We've already told you about London's Top Indian and Top Italian, but it isn't just with other cuisines that the city's chefs shine – they also excel at fare that's uniquely British. So if you've been looking for the Top Fish 'n' Chips in town, we suggest you consider these spots from our newly released 2009 London Restaurants guide:
73 Marylebone Ln., W1; 020-7486 3644
If this Marylebone seafooder “feels like an institution” – it is: “since it opened in 1914”, it’s served “some of the freshest and best fish ’n’ chips” around; the “drab” decor’s enlivened by the “family atmosphere” and the “presence of an art deco fryer” (no longer used), so “the only negative is, no beer” (but “you can bring your own”).
7-8 Leigh St., WC1; 020-7387 5892
A “long-time favourite for sit-down fish ’n’ chips” (“if the fish were any fresher, they’d swim”), this Bloomsbury seafooder “off the beaten tourist path” is a “simple place, but good for the basics”; the “dated decor isn’t so bad given the back-dated prices.”
297-303 Regent's Park Rd., N3; 020-8346 0469
“Simple”, “flavourful” fish ’n’ chips and a “friendly”, “busy atmosphere” make it “worth the schlep to Finchley” and this seafood “institution”; but “good luck finding a table” as “it gets packed early on with a lively middle-aged crowd” who blot out the “tired-looking decor” with bottles of the house white (“a local secret” from the namesake “two brothers’ own vineyard”).
49-51 Lisson Grove, NW1; 020-7224 9000
It looks “nothing fancy” (“shabby” in truth) and “service is painfully slow”, but this Marylebone veteran offers the “quintessential London” experience of “perfectly fried fish accompanied by the typical” trimmings, like “top-notch chips” or “delicious mushy peas.”
39 Queen Victoria St., EC4; 020-7248 3062
The “unique old London fish-house atmosphere at this lunch-only City establishment” is “still packing ’em in after all these years” (120 to be precise); “expect elbow to elbow seating”, “waiters in white butcher’s aprons” and a seafood menu that’s “simple, but there’s no denying the quality”; however, they take no reservations, so “whether you can stand the wait is up to you.”
For more London Top Lists, click here.