The quintessential British takeaway is represented admirably around these parts, but where's the best? Everyone will have their own idea about what makes the perfect fish and chips - and that's before we even get on to the side orders - but this list brings together neighbourhood favourites from across Greater Manchester.
There are old school shops that have been serving their communities for decades, as well as newcomers who are throwing new skills into the mix, but rest assured, all of these are the very best at what they do.
That said, this is by no means not an exhaustive list. So if there's anywhere you think we should have included, make sure you have your say in the comments section below.
So, without further ado...
Mother Hubbard's
It may be part of a chain, but it’s a small one, it started in Yorkshire, and who really cares when the batter is this crispy? Mother Hubbard's opened its Salford shop in 2021, and there have been queues out of the door ever since, and understandably so. This is first rate fish and chips, and the gravy and curry sauces are no slouch either.
122 Albany Way, Salford M6 5HR
The Fish at Goose Green
Another chippy to frequently appear in the UK’s top 50, The Fish at Goose Green is a gem. Delicate batter, proper chips, and some brilliant extras too, like salt and pepper fried chicken among the more traditional offerings. Or try the Super Barm; a small fish, chips and a splat of mushy peas, all stuffed into a white buttered barm. Quite genius.
12 Clapgate Ln, Goose Green, Wigan WN3 6RN
The Chippy On Burton Road
To be found, unsurprisingly, on Burton Road, this eat-in or takeaway spot is consistently excellent, and they go the extra mile with sourcing too. The pies are from Bowen’s in Chorley, and the sausages - rather than the suspicious numbers found in most bog standard chippies - are from Axon’s just up the road. You can also get salt & pepper squid, whitebait and some brilliant homemade fishcakes, or a slab of battered Bury black pudding.
178 Burton Rd, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 1LH
Chips @ No. 8
For someone who’s only been frying for a few years, Chips @ No. 8 owner Dan Edwards has nailed it. His place is among the top 50 in the whole of the UK, as judged by chippy bible Fry magazine, and he uses beef dripping (for those who want it, vegetable oil for those who don’t). A cracking spot, raising the bar of the humble chippy tea to a near art form, and with queues out of the door and round the corner most evenings.
8 Clifton Rd, Prestwich, Manchester M25 3HQ
The Little Chippy in Tyldesley
Another top spot for fish and chips (and another one that has featured in the top 50 in the whole of the UK) this gem in Tyldesley is beloved by locals and worth a trip out of town for too. Great value, great puddings, fantastic gravy and fresh fish fried to order. No bells and whistles, the type of chippy anyone would want at the end of their street.
172 Elliott St, Tyldesley, Manchester M29 8DS
Sykes
Who doesn’t love a solid eat-in chippy? Voted the best in Salford in 2020, and one of the UK top 50 in 2021, Sykes in Pendlebury is a real cracker of a local. Extras like homemade chilli con carne and a stunning, hand-crafted fried chicken sandwich, not to mention a whole bakery and desserts section, elevate this spot to legendary status.
596 Bolton Rd, Pendlebury, Swinton, Manchester M27 4ET
Hip Hop Chip Shop
No messing around here, the Hip Hop Chip Shop fries some of the best fish in town, and even better than that, you’ve a few locations to choose from too. EIther head to their place in Ancoats, just off Cutting Room Square, or find out where their mobile van is hitched up. Of a Friday night, it’s generally to be found at the Carlton Club, feeding up the good people of Whalley Range and beyond. But follow their socials to get their latest movements.
44 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6BF
Armstrong's
Choose either the Armstrong's in Prestwich or the one in Shaw, but either way, the ‘home of the jumbo cod’ sets the bar very high indeed. And they’re really not joking about the size of the fish either. Not only that, they do a spectacularly huge sausage, and at the Oldham branch, a rag pudding.
37 Market St, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8NR
486 Bury Old Rd, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1NL
Levers
Such is the legend of Levers in Oldham, there’s a blue plaque by the door, commemorating the very first fried chip, dunked into the fat in 1860, with the first ever fish & chip shop in the north opened by a gentleman called John Lees just up the road in Mossley. Levers is still an institution, with batter that’s light as a feather and a mean rag pudding on the menu too.
Unit 2 Albion St, Oldham OL1 3BG
Tony's
Tony's chippy in Miles Platting is another Manchester institution. It's been serving up hot and crispy delights for its local community since 1982, more than 30 years. Always with a friendly welcome, this traditional chip shop, with its handsome green tiles, is very much worth a special journey.
3 Piercy St, Manchester M4 7HY
Kingfisher
Another much-loved local, the Kingfisher on the edge of Stretford Mall is you classic 'eat in' chippy, offering fry ups too for the early risers. But it's the fish and chips people travel for, not to mention the scampi, the pies, and, on occasion, a brimming ladle of chilli con carne for the more adventurous.
106 King Street, Arndale Centre, Stretford, Manchester M32 9BH
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