Let’s Celebrate National Fish & Chip Day Today
You’d be hard pressed to think of anything more quintessentially English, other than our dear nonagenarian Queen Lizzie, than the ol’ takeaway of Fish & Chips.
The concept is simple enough – battered fish and crispy fried chips – and the fuss and bother of purchasing, sprinkling, squirting, devouring and discarding, minimal. And yet, how many of you know that today is National Fish & Chip Day? You didn’t did you? But, yes; today is NATIONAL FISH & CHIP DAY.
Now the question is, how many of you are going to rush out tonight in a hurry to your local chippy and walk away smelling of vinegar? We’d hazard a guess and say, not many. And we wouldn’t blame you either since the term quality is seldom associated with such joints.
This is particularly true across the Capital which, according to the Evening Standard, has failed to make the cut for this year’s National Fish & Chip Awards 2016 with not a single one being considered.
Now, we’re not sure who the powers that be are that determine the criteria for inclusion or exclusion, but there is a number of chippies that do still represent and stand for ‘quality’.
The only tentative barrier, for those of us who observe halal, is whether the batter used for the fish is beer- or animal fat-based. Fortunately though, there are a few in London that are good enough and halal enough to visit.
So in celebration of this day, Feed the Lion has done the hard work of whittling down the following four that fit said criteria. In no particular order:
The Golden Hind
In 2014, Golden Hind celebrated 100 years of providing fish suppers to its many customers in Marylebone.
They told us that they used ground nut oil and cook their fish separately from the chips.
With an extensive menu that seems to us to be entirely halal, and with positive reviews in other publications, this seems to be worth a visit.
73 Marylebone Lane
London
W1U 2PN
Opening Hours: Lunch served noon-3pm Mon-Fri. Dinner served 6-10pm Mon-Sat
Nautilus
Courtesy of Dos Hermanos
This is an interesting one since in place of the traditional batter, matzo, or matzo and egg, bread crumb is used, with the oil of choice being groundnut (peanut).
Again, the food menu (though not the drink’s) appears to be entirely legit.
27-29 Fortune Green Rd, London NW6 1DU
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30-14:30, 16:30-22:00
Fish House
Courtesy of Metro.co.uk
From the inside, this seems like a modern, airy and fairly spacious little restaurant.
We were told that they use vegetarian-based batter and oil.
Their food menu seems to be completely fine; and they have two shops located in the east.
Victoria Park Village, 128 Lauriston Road, London, E9 7LH
East Village, 36-39 Victory Parade, London, E20 1FS
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 12:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-22:00
Cod Father
And finally, Cod Father, whom we reviewed here in 2014.
Oldfield Circus, Northolt, London, UB5 4RU
Opening Hours: Mon–Sat 11.30 – 22:00, Sun 12.00 – 21.00
