Best Fish and Chips in the UK: Our Top 5 Chippies Ranked
We've eaten at over 20 fish and chip shops across England, Scotland and Wales. Here's our honest top five, the history behind the dish, and the regional topping debate settled once and for all.
Best Fish and Chips in the UK: Our Top 5 Chippies Ranked
We've eaten at over 20 fish and chip shops across England, Scotland and Wales. Here's our honest top five, the history behind the dish, and the regional topping debate settled once and for all.
Kalani Smith & Savannah Smith
April 11, 2026
The Ultimate Fish and Chips Edition: Our Top Five Chippies in the UK. (so far)
This edition brought to you by Lou’s Brews (click the logo to check out Lou’s Hot Sauces)
Before We Get to the Rankings
We have eaten at over 20 fish and chip shops to bring you this list. There was arguing, there was debating, and there was way too much batter consumed. But we finally locked in our top five, and we are not just throwing a list at you. We want you to understand why we chose what we chose, so stick with us. We have got history, a regional topping breakdown, a quick-fire round, and yes — the rankings are waiting at the end.
A Dish With More History Than You Think
Jewish immigrants brought deep-fried fish to Britain from Spain and Portugal through a dish called pescado frito. By the 1860s someone had the idea to pair it with chips. Who exactly? That is still a debate nobody has settled. London's Joseph Malin and Lancashire's John Lees are both in the running and it might genuinely stay that way forever.
Two World Wars hit, rationing covered nearly everything and yet fish and chips stayed on the menu the entire time. Churchill called it "the good companions." British troops used "fish" and "chips" as a call and response to identify each other on the battlefield. That wasn't just food — it was morale.
The Numbers That Show How Big This Really Is
10,500 chip shops in the UK — eight times more than McDonald's.
382 million meals eaten from chip shops every year.
£1.2 billion spent annually.
Over 1.6 million tonnes of potatoes turned into chips each year — the same weight as 14,000 blue whales.
The Great UK Topping Debate
Salt and vinegar everywhere, always, no argument needed. But after that it gets very messy very fast.
According to YouGov's survey of over 36,000 people, the South goes for ketchup, the North and Midlands are mushy pea territory, Yorkshire is firmly gravy country, Wales goes for curry sauce, and Edinburgh has chippy sauce — brown sauce mixed with vinegar, defended by locals like it's sacred ground.
For the record, chippy sauce is very vinegary and we are not complaining about that at all. It also works brilliantly on a pizza crunch if you ever get the chance.
Two lists. One married couple. Completely different results. That tells you everything about how personal fish and chips really is.
🍟 Kalani’s Top Five
#5 — Colmans Fish & Chips 🌊
📍 176 Ocean Road, South Shields NE33 2JQ
🌐 colmansfishandchips.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gML8pF/
Great chips, great people — and we genuinely consider the folks here friends 🤝
Colmans doesn’t use beef dripping, which is what keeps it at five for me personally, but the quality is undeniable. The atmosphere by the South Shields seafront makes it a genuinely lovely experience. Worth every visit.
#4 — Ruben’s Golden Fry 🔥
📍 5 Carlingford Road, Chester-le-Street DH2 3EH
🌐 rubensgoldenfry.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMBucu/
A solid stop — and one we both ended up putting on our lists independently, which tells you everything. The owner is a great guy.
Consistently good every single time. No drama, just quality 👌
Kalani, Pops, and Dylan enjoying Ruben’s Golden Fry
#3 — Anstruther Fish Bar 🏆
📍 42 Shore Street, Anstruther, Fife KY10 3AQ
🌐 anstrutherfishbar.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMNc45/
A legendary Scottish chippy right on the harbourfront ⚓
Award Winning Fish and Chips— and it earns every bit of that reputation. Eating outside with the harbor right in front of you is hard to beat.
#2 — Davy’s Fried Fish (Beamish Museum) 🕰️
📍 Beamish Museum, County Durham DH9 0RG
🌐 beamish.org.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMFJrD/
This is a full experience.
Coal-fired range from 1934 🔥 — you can smell it the moment you walk in.
Fish served in newspaper-style paper 📰, beef dripping, staff in period costume.
It feels like stepping back in time… and the food is genuinely brilliant. There is nothing else like it in the country.
Kalani and his nephew Dylan enjoying Davy’s Fish and Chips
#1 — Royal Fisheries 👑
📍 48 Baxtergate, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 1BL
🌐 royalfisherieswhitby.co.uk
🎥 https://youtu.be/zq2INpRleik?si=ct9lcWXwHVUKaExI
Whitby is the mecca of fish and chips in England — and Royal Fisheries is exactly why.
Family-run since 1968 ❤️, loved by locals, and those crinkle-cut chips are something else entirely. Get the curry sauce. You will thank me.
It had to be number one.
Kalani and his Dad (Pops) enjoying a meal at Trencher’s in Whitby
🍟 Sav’s Top Five
#5 — Trenchers 👨👩👧👦
📍 New Quay Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 1DH
🌐 trenchersrestaurant.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMPUsd/
A proper Whitby institution that’s been going since 1980.
Great for families, award-winning, and always worth a visit when we’re in town ⭐
If Royal Fisheries has a queue… Trenchers will never let you down.
#4 — Ruben’s Golden Fry 🔥
📍 5 Carlingford Road, Chester-le-Street DH2 3EH
🌐 rubensgoldenfry.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMBucu/
The fish and chips are great — but the kebab on fries and garlic sauce deserve a serious mention 🌯
Both lists. Completely independently.
That’s not a coincidence.
#3 — Royal Fisheries 🍟
📍 48 Baxtergate, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 1BL
🌐 royalfisherieswhitby.co.uk
🎥 https://youtu.be/zq2INpRleik?si=ct9lcWXwHVUKaExI
Not greasy at all. Super crunchy batter.
Great curry sauce… and those crinkle-cut chips do something to you every single time 🤌
#2 — Anstruther Fish Bar ⚓
📍 42 Shore Street, Anstruther, Fife KY10 3AQ
🌐 anstrutherfishbar.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMNc45/
Also not greasy at all — the batter is genuinely special.
Sitting outside by the harbour while you eat turns it into a full experience 🌊
The harbor is right outside the door, and it’s a perfect setting.
Savannah standing outside of the Harbor by Anstruther
#1 — Colmans Fish & Chips 👑
📍 176 Ocean Road, South Shields NE33 2JQ
🌐 colmansfishandchips.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gML8pF/
Top spot. No debate.
Consistently incredible quality, great atmosphere, and just one of those places that gets everything right every single time ❤️
This is where the debate really starts. Sav's number one is Kalani's number five. The crunchies, the consistency, the history. Family run since 1905 and you can taste it. For Sav, nothing else comes close.
Kalani enjoying the Fish and Chips at Colmans Seafood Temple
⭐ Honourable Mentions
These didn’t make either Top Five — but they are absolutely worth knowing about.
Toll Bar Fish & Chips 🏡
📍 The Dale, Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire S32 4TF
🌐 tollbarfishandchips.com
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTkDREdh2/
Possibly the smallest chippy we’ve ever been in.
Old toll building, stream next door, Peak District setting 🌿
Small spot — big quality.
Murgatroyds 🍽️
📍 Harrogate Road, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7BN
🌐 murgatroyds.co.uk
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMUApB/
Large, saloon-style restaurant near Leeds Bradford Airport ✈️
Massive portions and a full Yorkshire institution.
Jones’s Fish & Chip Shop & Cafe 🐉
📍 43 St George’s Crescent, Wrexham LL13 8DB
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gMA5RE/
Serving since 1931 — one of the longest-running chippies in Wales on the same site.
Classic, reliable, and run by genuinely great people.
George-a-Green Fisheries 🐟
📍 89 George-a-Green Road, Lupset, Wakefield WF2 8HA
A proper old-school Yorkshire chippy.
Known for frying in beef dripping, big portions, and no-frills execution.
One of those places where… if you know, you know.
🇬🇧 A Note on Wales and Northern Ireland
We haven’t explored as many Welsh or Northern Ireland chippies as we’d like — yet.
If you’ve got one we should try, tell us.
We take every recommendation seriously.
⚡ Quick Fire
Cod or haddock?
Sav: Cod… reluctantly 😅
Kalani: Haddock. Every time.
Thick or skinny chips?
Sav: Skinny 🍟
Kalani: Thick — but crispy or it’s ruined.
Mushy peas?
Sav: No ❌
Kalani: Yes — vinegar or mint sauce added in✅
Best eaten where?
Sav: By the beach 🌊
Kalani: Seaside… but Beamish is a special place for it too🕰️
✈️ What’s Next
We’re heading back to the UK on April 15 — and this time it’s all in-person reviews.
New spots, honest takes, and probably at least one chippy that reshuffles this entire list.
This is a living list.
If somewhere earns its place — it gets in.
Drop your Top Five in the comments 👇
We read every single one.
Thanks for reading.
Go get yourself a proper fish and chips. 🍟🐟
— Kalani & Sav
Kalani and Sav are a married couple who eat, travel and document everything along the way. From the best chippies in the UK to hidden food gems across the world, they share honest reviews and real recommendations. Follow their daily adventures on Facebook at Kalani Ghost Hunter and watch the long form videos over on their YouTube channel Kalani and Sav.
Kalani Ghost Hunter (Kalani Smith) and Savannah Smith
If you’re searching for the best chippys in the UK this guide covers some of the Top chippy spots across England, Scotland, and Wales — from famous locations like Whitby and Yorkshire to hidden gems in the Peak District and North Wales. We’ve visited over 20 UK fish and chip shops to put together our rankings, including well-known favourites like Anstruther Fish Bar, Colmans Fish & Chips in South Shields, Royal Fisheries in Whitby, Trenchers, and Ruben’s Golden Fry, as well as local institutions like Murgatroyds in Leeds, Toll Bar Fish & Chips in Derbyshire, Jones’s Fish & Chip Shop & Cafe in Wrexham, and George-a-Green Fisheries in Wakefield. Whether you’re looking for traditional British fish and chips, seaside chippies, or the best places to eat in the UK for classic takeaway food, this list highlights some of the most talked-about and consistently recommended fish and chip shops across the country.
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