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The five best seaside fish and chip shops in the UK

Fish and chips: heaven wrapped in newspaper - This content is subject to copyright.
Fish and chips: heaven wrapped in newspaper - This content is subject to copyright.

Few things encapsulate the British seaside like the furious sizzle of a slab of cod in a deep fryer. There are, of course, other things which are eternally tied to a day somewhere on the sand or shingle which lines the UK's 776 miles of coastline – long piers jutting into the water, candyfloss, amusement arcades, a reasonable chance of rain. But none of them are so evocative that you can practically taste them when you picture them. Think of fish and chips, and that alliance of seafood and potatoes could be right in front of you.

The British fish-and-chip shop is a national institution unrepeated anywhere else on the planet – especially the seaside version, where the mild threat of seagull swoooping down to peck at your lunch never quite fades. No other country has this relationship with cod (or haddock, plaice, scallops or scampi) – serving it entombed in batter, showered in salt and doused in vinegar, and eaten out of paper wrappings with a fork so small, blunt and wooden that it is scarcely fit for purpose. Add in a portion of mushy peas – not the firm, rounded spheres which emerge from pods, but a gloopy near-mashed version of them in a lurid green sauce – and you have a meal which, at first glance, makes no sense. It is not health food, certainly. But that is the point. It is delicious, fun, and gloriously British. And eating it is to devour a little slice of the country's soul. 

Here are five of the best seaside fish-and-chip shops...

1. Aldeburgh Fish & Chips

Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Pinned to the Suffolk coast, this piscatorial hotspot first flung wide its doors in 1967. It has expanded in the subsequent half-century – it also owns the Golden Galleon and Upper Deck eateries in the same town. But it is the original Aldeburgh Fish & Chips that claims pride of place – a street-corner takeaway on the High Street (01728 452 250; aldeburghfishandchips.co.uk) where culinary adventurers can buy rock eel as well as cod.

2. The Magpie Cafe

Whitby, North Yorkshire

Whitby in North Yorkshire might be best known for its connection with the Dracula story, but it is also celebrated for the Magpie Cafe (01947 602 058; magpiecafe.co.uk) – a temple to fish and chips that celebrity chef Rick Stein once described as “the place that opened my eyes to how good a fish shop could be”. It has been operating since 1937, and is so popular that queues for its products are frequently seen stretching out onto the street.

Britain's 40 best beaches – according to our experts
Britain's 40 best beaches – according to our experts

3. D. Fecci & Sons

Tenby, Pembrokeshire

Down on Pembrokeshire's south shore, D. Fecci & Sons claims an even longer pedigree – this stalwart of the Welsh seaside (Lower Frog Street; 01834 842 484) has been frying since 1935. Unusually for such an emporium, it offers its customers the very rare alternative of gluten-free batter, made of ground rice and potato. If this sounds a little too much like health food, traditionalists can rest assured that gloopy curry sauce is also sold.

Tenby - Credit: ALAMY
Tenby Credit: ALAMY

4. V. C. Jones

Whitstable, Kent

This increasingly chic town on the north Kent coast has a well-earned reputation for fine dining and fresh oysters, while its pebbled beach is a dream for an autumn stroll. But it also deals in the fundamentals of fish and chips via the likes of V.C. Jones (01227 272 703; vcjones.co.uk) – which has lit up Harbour Street since 1962. It varies the template little – but does offer cod roe and skate for those who feel like trying something different.

Whitstable is renowned for its oysters - Credit: ©david harding - stock.adobe.com/David Harding
Whitstable is renowned for its oysters Credit: ©david harding - stock.adobe.com/David Harding

5. Lyme's Fish Bar

Lyme Regis, Dorset

Lyme's Fish Bar is one of a number of possibilities for cod with all the trimmings in the Dorset resort town of Lyme Regis, and is sufficiently successful that it has two addresses. The main eatery is on Coombe Street (01297 442 375; lymesfishbar.com), but there is also a basic takeaway shack on the waterside drag of Marine Parade. For non-believers, there is even a vegetarian section to the menu which offers cheese-and-broccoli nuggets.