Review of 'Fish X Chips'

We are always on the lookout for good fish and chips places particular where we live. Sure, there is the local chippie which I think is just fine but my wife is not so keen. There is also the nearby Kerbisher & Malt which I really enjoy but again, on this our opinions are divided. When she told me that she had been to another local shop “Fish X Chips” and actually enjoyed the fish and chips I figured it was worth a visit…

“Fish X Chips” (or “WTF” - “What the Fish”, the moniker on an interior wall) is located immediately beside the entrance to Ravenscourt Park on Kings Street between Chiswick and Hammersmith (closer to the later than former). On the corner it is hard to miss with street parking generally not a problem after 5 in the evenings. It has ample interior seating though does, of course, offer take out. On the Friday night we visited it was, perhaps understandably, busy and we had to cheekily secure bar-style seats at a table near the door (not the best location with the air of a chilly January frequently washing over us as people came and went throughout our visit) but the laid-back, friendly staff had no problems. This was to be the feeling for the whole evening with the restaurant a buzz with convivial conversation including customers talking freely with the staff who were also happy to stop for a few minutes to have a chat. This is not to say the service was in any way lax – as the orders were filled they were promptly delivered to the tables piping hot despite every table in the place being occupied.

Interior

The interior is the ubiquitous “industrial chic” though is welcoming and friendly with the tables and chairs not too close together. The main seating area is on your left as you enter beside the ordering area and frying station with seating along the wall opposite (the toilet is at the back). There is table service here (yes, menus) but feel free to go to the till and order directly there. The menu is what you might expect from any chippie: “chips” (sold separately from the fish) “fish”, “sausages”, “pies & pastry” (basically, “pukka” pies), “sides”, “salads” (one“) and “dessert” (if you have room - there are two on offer). There are also specials for lunch and children. We stuck to the classics: Cod (£8.50) and chips (£2.50) as well as a side order of mushy peas (£1.00) which, refreshingly, were a more natural hue of green than the lurid green you often find.

The food is cooked to order right in the fryer to the back of the restaurant so we had a short wait for our food to arrive so we took our time with our soft drinks and soaked up the atmosphere. After about 20 minutes our food arrived, perfectly cooked, crispy and quite tasty.

Cod and Chips

The fish was coated in a rather light, but still crispy, batter and the fish itself was unexpectedly bitty, not parting with the familiar large chunks of flesh. I can't say I was a huge fan, I really like the batter that has lots of “crunchy” bits – Bubbles and the like that shatter when touched with a fork along with a slightly heavier batter. Yeah, the fish needs to be fresh but a good amount of batter is also welcome. The good portion of chips were typical chippie style – Not too crispy on the outside but creamy on the inside. Our meals were delivered along with fresh tartar sauce which was absolutely delicious with the fish (though by now being a “honorary” brit I had to have at least part of my meal with malt vinegar and salt). The mushy peas were quite good without the paste-y texture they often have.

For the two of us, the meal came to just over £32 (including a 12.5% service charge added to the bill) which is not bad but certainly not a bargain. However, the atmosphere and quality of the food leaves no doubt we will be back again, perhaps to try their other offerings…

Rating: “It is OK but I have some issues”

Review Date: 2020-01-24


Cuisine: American/British

Address: 262 Kings Street, London W6 0SP England

Public Transport: TUBE Ravenscourt Park

Location: London (England) - Chiswick

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Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8846 9860

URL: https://www.fishxchips.co.uk/