10 best seaside fish & chips

Our pick of the chippies

by the sea,cod,haddock,Coast,food stories Henley\'s, Wivenhoe, Essex

Coast magazine searched the whole coastline to find you the best fish and chip shops around. Click through and if heading to any of these gorgeous seaside destinations, you can be sure to know where to find the top fish and chips in town. Here\'s the first...

Henley’s, Wivenhoe, Essex
A wet fish counter adds a fresh twist to this classic shop: customers wait while their choice is steamed, grilled or fried. Owners David and Lisa Henley and managers Richie Evans and John Gibson have 50 years’ experience between them; they trim and pin-bone every piece of fish, and chip up to a ton of Fenland Maris Pipers each day. Cod (frozen at sea), Scottish haddock and local plaice and skate are featured. Open Monday to Saturday, 11.30am-2.30pm, 4.30-9pm. (9 Vine Parade, 01206 820222).

The Fish & Chip Van, Fisherman\'s Pier, Tobermory, Isle of Mull

Scotland,haddock,Coast,food stories the Fish & Chip Van, Fisherman\'s Pier, Tobermory, Isle of Mull Fishermen’s wives Jeanette Gallagher and Jane MacLean spotted a gap in the market 16 years ago, and started selling fish and chips from a pitch that most street traders would kill for. Perched beneath the clock tower on a pier jutting out into Tobermory Bay, their trailer attracts locals and tourists, who squat on lobster pots or on the edge of the pier to devour freshly fried fish, including haddock and scallops. Open Monday to Saturday, 12.30-9pm. (01688 302390).

Stein\'s Fish & Chips, Padstow, Cornwall

Southwest,Coast,food stories,celebrity chefs Stein\'s Fish & Chips, Padstow, Cornwall Rick Stein serves the lesser-known gurnard and megrim sole alongside (sustainably sourced) cod and haddock at this café and takeaway. If you wait long enough (no bookings), you can sit at a long wooden table and eat your fish – grilled, battered or breaded – from a cardboard box. Open Monday to Saturday, 12-2.30pm; Monday to Thursday, 5-7pm; Friday and Saturday, 5-9pm; Sunday 12-6pm (reduced hours in winter). Fish and chips from £6.75 (South Quay, 01841 532700, www.rickstein.com).

Seniors, Blackpool, Lancashire

Northwest,Coast,food stories Seniors, Blackpool, Lancashire Fish merchant Rick Horabin bought this Blackpool institution six years ago and transformed its interior. Each morning at 7am, he takes his pick of the morning’s catch at Fleetwood fish auction. By lunchtime, up to a dozen varieties of fresh, seasonal fish are on the menu to be taken away or eaten in. A second licensed restaurant recently opened at nearby Marsh Mill. Open daily, 11.30am-2pm and 4.30-7.30pm. (106 Normoss Road, 01253 885154, www.seniorsfishexperience.com).

Chez Fred, Westbourne, Bournemouth

Southwest,cod,Coast,food stories Chez Fred, Westbourne, Bournemouth An hour-long queue for tables leaves no doubt that this is one of the best chippies on the south coast; autographed photos of celebrity diners on the walls are further evidence. Owner Fred Capel believes in keeping the menu short and simple: cod, which comes frozen-at-sea from Iceland and the Arctic, is a firm favourite. Open daily, 11.30am-2pm and 5-10pm (closed Sunday lunch). (10 Seamoor Road, 01202 761023, www.chezfred.co.uk).

The Magpie Cafe, Whitby, North Yorkshire

Coast,food stories,celebrity chefs the Magpie Cafe, Whitby, North Yorkshire A site of pilgrimage since Rick Stein named it his favourite chippy, this quayside café is famous for its queues. A takeaway was added in 2005, but to enjoy your lunch to the full, wait for a table and pity those still queueing. Then choose from three sizes of battered cod or haddock, fresh off the boats outside, swilled down with a mug of Yorkshire tea. The long menu has ‘Watchers of Weight’ options, such as grilled local plaice and crab salad, but why queue for that? Open daily, 11.30am-9pm (times change in winter). (14 Pier Road, 01947 602058, www.magpiecafe.co.uk).

Hanburys, Babbacombe, Torquay

Southwest,shellfish & seafood,Coast,food stories Hanburys, Babbacombe, Torquay South England’s fish-rich waters are celebrated here. John Dory, plaice, lemon sole and brill come from Polperro and Looe, while the cod and haddock are sustainably fished in Iceland and Norway. Maureen and David Hanbury fry the fish and chips in groundnut oil and wrap them in non-toxic newspaper. Open Monday to Saturday, 11.45am- 1.45pm and 4.30-9.30pm. (Princes Street, 01803 329928, www.hanburys.net). 

Allports, Pwllheli, Gwynedd

Wales,Coast,food stories Chips from Allports, Pwllheli, Gwynedd Double-fried chips and homemade mushy peas are two of the ingredients that make this one of the most popular takeaways on the North Wales coast. Crowned best chippy in Britain within a year of opening in 2000, it is owned by John and Sarah Allport, who have further shops at Porthmadog and Llanberis. Chips receive their second frying to order, ensuring that every customer gets fresh, crispy fries with fluffy centres. They are cooked, with haddock, cod or plaice, in monosaturate-rich rapeseed oil, which, when discarded, is recycled into biofuel. Open daily, 11.30am-9pm, restaurant until 3pm. Open until 10pm on weekends. (Y Maes, 01758 612641, www.allportsfishandchips.co.uk).

Flora Tea Rooms, Dunwich Beach, Suffolk

East Anglia,Coast,food stories Flora Tea Rooms, Dunwich Beach, Suffolk Named after the shipwrecked barge whose timbers built the original tea room (rebuilt in 1987), this black-tarred wooden shack sits on the shingle beach of what was East Anglia’s capital before most of it was swallowed by the sea in the 14th century. Fresh fish, including skate, comes from nearby Lowestoft fish market; wash it down with BYO wine. Open daily, 10am until early evening. Fish and chips from £7.25 (01728 648433).

Anstruther Fish Bar, Fife

Scotland,Coast,food stories Anstruther Fish Bar, Fife This East Neuk outfit is so popular, in high season it serves up to 1,500 portions of fish and chips a day. It’s set in two former fishermen’s cottages by the harbour and owned by fish merchant Robert Smith, whose expertise guarantees the freshest fare. Lemon sole and haddock, landed at Pittenweem nearby, then dipped in batter and fried in beef dripping, are top sellers. Lobster and fresh mackerel are served in season. Open daily, 11.30am-10pm. (01333 310518, www.anstrutherfishbar.co.uk).

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