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Fryer's Delight

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Amanda
Amanda
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4 out of 5
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3
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Editor Pick

Fryer's Delight

  • April 6, 2008
  • Rated 4 of 5 by callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Fryer's Delight

Time was, you couldn’t avoid fish and chips at mealtime in London. You can still scare up an order, but any number of sources will tell you that a deep-fried filet served along side ‘french fries’ in a newsprint-lined paper basket is more likely to be a nod and a wink to the past than the real thing. Curry, noodles and pizza have nearly overtaken all of London for quick, inexpensive meals.

But not quite everywhere. Several books, including Time Out’s authoritative Cheap Eats in London, recommended The Fryer’s Delight as one of the last of a vanishing breed—the ‘chippie’, specializing in fish & chips, plus anything else that might be served after a good long dunk in scalding-hot oil. After gamely trying to make the best of late Thursday hours at the British Museum, we finally surrendered to our sore feet and empty stomachs and took the short bus ride up Theobald’s Road for a final meal in London.

The restaurant is in Holborn, just a few bus stops east of the Museum. This is a real London neighborhood, filled with businesses that were largely closed when we arrived after 6 pm and absent any apparent tourist destination. It’s a storefront establishment, only about 20 feet wide and hardly any deeper. The setting feels like another era, with fading, framed newspaper clippings highlighting the restaurant, or fish and chips in general, mounted above the four red booths and their Formica tables. Across the aisle, three cooks work quickly in the fryers that you can’t see but you can quite clearly detect by other means. A single server works the booths, while another person runs the register and handles the takeaway trade. The owner (I’m guessing) completes the cast, greeting everyone as they come and go, and ‘supervising’. A lot of people around a lot of hot beef drippings (the fry oil of choice here).

But they clearly know what they’re doing. The menu is on a large wallboard, but if you’re dining in, you get another paper copy. If you’re not in the mood for fish, you might try either the quarter or half chicken, or deep fried sausage or pies. Otherwise, you’re out of luck (and why were you here in the first place, anyways?) Three of us went for haddock; I chose cod, and my youngest ordered the quarter chicken. All of it came quickly, and was fresh, hot, and delicious. The chips were the best we had in London: crisp on the outside, but still moist inside. The servings were generous, and reasonably priced: even with the substantial VAT added for eating in, my cod was just over £6; the haddock just under, and the chicken was cheapest at £4.10. Add in five sodas (I recommend the ginger beer) and tip, and five of us had a great meal and great experience for exactly £36.

Takeaway prices are unbelievably cheap: roughly £3.50 for any of the fish choices. It was a great finish to our final day in London, and we headed back to the hotel satisfied, ready (if not willing) for the melancholy task of packing up.

Directions
The Fryer’s Delight is on the south side of Theobald’s Road, which becomes Bloomsbury Way to the west and Clerkenwell Road to the east. The restaurant is just east of Red Lion St, and a short walk from either the 38 or 19 buses. If you’re coming by tube, it’s roughly equidistant from the Holborn and Chancery Lane stations on the Central Line, no more than a quarter mile from each. If you’re coming from the British Museum, it’s no more than a 15-minute walk.

From journal London Necessities

Fryer's Delight

  • March 10, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Hissince76 from Denver, North Carolina
Fryer's Delight

While in London, we thought it necessary to find a decent fish-and-chips place. Fryer's Delight did not disappoint!!! My husband had the fish-and-chips (LARGE PORTIONS), while I opted for the beef pie (with lots of HP sauce!) and chips. We were both VERY happy with our choices. The atmosphere was reminiscent of our diners here in the US, with vinyl booth cushions and metal tables. You would definitely NOT dine here for the atmosphere, but the food was great! The prices were also very good. You could easily dine for under US$10 per person for your meal and a drink. We're so glad we took a friend's suggestion to eat here!

From journal London in 12 Hours

Editor Pick

Fryer's Delight

  • November 27, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Amanda from London, United Kingdom
Fish and chips is a great British tradition - and this place does it both well and cheaply. Cod, chips, and a cup of tea will set you back just under a fiver here, and less (about £3) if you have it wrapped up in paper (lots of salt and vinegar) to take-away.

This is in many ways a typical fish and chip shop - the cooking area goes on down once side of it, behind a counter, and there are 5 tables with benches the other side. When you go in, go to the counter to order for take away, and sit down for service if eating in. On the menu are things like cod, haddock, skate, various pies (cheese and onion, beef, etc), sausages and rolls, all with chips. There are also the traditional side dishes of picked gherkins and onions, bread and butter, and tea, and well as soft drinks and coffee.

This is a good, friendly, busy place to try a traditional British meal.

From journal Eating in central London

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