Best fish & chips in Dublin

D3V!L

My go to fish and chip shop, Beshoffs in Howth is somewhat lacking these days. The chips are just about cooked and the fish / scampi are rubbery.

Can anyone suggest a decent fish and chipper anywhere in the county, preferably in a sea-side spot ?

humberklog

Crabby Joe's at the start of the pier in Howth.
Fish freshly dipped in batter. By far the best in Howth.

The Nal

Can't beat Burdock, Borza, Beshoffs.

Say Fish at the weekends in Dun Laoghaire is decent.

HeidiHeidi

The Fish Shack on Dun Laoghaire East Pier, it's a mobile offshoot of a chipper along the seafront down towards Sandycove (which I've never eaten in) - although I think I might have heard recently that they're gone bust/into administration, which makes me very sad if true.


Freshly cooked fish and real chips and gorgeous tartare sauce, on a blustery day after a walk on the pier, cannot be beaten.

odyssey06

Beshoffs Clontarf, assuming they have kept up the standard - unlike Howth based on OP's comment!

GooglePlus

Caffe Caira in Howth

Edit: Actually see it's closed now.

tricky D

It is up for lease. Will keep updated. as and when...

Gavin "shels"

The Nal wrote: »

Can't beat Burdock, Borza, Beshoffs.

Say Fish at the weekends in Dun Laoghaire is decent.

Burdocks but even more so Beshoffs (on the canal) are miles to greasy!

Porklife

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

The Fish Shack on Dun Laoghaire East Pier, it's a mobile offshoot of a chipper along the seafront down towards Sandycove (which I've never eaten in) - although I think I might have heard recently that they're gone bust/into administration, which makes me very sad if true.


Freshly cooked fish and real chips and gorgeous tartare sauce, on a blustery day after a walk on the pier, cannot be beaten.

Completely agree with this... delicious and a real surprise from a mobile pop up truck. Love it!

uch

Not in Dublin as such, but the Miami Cafe in Dún Laoghaire can be hard to beat

D3V!L

uch wrote: »

Not in Dublin as such, but the Miami Cafe in Dún Laoghaire can be hard to beat

Dún Laoghaire is very much in Dublin, unless the Brits stole it

miamee

humberklog wrote: »

Crabby Joe's at the start of the pier in Howth.
Fish freshly dipped in batter. By far the best in Howth.

Crabby Joes was the first place that came to mind, always delicious, very big portions. Can recommend the scampi and chips.

The Nal wrote: »

Can't beat Burdock, Borza, Beshoffs.

Say Fish at the weekends in Dun Laoghaire is decent.

Say Fish is very good alright, love their sea salted chips.

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

The Fish Shack on Dun Laoghaire East Pier, it's a mobile offshoot of a chipper along the seafront down towards Sandycove (which I've never eaten in) - although I think I might have heard recently that they're gone bust/into administration, which makes me very sad if true.


Freshly cooked fish and real chips and gorgeous tartare sauce, on a blustery day after a walk on the pier, cannot be beaten.

I was in Fish Shack Sandycove on Sunday just gone no issues, good food. There is another Fish Shack on Parliament Street in the city centre too but there is a lot to be said for eating fish and chips outdoors at the sea side

D3V!L

miamee wrote: »

Crabby Joes was the first place that came to mind, always delicious, very big portions. Can recommend the scampi and chips.


Say Fish is very good alright, love their sea salted chips.


I was in Fish Shack Sandycove on Sunday just gone no issues, good food. There is another Fish Shack on Parliament Street in the city centre too but there is a lot to be said for eating fish and chips outdoors at the sea side

Myself and the wife are bikers, we'll usually ride to a sea side town on the bikes and have fish and chips for dinner. It goes part and parcel with the whole experience.

odyssey06

D3V!L wrote: »

Dún Laoghaire is very much in Dublin, unless the Brits stole it

Dublin City hasn't stolen it back yet, so they are still independent unlike Clontarf say

HopsAndJumps

Burdocks serves pre-cooked then flash fried muck. It tastes old and soggy. The sight of that grey pre-cooked battered fish going into the fryer is enough to turn my stomach.

Either of the two fish food carts on dun laoghaire pier are great.

There is a place only open a few weeks in Blackrock market called hooked. It's very very good.

scoobydude

odyssey06 wrote: »

Beshoffs Clontarf, assuming they have kept up the standard - unlike Howth based on OP's comment!

I eat there regularly enough, I think it's fairly hit and miss sadly, because when it's good it's unreal

Uncle Charlie

Bistro on Clanbrassil street is one of the best chippers in Dublin far better than Burdocks.

Uncle Charlie

HopsAndJumps wrote: »

Burdocks serves pre-cooked then flash fried muck. It tastes old and soggy. The sight of that grey pre-cooked battered fish going into the fryer is enough to turn my stomach.

Either of the two fish food carts on dun laoghaire pier are great.

There is a place only open a few weeks in Blackrock market called hooked. It's very very good.

Burdocks was never the same after the family sold it and it became a franchise back in the 90s.

Gavin "shels"

Uncle Charlie wrote: »

Bistro on Clanbrassil street is one of the best chippers in Dublin far better than Burdocks.

Agreed, I used to prefer the one at Leonard's Corner mind you. Both were owned by Osvaldo but he sold off the Clanbrassil St one a couple years ago. Unfortunately, the one at LC was closed down to a major accident with resulted in Osvaldo passing away and has reopened in recent months under two new owners... haven't tried it as of yet.

0gac3yjefb5sv7

Say Fish by far

kenmm

humberklog wrote: »

Crabby Joe's at the start of the pier in Howth.
Fish freshly dipped in batter. By far the best in Howth.

Wow - really - I didn't think there was any Chippers in Ireland doing freshly battered fish!

Most are substandard in my experience - and I have tried a lot!

Those Irish Italian federation ones are the worst.

Edit - Just remembered dorans on the pier do a fresh "Lightly dusted" haddock. I don't know of ANY non Howth pier place that does freshly battered fish.

kenmm

HopsAndJumps wrote: »

Burdocks serves pre-cooked then flash fried muck.

THIS - I really don't understand why most places in Ire seem to do this.

Fresh fish and Fresh batter should be no issue for a fish shop that sells mere that 10 bits of fish/sausage/onion rings etc

Probably the most disappointing thing about Irish cuisine tbh - cheap/poorly imitation of UK chippers.

gmisk

Fish shop in Smithfield is very nice I thought but pretty expensive

kenmm

Pheonix10 wrote: »

Say Fish by far

Thats the market guys? Ye - good fish but unfortunately (for me) wedges are not chips!

humberklog

kenmm wrote: »

Wow - really - I didn't think there was any Chippers in Ireland doing freshly battered fish!

Most are substandard in my experience - and I have tried a lot!

Those Irish Italian federation ones are the worst.

Edit - Just remembered dorans on the pier do a fresh "Lightly dusted" haddock. I don't know of ANY non Howth pier place that does freshly battered fish.

Yep. Every order. Fresh fish from the fridge, dusted in flour, dipped in a light style batter and popped into the frier.
Chips are nice too.

Dublin Spur

I've been wondering about this for a while.

Why is most fish in chippers not fresh and what's the normal process? Do they buy it in already battered and frozen or do they buy it fresh, then batter and fry it on mass before storing it?

Why don't they batter it freshly per order?
Anyone know why?
Cheers

HeidiHeidi

Dublin Spur wrote: »

I've been wondering about this for a while.

Why is most fish in chippers not fresh and what's the normal process? Do they buy it in already battered and frozen or do they buy it fresh, then batter and fry it on mass before storing it?

Why don't they batter it freshly per order?
Anyone know why?
Cheers

I'd like to know this as well.


Might start another thread for "What Chippers do ACTUAL Freshly Battered Fish n Chips?" - I'd travel (although maybe not all the way to Howth!) if I knew of some!

coolshannagh28

Pre battered is the norm , ie buy in the fish then batter it and store it for flash cooking to order ;the reasons for this are that in a busy shop the logistics of freshly battering fish are difficult bearing in mind the health and safety issue of crossover of raw and cooked food in a confined area which is frowned on by the health inspectors.

hankless

Airport Takeaway in Whitehall.

kenmm

coolshannagh28 wrote: »

Pre battered is the norm , ie buy in the fish then batter it and store it for flash cooking to order ;the reasons for this are that in a busy shop the logistics of freshly battering fish are difficult bearing in mind the health and safety issue of crossover of raw and cooked food in a confined area which is frowned on by the health inspectors.

If that is the reason they give, I would think its BS.

I have worked in chippers where it is normal to batter and cook fish fresh, it takes practically no extra time.

Other countries (Most of the UK for example) do it fresh. There is no real extra logistics its a case of dip fish (sausage, burger, whatever) and fry. Raw fish goes in on one end and comes out cooked the other. Put it into the hot plate at the top of the fryer to drain and be served.

I would have though inspectors would "frown" upon the constant reheating of partially cooked food.

EDIT - I also suspect its not a case of buy in the fish and batter/store - I would guess its buy in partially battered frozen fish. Therefore giving a much cheaper product that the Irish are happy to accept. This cost reduction is the only valid reason I can see for doing it this way. Its also no coincidence that all them Irish Italian federation ones work with this substandard product - they can pull resources and buy in bulk this way.

retalivity

Gavin "shels" wrote: »

Agreed, I used to prefer the one at Leonard's Corner mind you. Both were owned by Osvaldo but he sold off the Clanbrassil St one a couple years ago. Unfortunately, the one at LC was closed down to a major accident with resulted in Osvaldo passing away and has reopened in recent months under two new owners... haven't tried it as of yet.

The leonards corner one is grand, nice people

Beechwoodspark

Kingfisher Parnell st is decent and freshly battered to order as far as I know

Cienciano

I went to crabby joes over the weekend, it was nice but I definitely wouldn't call the fish big. It was actually fairly small I thought. Nice, not amazing, but too expensive.

Starter was prawns pan fried in butter. Got about 7 or 8 very small prawns that weren't cleaned very well for €14. Fish and chips was €17. Bit pricy for the size of it and the batter wasn't great.

Total bill for 2 adults and 2 kids (3 courses each, kids 3 were off the kids menu and 2 bottles of heineken) was €115 without tip.

odyssey06

The fish in Fishshack (Malahide) is lovely. Batter isn't too thick so doesn't overwhelm the fish.

But the chips aren't really what you'd expect, they look more like 'crisps' (albeit from a real sliced up potato), and pretty small serving.

NasserShammaz

Fuscardis capel st very very good

Tombo2001

The OP Question should read

What chippers serve fresh fish that is dipped in batter before cooking in Dublin?

its not a question of good or bad - which is completely subjective, and anyone can say anything is good or bad.

To make the analogy

When you go to a pizza restaurant - do you prefer your pizza to be freshly baked in a wood fired oven.

Or do you like a pre cooked frozen pizza that has the plastic ripped off and lashed in the microwave for 90 seconds before they serve it to you. 99% of Irish chippers do the equivalent of this when they serve a fish and chips. Including a fair few mentioned on this thread as being 'the best in Dublin'.

Rows Grower

I don't visit Dublin too often but one time many years ago I got some of the best fish and chips I've ever had at a place that was on the left hand side of the street that leads to the Chester Beatty museum from O Connell Street. It was a small enough diner/chipper type place tiled in a black and white theme if memory serves me right.

Anyone know if it is still in business? It's funny how a basic meal sticks in the mind but it was fresh goujons of cod with proper chips and it was awesome.

Tombo2001

Rows Grower wrote: »

I don't visit Dublin too often but one time many years ago I got some of the best fish and chips I've ever had at a place that was on the left hand side of the street that leads to the Chester Beatty museum from O Connell Street. It was a small enough diner/chipper type place tiled in a black and white theme if memory serves me right.

Anyone know if it is still in business? It's funny how a basic meal sticks in the mind but it was fresh goujons of cod with proper chips and it was awesome.

OK - the Chester Beatty museum is about a kilometre from O'Connell street....

Rows Grower

Tombo2001 wrote: »

OK - the Chester Beatty museum is about a kilometre from O'Connell street....

Thanks for the contribution Tombo.

Tombo2001

Rows Grower wrote: »

Thanks for the contribution Tombo.

You're welcome.

I was about to reply to your comment to say you were probably talking about Burdocks....but then I saw O'Connell St....

Anyway - you got a nice fish 'n chips in general city centre direction!

HeidiHeidi

Rows Grower wrote: »

Thanks for the contribution Tombo.

It's true though! And there must be at least 20 eating establishments along the way (probably more tbh), which regularly go out of business and change.


If it was many years ago you're talking about, that chances of your great memory place still being there are very small.

miamee

Black & white theme on O'Connell St as you are heading southbound - more than likely Beshoffs I'd say.

Tombo2001

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

It's true though! And there must be at least 20 eating establishments along the way (probably more tbh), which regularly go out of business and change.


If it was many years ago you're talking about, that chances of your great memory place still being there are very small.

I would actually have a fairly strong view that as areas 'gentrify' that likes of the local chipper has to seriously up its game.

Apart from the chips, they generally serve a sub standard product.

kenmm

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Including a fair few mentioned on this thread as being 'the best in Dublin'.

Continuing the analogy - I don't mind frozen pizza express pizzas... but yes cant compare it to the wood fired pizzas you would get elsewhere (usually outside Ireland, but elsewhere on the British Isles).

The best in Dublin still stands - it's still sh!te!

sally cinnamon89

Stoop your head in Skerries North Dublin. Fresh fish with fresh chips. I wouldn't be able for any fish from a chipper. Burdocks, Beshoffs are all frozen. Yikes

sally cinnamon89

kenmm wrote: »

Continuing the analogy - I don't mind frozen pizza express pizzas... but yes cant compare it to the wood fired pizzas you would get elsewhere (usually outside Ireland, but elsewhere on the British Isles).

The best in Dublin still stands - it's still sh!te!

Maybe you should try Pi, Paulies Pizza, Sano, all serving top notch fresh wood fired pizza

Rows Grower

sally cinnamon89 wrote: »

Stoop your head in Skerries North Dublin. Fresh fish with fresh chips. I wouldn't be able for any fish from a chipper. Burdocks, Beshoffs are all frozen. Yikes

Anyone mentioning a place that sells frozen chips in a best fish and chips thread should hang their head in shame and be barred from boards.ie on principle.

HopsAndJumps

This probably isint the forum form it, though I just got a good deal off living social. A seafood platter + two fish & chips for 30euro.

It can be used at any of the three bricks an mortar fish shacks.

BillyBird

gmisk wrote: »

Fish shop in Smithfield is very nice I thought but pretty expensive

Smithfield one is closing down, Bunburb to stay open. I'd agree, good but expensive.



https://extra.ie/2019/10/27/business/irish/two-popular-irish-restaurants-announce-closures


Beshoffs used to be OK, I haven't been in ages.
Burdocks was nearly always shíte, living off a reputation it earned a long time ago.

kenmm

sally cinnamon89 wrote: »

Maybe you should try Pi, Paulies Pizza, Sano, all serving top notch fresh wood fired pizza

You are mistaken, I was continuing the other posters analogy of frozen pizza. I have no issue with the Dublin pizza market - lots of good quality pizzas around!

Its the 3rd rate chippers I cant stand - barely a smattering of places selling fresh fish and fresh chips - half of which are restaurants, not even chippers.

sally cinnamon89

kenmm wrote: »

You are mistaken, I was continuing the other posters analogy of frozen pizza. I have no issue with the Dublin pizza market - lots of good quality pizzas around!

Its the 3rd rate chippers I cant stand - barely a smattering of places selling fresh fish and fresh chips - half of which are restaurants, not even chippers.

I picked you up wrong. Yes I agree with you there