Few meals are so loved – or so quintessentially British – as fish and chips. Whether you're hiding your paper-wrapped package from seagulls by the coast or enjoying a chip-filled cone in a city, the meal holds a special place in the British culinary canon. With this in mind, we've found the best places in every region around the UK for a portion – from chippies that dole out warm, satisfyingly greasy paper parcels to restaurants serving battered cod on actual plates.

Read on for our ultimate list of the top fish and chip shops in Britain, counting down to the best of all – has your local made the cut?

We've based our ranking on the reviews, awards and accolades of each fish and chip shop, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Wolverhampton institution Majors is best known for its unique orange chips, a Black Country speciality of potatoes deep fried in a thick, orange-coloured batter. The secret recipe differs from chippy to chippy, but usually contains paprika and/or turmeric, giving the potatoes a spicy kick. Food lovers travel from miles around to taste the unusual delicacy at Major’s, alongside the restaurant’s perfectly crispy cod and tasty gravy.

Fisherman’s Pier Fish & Chip Van is the ideal location for a cheap and very cheerful lunch. It's positioned on the Tobermory waterfront, so you can enjoy perfectly seasoned fish and chips while gazing out over the water. There are places to sit by the clock tower and the lobster creels, or you can perch on the monument steps overlooking the harbour. The van holds a respected Les Routiers Award too, thanks to its policy of using only the freshest and best quality fish and scallops and cooking them to order. 

Pier Point Restaurant & Bar prides itself on providing good quality food, keeping a modest menu so that each dish is fried to perfection. Everything is sustainably sourced – to the extent that the restaurant claims to know which trawler brought in the fish and where the potatoes were grown. Situated opposite Torquay's marina, this spot provides spectacular views across the bay, so you can sit back and watch the sunset as you feast.

Enjoy exceptional service and warm hospitality at Fish City, a lively, award-winning seafood restaurant in the heart of Belfast. Its daytime menu offers a vast selection; alongside its famous fish and chips are choices like barbecue prawns, seafood linguine and roast chicken. Fish City prides itself on its sustainability, too, with all its cod, haddock and hake certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and all other fish species responsibly sourced.

A quirky chippy with an Italian twist, The Golden Hind is a London legend that's been serving stunning food in the heart of Marylebone since 1914. Its extensive menu features everything from burrata salad and breaded mozzarella to sticky toffee pudding, but it's the perfectly made fish and chips that attracts tourists and locals in their droves. The restaurant has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and you can also order your food to take away.

Seahouses is a coastal village known for its seafood, and Lewis’s Fish Restaurant is its top spot for proper fish and chips, cooked the traditional way. This rustic shop was named among the UK’s best by The Times and is particularly praised for the freshness of its fish. The family-run restaurant even catches its own crabs and lobsters, which are served in popular daily specials like loaded crab fries and deep-fried lobster bites.

Doc’s Fish & Chips is a takeaway and café that offers a wide range of comfort foods from classic fish and chips to more obscure dishes like honey chilli chicken and Asian noodle stir-fries. There's a whole host of different menus, including one for curry night, but you just can't beat the award-winning fish and chips. Fried in beef dripping, the chips have a unique, utterly delicious flavour and texture.

The Cod's Scallops is a chippy with a difference, offering up to 20 species of fresh fish and shellfish each day – served either fried in the traditional way or baked with garlic, lemon and herbs. The restaurant has five branches across Nottingham and was named the UK’s best fish and chip shop in the National Fish and Chip Awards 2020. It’s fully licensed too, so you can enjoy cold drinks with your fish supper.

Sutton & Sons' family-run chip shops have been providing Londoners with authentic fish and chip meals since 2008. All produce is freshly sourced from day boats and the menu changes regularly to showcase the latest catch. Sutton & Sons is also famous for its incredible vegan options, from ‘fish’ made from marinated banana blossom to vegan sausages, pies and burgers.

Located on buzzy Bold Street in the centre of Liverpool, this lively, family-friendly restaurant is loved by locals for its Chinese takeaway–inspired salt and pepper chips and fish bites. Fans say the fish is white, flaky and perfectly crisp, with no hint of greasiness, and praise the chippy's very generous portions and affordable prices.

Morton's is a great, chilled-out lunch option for those touring the Causeway Coast – enjoy your chips to take away, or eat them in the shop's covered, heated seating area. It’s known far and wide for its light and crispy gluten-free batter, so it tends to be pretty bustling. Customers recommend calling ahead to avoid the queue.

Plassey Fish Bar is the place to get your hook into a hefty portion of fish and chips. Customers say the enormous sizes represent brilliant value for money. There’s also an incredible gluten-free menu, with more than 20 items to choose from. From classic cod, haddock, plaice, hake and sea bass to other takeaway classics like chicken curry with rice, it's all delicious.

You’d certainly struggle to miss this colourful takeaway and restaurant on Weymouth’s harbourside. Established in 1989, Bennett's Fish & Chips has gathered a loyal following over the years for its chip shop favourites. On the menu, classics like pies and cod and chips sit happily alongside coconut-coated king prawns and Louisiana chilli–spiced chips, while Bennett’s famous mackerel bap – made with locally caught mackerel and served with tartare or horseradish sauce – is hugely popular too.

If you’re seeking moist, flaky fish coated in a natural, additive and preservative-free batter, look no further than Auckley Friery. The restaurant's passion for perfecting traditional fish and chips has elevated this dish into something magnificent. The chips are double fried to give a delicious crispy exterior and fluffy interior. Savour every bite and enjoy some house-made garlic mayonnaise or herby tartare sauce on the side.

Sea & Earth not only serves incredible fish and chips, but it strives to do so in the most ethical way possible. The produce is sourced locally, and the restaurant ensures that all the boats it buys from are fishing sustainably. It also has lots of brilliant vegan options, including banana blossom and mock scampi and meals are packaged in fully recyclable containers. You'll also find locations in Staffordshire and Loughborough.

Finney’s @ The Golden Fry prides itself on being an ethical fish and chip shop with great family values. It uses quality produce that's sustainable and local when possible and its packaging is now biodegradable or recyclable, too. The light and fluffy fish batter here is also, surprisingly, gluten-free.

The charming coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea is the perfect location to enjoy fish and chips by the coast and locals rave about French’s Fish Shop, which has been in business for more than 100 years. The concise menu is a traditional affair, so expect fluffy chips, delicious mushy peas and perfectly cooked cod encased in light, crispy batter. The queues can be long at weekends and during holidays, but service is speedy and the prices are excellent, so it’s worth the wait.

Tailend is a family-run fish bar and restaurant that's been operational for four generations. Owned by fish merchants, it serves some of the freshest local produce Scotland has to offer. This also means that its menu changes seasonally to include ingredients such as hake, halibut, langoustines, lobster, plaice, lemon sole, cod and monkfish (to name a few). Tailend offers a truly unforgettable experience and is loved by pretty much everyone who visits.

The Real Food Café is an award-winning roadside diner that serves excellent fish and chips, salads, soups and baked goods. It's a great family-friendly spot that also caters for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets and even offers treats for furry companions. It's the perfect place to stop and dive into a hearty portion of battered fish while your pup chews on a bone-shaped dog biscuit. 

The Merchant Fish & Chip Shop in Ballymena sticks to proper fish and chips. In 2021, the chippy was crowned Northern Ireland’s Best Fish and Chip Shop, and customers can't get enough of its comforting fare. The atmosphere is always friendly, the portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable. There are some great value lunch specials, too.

This casual family-run eatery on Birmingham’s canal specialises in all manner of house-made British classics, from Sunday roasts to hearty full English breakfasts – but it has a particular following for its sensational beer-battered cod and chips, served with mushy peas, tartare sauce and a big pile of bread and butter (for that all-important chip butty). 

Hiks had humble beginnings as a chip shop van. It's come a long way since then, thanks to perseverance and practically perfect fish and chips. Hiks has now expanded to take over the building next to its original site, giving it a capacity of around 40 seats. Even though the size of the establishment has doubled, the level of customer care – and the restaurant's focus on freshness – have stayed the same. Cod is still cooked fresh to order, resulting in flaky fish and crispy batter.

John Long’s is the oldest still-operating fish and chip shop in Belfast, serving the city for over a century. It’s become so entrenched in Belfast’s culture that some put it up there with landmarks like Linen Hall Library and the Crown Liquor Saloon. John Long’s is anything but set in its ways, though. It's continuously developing its menu and now offers an incredible selection of gluten-free options like chilli cod, lemon haddock and smoked hake. 

Not only is Frankie’s Fish & Chips the UK’s northernmost fish and chip shop – it’s also one of the best. It took top spot in the 2015 National Fish and Chip Awards thanks to its use of premium quality seafood, delivered fresh from the local market each morning. The café offers indoor seating for when the sun isn’t shining; otherwise, the establishment is perfectly positioned for great views across the water.

Located just a short walk from Aldeburgh’s pretty shingle beach, this family-run shop has been in business since 1967. To make its exceptional fish and chips, it uses fresh fish from the East Coast and delicious local potatoes are fried in beef dripping. The chippy also has two sister spots in the town: The Golden Galleon, which has a bigger menu with pies and burgers, and The Upper Deck restaurant, where you can dine in. For the full Aldeburgh experience, grab your feast and eat it perched on the sea wall.

Môr Ffein Llandudoch has taken over the establishment formerly known as Bowen’s Chip Shop, bringing some fresh decoration and a modern twist to the menu. There's a great selection of fish, meat and pies and some decent vegetarian choices too. Customers also recommend the house-made cheesecake, which is wonderfully light and fluffy.

Hunt’s Traditional Fish & Chips is famous in the local area (and beyond) for its incredible fish and chips. The food is top quality as it's all fried fresh to order and the portion sizes are huge. Expect to wait, as it's reassuringly busy. As well as top-quality fish and chips, Hunt’s is also known for its chicken sliders, served in an Italian roll with cheese slices, salad and sauce.

The Quayside Restaurant & Fish Bar has picturesque, panoramic views over Gourdon harbour and the North Sea. Take your fish and chips to go (at your own risk! We wouldn’t want you dropping a single fluffy chip under a seagull attack) and sit on the harbour wall, or enjoy inside the 52-seat capacity restaurant. Alongside its vast seasonal menu, the Quayside also offers a specials board which changes daily depending on the catches from Catterline, Johnshaven or Gourdon.

This modern fish and chip shop has gathered several awards since opening in 2004 and has two mobile fish and chip vans that tour the towns and villages of Cumbria's beautiful Eden Valley on different days of the week. The focus is traditional cod and chips, but you’ll also find delicious gourmet burgers and creative vegetarian sides (think cheese and onion fritters and halloumi spring rolls).

Gaze out over the harbour while enjoying fresh, locally sourced, sustainable fish and chips at the Anstruther Fish Bar. This multi-award-winning spot has a vast selection, from classics like haddock and chips to Pittenweem prawns in breadcrumbs. Got a sweet tooth? Customers also recommend the luxury dairy ice cream, made with the best Scottish milk and cream.

Newington Fish Bar opened in 1980 and was the first chippy in Kent to achieve the prestigious five-star quality award from The Seafish Authority. This spot's friendly staff and delicious food have earned it fiercely loyal customers. Whether you choose to dine in or take your meal home with you, you can be sure your fish and chips will be fresh and tasty.

The Oban Fish & Chip Shop offers a wide variety of fish, including sole, sea bass and hake, all caught locally and brought in fresh each morning from Oban’s south pier. Its cod and haddock come from sustainable fish stocks in Norwegian waters, approved by the Marine Stewardship Council. For something different, try your chips alongside some battered haggis.

Fisherman’s Bay sources its fish and potatoes locally – and it shows in the taste and texture of its wonderfully fresh battered fish and fluffy-on-the-inside chips. It occupies a prime spot on the seafront and friendly staff give the place a wonderfully warm, welcoming feel (so it’s no wonder Fisherman’s Bay won a Good Food Award in 2022). There's also a selection of vegan options, from sausages to pea fritters.

Occupying the site of a former Chinese restaurant, Fish Kitchen 1854 has been renovated into a modern neighbourhood hangout. It's loved for its delicious fish and chips, of course, and has also been praised by customers for its friendly, efficient service. The spot was named runner-up at the 2023 National Fish and Chip Awards.

Since it opened back in 1982, Henninghan’s Top Shop has become a cherished part of the community of Machynlleth. Even though the fish and chip shop is more than 40 years old, the family-run business hasn't lost any of its original enthusiasm. The takeaway has achieved several industry awards, including the top spot in the National Fish and Chip Awards in 2017. It's partly down to the lightning-quick, friendly service – but mostly down to the perfectly prepared fish and chips.

Fish doesn’t get fresher than the tasty morsels served up at Maggie's Fish & Chips, a charming café nestled among Hastings Old Town's iconic fishing huts with beautiful views of the harbourfront. Cod and haddock are sourced directly from the market below the eatery and fried to order. There's also an array of delicious desserts, including the house-made lemon posset with shortbread.

A trip to Whitby isn’t complete without a visit to the Magpie Café. Visitors will notice that there's always a queue outside the door, whatever the weather. Its popularity is due to its incredibly fresh fish, which is cooked perfectly in a light batter. The café has won multiple awards, including the Food Awards England 2023's Best Seafood Establishment in the North, and is a favourite of chef Rick Stein. 

Situated in Largs, directly on the promenade with fantastic views of the West Coast of Scotland – including Cumbrae, Arran and Bute – The Fish Works is an excellent spot for traditional haddock encased in the lightest and fluffiest of batters. Taking third place at the 2024 National Fish and Chip Awards, the restaurant prides itself on sourcing fish locally and using recyclable packaging. Its menu has extensive options for everyone, including people with gluten intolerances (their choices can be made to order in a separate gluten-free pan). The portions are enormous, too.

This small, family-run chippy battered the competition to be crowned Takeaway of the Year at the 2023 National Fish and Chip Awards. Whitehead's – named for the family that still runs it – has been a favourite spot for locals in Hornsea, near Hull, for decades, with customers praising everything from the light, crispy batter to the fluffy chips. The restaurant has inside seating, though most customers tend to take their battered haddock and chips to the nearby beach.

Chips @ No.8 has a ceramic-tiled interior that gives the place an old-school feel, brightened by some lovely modern touches. Owner Dan Edwards has managed to elevate the shop's fish and chip offering by ensuring everything is fresh as can be, from the fish caught every morning by local merchants to the peas – which are served suitably mushy.

This stunning beachside spot is worth a visit for its breathtaking views of Gorran Haven’s turquoise waters alone. Happily, the food is just as impressive; its varied menu has everything from stacked burgers to super-fresh gurnard and lemon sole sourced from around the corner in Mevagissey. Fans say the staff are passionate, knowledgeable and always welcoming.

Winner of the coveted Takeaway of the Year category at The National Fish and Chip Awards 2024, this family-run spot really is something special. Customers rave about Ship Deck's vast portion sizes, which represent great value for money. The fish is fresh and crispy, not greasy, and the alternative options, such as the onion rings, burgers and calamari, are great too. Don't miss out on the incredible house-made curry sauce; you'll wish you ordered gallons of the stuff.

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Last updates by Lottie Woodrow.