London is known for many things: tall buildings, fast-paced locals, extremely overpriced pints of beer. But, unfortunately for some, it’s been a while since fried fish, chunky chips and mushy peas made that list. 

In the National Fish and Chip Awards earlier this year, only one London chippy was nominated. But Stones Fish and Chips in Acton came home empty handed, losing out to chip shops in Wales, Glastonbury and Darlington, to name but a few. This miserable result for the capital led many to believe that London’s well and truly lost the art of deep-fried fish and vinegar-soaked chip butties. Or has it? 

Betway (the online gambling company and, apparently, now chip shop connoisseur) recently embarked on a mission to discover which of the UK’s many fish and chip shops is the best. It did this by gathering data from Google, TripAdvisor and Instagram, and analysing the findings to come up with a most-popular list. 

Fish Lounge in Brixton Hill, an unassuming establishment nestled between barber shops, came out on top. Along with Scottish fish and chip joint East Coast in Musselburgh, Fish Lounge was officially named the UK’s most popular destination for one of the nation’s most-loved dishes. 

Fish Lounge may be the most popular, but does that actually make it the best? The people of TripAdvisor favour it highly, according to research undertaken by Betway. Reviews rave about the service, the food and the friendly vibe. The restaurant has been awarded a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on the platform. However, the esteemed 2024 National Fish and Chip awards either missed the memo, or just didn’t think it was all that great, as Brixton Hill’s Fish Lounge failed to even shortlist at this year’s awards ceremony.  

So, the age-old debate about which of the capital’s many chippies is the best remains ongoing. You can find out more about trying Fish Lounge for yourself on the chippy’s Facebook page – or why not tuck in at Time Out’s favourite London fish and chip shops?

Did you see that a big section of the London Overground will close this summer?

Plus: this Mayfair bar has launched a £220 cocktail.

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