Fish and chips

[hsaroya]

What is a good, inexpensive, old school fish and chips place around the main tourist areas?

 

Any locals have thoughts as well on Bailey's, which appears highly rated on trip advisor? It's out of the way, but we will be doing a tour of Stamford.

[Flainefan]

I think you said in another post that you might be staying near County Hall/ London Eye and I gave advice about things to see on the South Bank. If so, you can find a traditional fish and chips shop in walking distance. Pub fish and chips are often disappointing. It's best to go to a proper 'chippy'. Just head down Waterloo Road to Masters. It has a good reputation and is definitely a 'no-frills' sort of place. You can buy at the counter to take away, or sit down and eat in the small dining room.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...n_England.html

 

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Bailey's, but the reports sound good. I'll give them a try if I'm in their area!

 

You mention touring Stamford(?). Does that mean you are heading 100 miles north of London to the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire? or are you visiting Stamford Hill, an area of North London (not a lot to see there) or Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium, home of Chelsea FC?

 

Margaret

[Globaliser]

I think you said in another post that you might be staying near County Hall/ London Eye ... Just head down Waterloo Road to Masters.

I agree with this - it's the obvious place to go for fish and chips if staying near County Hall or Waterloo.

[LondonTowner]

Nearly all local residential areas will have its own fish and chip shop. Some do not open on Mondays. Be sure to have a 'Wally' with your fish and chips.

 

Do a search on the London Forum on Tripadvisor as there are loads of threads on there with recommendations. Most fish and chip shops are takeaways, although a few do have restaurants. You shouldn't pay any more than £5 for a portion of fish and chips.

[John Bull]

Be sure to have a 'Wally' with your fish and chips.

.

 

Even I had to look that one up. ;)

A pickle.

With fish & chips. :eek:

No wonder we Brits don't have a world-wide reputation for culinary arts. :rolleyes:

 

Still, better than smothered in curry sauce as the heathen Brummies do. :p

 

JB :)

[hsaroya]

I think you said in another post that you might be staying near County Hall/ London Eye and I gave advice about things to see on the South Bank. If so, you can find a traditional fish and chips shop in walking distance. Pub fish and chips are often disappointing. It's best to go to a proper 'chippy'. Just head down Waterloo Road to Masters. It has a good reputation and is definitely a 'no-frills' sort of place. You can buy at the counter to take away, or sit down and eat in the small dining room.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...n_England.html

 

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Bailey's, but the reports sound good. I'll give them a try if I'm in their area!

 

You mention touring Stamford(?). Does that mean you are heading 100 miles north of London to the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire? or are you visiting Stamford Hill, an area of North London (not a lot to see there) or Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium, home of Chelsea FC?

 

Margaret

 

Sorry, should have specified Chelsea stadium. I'm not the one who posted about staying near the London Eye, but as we will be doing the Eye, I will put Masters on my list. Thanks!

[LHT28]

Even I had to look that one up. ;)

A pickle.

With fish & chips. :eek:

 

JB :)

 

I have never seen that either :eek:

 

Sounds terrible

[roysmith99]

What is a good, inexpensive, old school fish and chips place around the main tourist areas?

 

Any locals have thoughts as well on Bailey's, which appears highly rated on trip advisor? It's out of the way, but we will be doing a tour of Stamford.

 

I do not know if London even has a good old school fish and chip ship, but I sure it may have. However, if you do go to Stamford in Lincolnshire, well worth the visit - you will find The Riverside Fish Bar & Restaurant, probably the best in the town.

 

.

Edited March 16, 2014 by roysmith99

[LondonTowner]

Any Londoner worth his salt will know what a wally is. It's actually one of those large pickled gherkins. Funnily enough, my Spanish friends love them with their fish and chips when they visit.

 

London does still have some good fish and chip shops, but there is no point in making recommendations if the OP is not going to be anywhere near them. He is going to Stamford Bridge, not Stamford, the town.

[roysmith99]

London does still have some good fish and chip shops, but there is no point in making recommendations if the OP is not going to be anywhere near them. He is going to Stamford Bridge, not Stamford, the town.

 

I know which I would prefer to visit.

[SteveH2508]

If the OP wanted to be really daring they could go for a pickled egg with their fish and chips. Something I ate once and swore off, but some people love them (I guess you need to have a few pints of London's finest ale on board...)

[hsaroya]

If the OP wanted to be really daring they could go for a pickled egg with their fish and chips. Something I ate once and swore off, but some people love them (I guess you need to have a few pints of London's finest ale on board...)

 

The OP is pretty daring in her food selections, but some things are not meant to be pickled....and eggs are at the top of that list :eek:

 

Nope, I'm just looking for plain old fish and chips, with nothing more exotic than vinegar, ketchup, and tartar sauce on the side. :)

 

For anyone who knows the area, would it be reasonable to do a mid morning tour of Stamford Bridge and then head over to Baileys Fish and Chips for lunch? It's about a 15 min walk west of the Fulham Broadway station.

 

Am I correct in assuming that there's a bit of regional snobbery, where fish and chips are concerned, between the north of England and London? Trust me, I wish I had the time to explore the cuisine of all of England and give you my personal comparison! Maybe next visit. :)

[SteveH2508]

Ref regional snobbery - I am Yorkshire born (North) and southern bred.

 

The best fish and chips I have ever eaten was in Whitby (Yorkshire). However there is decent fish and chips to be found in London.

 

The main differences between northern and southern fish chips seem to be:

1. North = prefer haddock - South = prefer cod

2. North like mushy peas (green sludge that may have been peas at some time but have been cooked to death and beyond)

 

Apparently, fish and chips is a fusion of north and south cuisines. I forget which provided battered fish and which provided chips but we sorted it out in the end!:D

 

If you want a serious north/south debate then beer can be quite contentious!

 

hsaroya - a wally is basically tartare sauce without the chopping and the gloop.:rolleyes:

[dsrdsrdsr]

Mushy peas aren't cooked to death. They're steeped overnight, which is why they mush, but they aren't cooked any longer than garden peas.

 

If you want chips and gravy, hard lines. You won't get it in London (well, there must be places that do it, but not many). And though it pains me to say it, as a Lancastrian, Yorkshire would be an excellent place to buy fish and chips.

[newport dave]

You need to ask for a Split, Fish & curry sauce....Mmmmmmmmmmmm

[LondonTowner]

Sorry, fish and chips has to be just that. No horrible sauces or gravies on it. Just plain old fish and chips.

[John Bull]

Sorry, fish and chips has to be just that. No horrible sauces or gravies on it. Just plain old fish and chips.

 

Agreed. Though salt & vinegar of course.

 

Ketchup, tartar sauce etc you usually have to buy little sachets.

 

If you ask for a slice of lemon you'll be given a sideways look and told to go to a greengrocer. :D

 

No north/south divide on fish & chips, nor on mushy peas.

Just those strange folk in the Midlands who'll ladle curry sauce on your chips unless you stop them.

 

Yes, Whitby fish has the best reputation, but inconvenient since Whitby is a 250-mile walk from London.

 

Pub fish & chips are variable. Some freshly battered fresh fish in-house, many use pre-battered frozen fillets which vary from acceptable to inedible. Ditto mix of in-house or frozen chips.

 

Ashamed to say the best fish & chips I had was in the Wheelhouse Bar of Crown Princess. "Mushy peas" were actually puree'd, presumably the proper stuff didn't please the eye of the chef, but 10 out of 10 for effort.

 

Anyone want to start an argument on sunflower oil vs palm oil vs veg oil vs lard? :D

 

JB :)

Edited March 17, 2014 by John Bull

[Hlitner]

With all due respect to our Brit cousins, the best Fish and Chips we have ever had (and we have sampled the items all over England) was actually in some little village located in the heart of New Zealand! Now go figure. We stopped in some little café while driving on North Island and they had beer battered fish and chips...and the stuff was totally amazing.

We do remember the waitress telling us that the pub owner was from London.

 

Hank

[Globaliser]

Pub fish & chips are variable. Some freshly battered fresh fish in-house, many use pre-battered frozen fillets which vary from acceptable to inedible. Ditto mix of in-house or frozen chips.

Well, this is just a function of that fact that pub food is "variable" - to be kind to it.

 

95% or more of pub food is freezer-to-microwave stuff prepared in vast batches in factories and delivered to the outlets in its frozen state, and heated up there by staff who are basically kitchen technicians. The factories even go so far as to provide the design and print services for the rustic-looking menus on the pub tables.

 

Consequently, most pub food is rubbish - including the fish and chips.

[Globaliser]

With all due respect to our Brit cousins, the best Fish and Chips we have ever had (and we have sampled the items all over England) was actually in some little village located in the heart of New Zealand! Now go figure.

I don't think it'll hurt anyone's pride here, given that it's a dish that's simple in concept and therefore readily transportable everywhere. It takes skill and good ingredients to make it work, and we couldn't claim a monopoly on those either.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Meanwhile, back on the OP's question, yes, Masters must feature in any list. As would Seafresh in Wilton Road near Victoria and Poppies in Spitalfields.

 

I believe Bailey's is primarily a take-away chippy (there are a couple of small tables, but it's not really a dining-in restaurant, if I'm thinking of the right place...or plaice).

Edited March 17, 2014 by Cotswold Eagle

[Cookiecookie]

Not all Midlanders are curry sauce mad !!

 

--------------

Gaynor.

 

Canadian Rockies cruisetour August 2014

Oasis of the seas August 2013

Independent of the Seas August 2008

[Globaliser]

... Poppies in Spitalfields.

Ooh, thank you for that - we will have to try this one.

[hsaroya]

Agreed. Though salt & vinegar of course.

 

Ketchup, tartar sauce etc you usually have to buy little sachets.

 

If you ask for a slice of lemon you'll be given a sideways look and told to go to a greengrocer. :D

 

No north/south divide on fish & chips, nor on mushy peas.

Just those strange folk in the Midlands who'll ladle curry sauce on your chips unless you stop them.

 

Yes, Whitby fish has the best reputation, but inconvenient since Whitby is a 250-mile walk from London.

 

Pub fish & chips are variable. Some freshly battered fresh fish in-house, many use pre-battered frozen fillets which vary from acceptable to inedible. Ditto mix of in-house or frozen chips.

 

Ashamed to say the best fish & chips I had was in the Wheelhouse Bar of Crown Princess. "Mushy peas" were actually puree'd, presumably the proper stuff didn't please the eye of the chef, but 10 out of 10 for effort.

 

Anyone want to start an argument on sunflower oil vs palm oil vs veg oil vs lard? :D

 

JB :)

 

I actually wanted to ask about the Wheelhouse fish and chips and how they compared, as we will be on the Regal Princess prior, but was afraid of offending the British masses!

[Globaliser]

I actually wanted to ask about the Wheelhouse fish and chips and how they compared, as we will be on the Regal Princess prior, but was afraid of offending the British masses!

I can let you into a secret in advance about Masters, should you get there: It's run by a Chinese family who also operate the Chinese takeaway next door. If it's good, it's good, no matter who's cooking!