job very well.

Address: 14 North Audley Street

Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday, 10:30am-9:30pm; Friday and Saturday, 10:30am-10:30pm.

If you want a reliable, well-balanced plate of fish and chips in central London, Golden Union is probably the safest choice. For old-school atmosphere and nostalgia, head to The Fryer’s Delight. And if it’s your first visit to London and you want both the food and the full experience, Poppies in Spitalfields probably offers the best all-round package.

And don’t forget the sides. Fish and chips without malt vinegar is really just fish and potatoes. Mushy peas, curry sauce, pickles and even a pickled egg are all part of the experience. Be generous with the salt, add plenty of vinegar, and embrace the full British tradition.

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