Marlboro, 46 St Thomas Street, Weymouth DT4 8AW
Local mackerel in a bap or tempura is the draw at this third-generation family restaurant, perhaps with a pea fritter, or chips, cheese and curry sauce, and steamed pudding to finish (marlbororestaurant.co.uk).
Middle Street Fish Bar, 78 Middle Street, Deal CT14 6HL
It is open Wed-Sat, for three hours and takes cash only, but locals swear it serves the best fish and chips on the Kent coast.
Downstairs at No 1, 1 New Street, Cromer NR27 9HP
Take your fish, chips and burgers to go and eat them on the pier, or head Upstairs for popcorn cockles, mackerel, scotch eggs and prawn curry (no1cromer.com).
Lighthouse Fisheries of Flamborough, High Street, Flamborough YO15 1JX
Award-winning because they do things properly: fish is sustainably sourced; chips triple cooked; crab cakes are locally renowned; and there are nods to modish tastes with poutine, too (lighthousefisheries.com).
Shakey Shakey Fish Bar, 75 High Street, Ramsgate CT11 9RJ
As well as all the traditional favourites, it’s one of the first chippies in the UK to offer a full vegan and gluten-free menu. (In London, Sutton & Son offers vegan fish made from marinated banana blossom.)
Gower Seafood Hut, Southend Gardens, Promenade Terrace, Mumbles SA3 4DS
A tiny booth with a fabulous changing menu for alfresco dining – try the Cajun prawns and deep-fried anchovies (@gowerseafoodhut).
Magpie Café, 14 Pier Road, Whitby YO21 3PU
Are these the most famous F&C in the UK? Residents of Whitby and visitors are spoiled for choice with Trenchers and Hadleys also both frequently praised (magpiecafe.co.uk).
Anstruther Fish Bar, 42-44 Shore Street, Anstruther KY10 3AQ
From sustainable fish to free-range eggs and Scottish wine, local and responsible is the name of the game. The Scottish lemon sole and locally landed prawns come battered or crumbed; ice-cream is made in-house; and all meals eaten in come with bread and butter and a hot drink. Classic. (anstrutherfishbar.co.uk)
Fish Central, 149-155 Central Street, King Square, London EC1V 8AP
There are more options than fish battered or in matzo meal, but they’d be the wrong choices. At lunch, expect black-cab drivers, pensioners and Friday office friends; on weekends, the vibe is lights off, saucepans banging, staff singing happy birthday to locals (fishcentral.co.uk).
Chips @ No 8, 6 Clifton Road, Prestwich M25 3HQ
Until recently, this well-regarded shop was a corner site, known for a giant mural of Mark E Smith, and frying in dripping (veg oil on request). Now, they’ve reopened next door in order to serve more people more efficiently, though the name’s the same (@chipsno8).
The Cod’s Scallops, Nottingham and Birmingham
Bringing the coast to the Midlands. Choose your fish, have it battered, spiced or baked with herbs; or perhaps homemade fish soup (codsscallops.com).
Colmans Fish and Chips, 176-186 Ocean Road, South Shields NE33 2JQ
Award-winning family business, going strong since 1905. There’s a meal deal for seniors; fish can be poached; and there’s Pol Roger to drink, if you’re feeling fancy (colmansfishandchips.co.uk).
Ship Deck, Newport Road, Trethomas, CaerphillyCF83 8BR
This re-energised small village chippy took home the gong for best takeaway at this year’s National Fish and Chip Awards and people travel from Cardiff, thanks to sustainable fish crisp-fried to order (shipdeck.co.uk).
Cheeky Maharaja, West Midlands
Avesh is a mobile street-food trader selling sustainable fish fried in a spiced batter and his version of cheesy chips – with paneer and a veggie masala gravy (cheekymaharaja.com).
Harbour Lights, Arwenack Street, Falmouth TR11 3LH
There’s a community focus at this Cornish chippie: local hake is celebrated; MSC-approved choices are marked. If you eat in mains come with unlimited chips; if you eat out, beware the seagulls (harbourlights.co.uk).
John Long’s, 39 Athol Street, Belfast BT12 4GX
A Belfast tradition for more than 100 years, serving fresh fried fish suppers and homemade pasties (minced vegetables battered, Belfast style, not Cornish) in a traditional boothed dining room (johnlongs.com).
Frankie’s Fish and Chips, Brae, Shetland ZE2 9QJ
At the UK’s most northerly fish and chip shop expect rope-grown mussels various ways, langoustines and scallops, a breakfast menu, haggis puddings, chips with local cheese – and stretching vistas (frankiesfishandchips.com).
Maggie’s Café, 8-9 Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW
Head to the beach, by the black net huts, to a dining room looking out over the boats that only hours before may have unloaded the fish you’re about to eat (maggiesfishandchips.co.uk).
The Carron, 1 Allardice Street, Stonehaven AB39 2BN
The origin story of legends is often hotly debated, but it’s thought the Mars bar was first deep-fried on this site in 1992 (carronfishbar.com).
Caersws Fish Bar, Station Road, Caersws, Powys SY17 5EQ
A favourite of Gareth Ward, who holds two Michelin stars at Ynyshir. The owner is a preserver/forager/experimenter, so as well as the usual suspects, Tim Harrison specials might include a bhaji burger kombucha-tempura cockles, or elderflower fritters (caerswsfishbar.com).
• This article was amended on 2 June 2024. Lighthouse Fisheries of Flamborough is on High Street in Flamborough, not Bridlington as an earlier version of the address listing indicated.
