Fish and chips is considered the British national dish and it is a common take-away food all over the United Kingdom. It consists of fried fish (most common are cod and haddock) in crispy batter, served with chips (French fries or wedges). The dish originated in England, where these two components had been introduced from separate immigrant cultures. Fish and chips first appeared in the UK in the 1860s and it was one of the few foods in the UK not subject to rationing during the World Wars. There are thousands of places all over the UK (often called “chippies”) making this emblematic dish but there is one place in Greenwich in London that makes the difference by serving probably the best fish and chips in the world.
The Golden Chippy, at 62 on Greenwich High Road in Greenwich London, was ranked in 2016 as the best restaurant in London on Tripadvisor, has a perfect rating after 1,961 reviews on the same site (on 05.09.2021) and also a perfect score on Yelp. The restaurant has also appeared in several magazines, including the Emirates Airlines in-flight magazine and the Evening Standard newspaper.
It all started in 1977 when Chris Kanizi arrived in London from Cyprus with the grand ambition of studying medicine and training as a doctor. After many jobs, he opened the doors of his traditional British restaurant in 2005, which since then has become an establishment of the Greenwich community. The quality of the ingredients they use from certain trusted suppliers and the secret recipe for the batter has gradually made the establishment well known firstly all over London and then in the whole UK.
On the menu, there are many types of fish, such as cod, haddock, and plaice, which are fried or grilled with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon, and tarragon, and served with freshly chopped potato chips and a Mediterranean style salad, while an excellent side are the mushy peas. Also they serve a very well cooked and tasty curry sauce. Apart from fish, the menu offers various other dishes like chicken, burgers, and pies. But most of the people come here for the unique fish, which is crispy outside, not greasy at all, and very soft inside. There’s limited seating inside, but on sunny days people seat at the outdoor area which is decorated with pretty pot plants.
The next time you are in London, visit Greenwich to try this typical British dish in its perfect version and become one of the thousands of loyal fans who come here regularly and write these enthusiastic reviews all over the internet. If I made a list of the ten things to do in London during a visit, this would definitely be one of them.
Visit the official site (thegoldenchippy.co.uk) and read the reviews on Tripadvisor and Yelp.
*[Photo at the top by Stepehn Craven from Wikimedia Commons]