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London Fish & Chips Shops

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Stephen W

Stephen W

Posted
Posted
well it opens today so i guess not!!!!!!

Actually, it opened on Monday for takeaway and opens fully today. I like it, particularly the Pollock (£11.00 including chips), wasn't quite so keen on the Gurnard (£11.50 including chips) but then I like the main restaurant and Tom's Kitchen so I'm probably a bit biased in his favour.

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Stephen W

Stephen W

Posted
Posted (edited)
"Dos Hermanos" has - the food looks wonderful. (And so reasonable).

Yes, but then their dislike of all things Tom Aikens related might make you question the objectivity of the review.

As a quick "for instance", I note the comments about trying to find somewhere to sit. Anybody who knows the area will realise that the nearest seats (for about 12 people) are on the other side of the road to Tom's Place. Not exactly difficult to find.

Edited by Stephen W (log)
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algy

algy

Posted
Posted
"Dos Hermanos" has - the food looks wonderful. (And so reasonable).

Yes, but then their dislike of all things Tom Aikens related might make you question the objectivity of the review.

but the picture of the food might not: (unless it's been doctored, of course).

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Iestyn

Iestyn

Posted
Posted

My first post, trying to make this thread useful for visitors:

Masters has probably the best fish and chips somewhere semi-convenient, being close to Waterloo, the fish to eat in always seems a lot better than takeaway though, which is a little sneaky.

I think the other much touted central option, Rock & Sole Place in Covent Garden is pretty poor- small portions and greasy.

Fryer's Delight on Theobald Rd is central and does great chips in beef fat, dark and tasty, but their batter is poor and greasy.

In the less convenient places:

Faulkner's is as good as Masters, but is less convenient for tourists being in Dalston

Bradey's in Wandsworth is my favourite in London and I thoroughly recommend it, but probably not convenient for visitors.

Sea Cow (East Dulwich) is overrated but fine if your nearby.

Olley's is pretty good, but not up there with Bradey's or Masters, and pretty expensive for the middle of nowhere, not worth the trip out.

As you can probably tell, I'm south of the river, I haven't tried Two Brothers as so far away- do you think its worth the trip?

I also haven't tried Fish Club (Clapham) or Golden Hinde, both of which are firmly on my to do list.

Anywhere I've missed?

Eating out in the Capital, blog
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naebody

naebody

Posted
Posted
Geales in Notting Hill.

No. Stay away. It's crap, overpriced, mean, cynical and pointless.

I've nothing against this movement to save fish & chips from the depths of the kebab shop freezer. What I find offensive is this idea that the likes of Hollinhead and Aikens are somehow rescuing the form. They're not. They're just questing around for a scaleable business plan to push veblen food at aspirational markups. We're being played as brand-obsessed simpletons, and I for one hope they both crash and burn.

If you want a proper Blackpool-grade fish & chips, go to Fryer's Delight in Holborn. If you want Blackpool-grade fish & chips served in fittingly threadbare splendour, try Sam’s in Golders Green. And if you want posh fish & chips, just bite the bullet and go to J Sheekey.

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Romaney O'Malley

Romaney O'Malley

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Posted

Has anyone tried the fish and chips next to Fish restaurant in Borough Market? I have been giving it a wide berth because I'm not sure whether it's attached to the restaurant next door which is pretty dire in my experience. But I have to say its doesn't look too bad from first glance

BTW - If there weren't so many other mouth wateringly good things to eat I would have tried it myself but it's stiff competition

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Zoticus

Zoticus

Posted
Posted
Geales in Notting Hill.

I've nothing against this movement to save fish & chips from the depths of the kebab shop freezer. What I find offensive is this idea that the likes of Hollinhead and Aikens are somehow rescuing the form. They're not. They're just questing around for a scaleable business plan to push veblen food at aspirational markups. We're being played as brand-obsessed simpletons, and I for one hope they both crash and burn.

This may be true, but it doesn't follow that this is:

No. Stay away. It's crap, overpriced, mean, cynical and pointless.

Fish and Chips is essentially simple to prepare, hence when it's done wrong it's obvious, and when it's done right it's obvious too. If there's one thing that a decent chef can bring to such simplicity is install a system whereby it's done right most of the time.

Geale's got right before its new owners, and continues to do so now. I couldn't give a monkey's about who gets it right, just as long as it is right.

Oddly, you seem to be more worried about who's going to get your money than what you're paying for.

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naebody

naebody

Posted
Posted (edited)
Oddly, you seem to be more worried about who's going to get your money than what you're paying for.

No - that's not true. Numerous posts previous will show that I'm a big fan of Aikens, while I have no particular view on Hollihead. This isn't anti-celeb. Neither is it class war.

Just to clarify:

1) I consider Geales crap because, in my experience, the quality dropped to somewhere between middling and mediocre as soon as the last reviewer had filed expenses. This may reflect the limitations of working for an absentee boss, or it could be because of the rather peculiar Notting Hill demographic. Maybe the brigade is having to work so sharply below ability that it has come to treat the enterprise with a certain amount of contempt. In truth, I don't really care about the reasons. I just don't think the food is up to scratch.

2) I consider it overpriced because a single fish, a shot glass of chips and some babyfood costs £13 plus 12.5% service charge. And I consider it mean because ... well, look at the website's "what's on offer" page and then convince me that's good value.

3) I consider it pointless because, when you get into the £25-a-head bracket, there are already a hundred places doing convenience food such as fish and chips to an acceptable standard. It's the sub-£10 bracket that has all-but vanished from central London over the past decade.

4) I consider it cynical because, as you rightly point out, a good plate of fish and chips does not require a good chef. We can probably assume Aikens and Hollihead won't be manning the wire traps of a Saturday night, so whatever skill or technique they lend to the enterprise must be limited to menu writing and process designing. Yet, as you rightly point out, anybody who gives a toss about the product can get these things right all by themselves inside ten minutes.

I accept that having a high-achieving chef on board may lead to a better quality control. But there's no evidence of that happening (see point one).

All the points above lead me to conclude that their involvement can only be to attach a premium brand to a basic product in order to squeeze out a higher profit margin. It's no different from Adidas by Stella McCartney, an LG Prada phone or an Anya Hindmarch carrier bag. (And I don't think it's classist to point out that Geales' customers tend to wear Adidas by Stella McCartney and carry LG Prada phones in their Anya Hindmarch carrier bags.)

Edited by naebody (log)
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Zoticus

Zoticus

Posted
Posted

You're mixing up a whole lot of arbitrary prejudices. Again, I repeat, regardless of who runs it/whether they make money from it/ what shoes or phones the clients use, it does not follow that Geales is 'crap'.

It may be that you'd prefer a chippie run by deserving orphan Iraqi amputees, which is your prerogative, but Geales is neither poor quality nor over-priced even if it is run to model which you personally dislike.

It's a chippie ffs.

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naebody

naebody

Posted
Posted (edited)
Surely, Aitkens new venture should be called 'Tom's Plaice'.

Do these people know-nothing?

Perhaps there's a moratorium on pun names after the genre was perfected by Fishcoteque (opposite Waterloo Station).

Edited by naebody (log)
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Tim Hayward

Tim Hayward

Posted
Posted

Maybe it's just me but I'm absolutely staggered by the amount of coverage Aikens shite-awful chippie is getting.

From the amount of PR activity you'd almost imagine they were looking for a scaleable model for a wider rollout.

What are we going to moan about when there's no room left on our High Streets for McDs and KFCs because they're too full of Ramsay gastropubs, Carluccios delis and Aikens bloody chippies?

Tim Hayward

"Anyone who wants to write about food would do well to stay away from

similes and metaphors, because if you're not careful, expressions like

'light as a feather' make their way into your sentences and then where are you?"

Nora Ephron

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Tim Hayward

Tim Hayward

Posted
Posted
Maybe it's just me but I'm absolutely staggered by the amount of coverage Aikens shite-awful chippie is getting.

Is it really 'shite-awful', or is this just Hayward-hyperbole?

Shite-average?

Tim Hayward

"Anyone who wants to write about food would do well to stay away from

similes and metaphors, because if you're not careful, expressions like

'light as a feather' make their way into your sentences and then where are you?"

Nora Ephron

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