In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - Globetrotters

GLOBETROTTERS, BRUNTSFIELD PLACE
After a succession of bad fish suppers recently, my patience was wearing thin. I did some proper research and many reviews for Globetrootters were excellent, something I'd heard before though of course.

The shop is bright and welcoming, the staff were friendly and there was a small bench at the back to sit in. I can honestly say these were the best chips I've had in a while, bettered only by L'alba Doro. Around three quarters of them were crispy and delicious, with just a small portion at the bottom disappointing. The fish, while not the best I've had either, was still enjoyable and extremely fresh.

Imperfect overall then but the best supper I've had since Eatalia's and somewhere I'd strongly recommend if you're hungry and near the Bruntsfield area.
8/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - The Gold Sea

THE GOLD SEA, FERRY ROAD
With the aid of Google maps and some strong recommendations from a friend, me and David arrived in Princes St and embarked on a near 40 minute walk to the Gold Sea chippy at the far end of Ferry Road. The shop is huge although doesn't utilise it as well as it could ( nowhere to sit inside).

Our fish suppers were served quickly by a grim faced counter assistant and we sat on a nearby wall to eat. There's nothing worse than being extremely hungry and tucking into a meal you cant actually finish because of the disappointment in quality. The fish batter was tasteless and almost non existent as well as being over oiled. The haddock itself was decent but you don't want to have to pick away at a meal to enjoy it. And the chips? They were a mixed bag and seemed to get worse the nearer I got to the end, eventually giving the last of them to a hungry seagull who was lurking with intent nearby.
With an edgy atmosphere in the area and several drunk youths patrolling around, we were quite happy to see the back of this one.

5/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - Cafe Piccante

CAFE PICCANTE, BROUGHTON STREET

The pretty counter girl had a strong foreign accent but I was pretty sure I'd heard her right. Yes, it really was £8.70 for a fish supper and a can of Irn Bru, by far the most expensive in Edinburgh so far. Convinced that the price was simply to reflect unbelievable quality, I perched down on the comfortable seating and tucked in.

Picante is quite unlike most chippys you will find in the Edinburgh area. It has an almost nightclub feel to it, with neon lit walls and a booming techno soundtrack. A plasma telly sits on the far wall, a subtitled movie playing on this particular evening. Its an experience for sure but this is unfortunately where the good points end.

The fish was soft and rubbery and most unpleasant, while only around half the chips were up to scratch. I was extremely hungover at the time of ordering and instead of the cure I was hoping for, I was actually feeling worse after it. I proceeded to try a (delicious) deep fried mars bar for the first time but at £2.90, it was, again, wildly overpriced.

Overall, a good experience to be had and the staff are very friendly. Location wise, it is perfect and will inevitably have a lot of business but the food needs to be improved if they are to truly flourish.

5.5/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - Dino's Takeaway

DINO'S TAKE AWAY, HIGH ST, HADDINGTON
Decided to come to this place on the recommendation of a friend, calling it the best fish and chips he's ever had. Only later did we find out he hadn't actually been here for nearly 12 years. Don't worry, I wont name any names ( David Penman ) However, undeterred, we arrived with cautious optimism.

The shop interior is impressive and welcoming, the staff banterful and friendly. Indeed, nothing was too much for them. Now, unfortunately here's where the good stuff ends.

The chips were among the worst I've had so far, soft and soggy to the point that they were actually breaking in your hand. Truly awful stuff and the (massive ) fish was no better, tasting like rubber and the batter far too hard. When your genuinely starving and put over half your meal in the bin, that's when you know a place has problems.

Indeed, the service was the only thing that saved it from a zero.
3/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - The Mermaid

THE MERMAID, LEITH WALK
You know a fish supper must be bad when you end up sharing half of it with a bunch of seagulls. Went for a walk in Leith last night and came across this place near the bottom. I was hungry and it was highly recommended so seemed like a perfect fit. Not so.

The fish was lying in the oven and was shoved straight in the box with the chips. I've waited up to 10 minutes for my food before but this felt like 10 seconds. Whatever I'd done, the staff wanted me out pronto. And what a dour trio they were, gormless and unsmiling, a million miles away from the excellent service at Eatalias, just further up the road.

And the food? The fish genuinely tasted like rubber and gave me a sore stomach. I gave most of it to the birds and actually felt sorry for them, the poor creatures deserve better. As for the chips, I reckon about a third of them were decent but the others were soggy and tasteless. Can safely say I will not be coming back here.

3/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - Marchmont Takeaway

MARCHMONT TAKEAWAY, MARCHMONT ROAD
A slightly disappointing haddock was the only thing stopping this one being a 10/10. Small and tucked away up a street near the meadows, its one of those places you could easily miss if you didn't know it was there. The lone counter woman and owner was exceptionally friendly and generous, offering us samples of other fish ( including an excellent mackerel) as we waited for ours to be cooked.

The chips were among the best I've had and so fresh it felt like they were actually healthy, As for the fish, I just felt the batter was too thin and a little over oiled, resulting in a slightly unpleasant taste. The owner was very keen for us to report on feedback, including criticism, showing she takes great pride in the customers opinions.

I will be sending this very honest review to her.
8.5/10

In Search of The Perfect Fish and Chips - The Milton Fry

THE MILTON FRY, MILTON ROAD
Sampled a delicious fish supper at this place a year ago and thought a return was long overdue. Unfortunately 12 months is a very long time in the food world. Whilst that night I received a freshly cooked fish, this one was lying in the oven and served immediately.

It was as unfresh as they come, the haddock a distinct yellowish colour and the batter was so hard it was like biting on a chestnut. The chips were actually quite good for the most part and saved it slightly.

As for the shop itself, it is well stocked and acts as an off licence aswell, with ice cream also available.

The counter girl was very friendly also but unless the fish gets a dramatic overhaul, I won't be returning here in the near future.

5/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - Alanda's

ALANDA'S, HIGH STREET, PRESTONPANS



So, I made the decision this week to extend the boundaries of my fish and chip visits to East and Midlothian. My home town of Musselburgh, however, wont be getting any visits as I know very well that the fish served in the chippy's here is awful. So, Prestonpans it was tonight and Alanda's, right beside the beach at the bottom of the town.

It was quite possibly the longest wait I've ever had for a fish supper ( close to 10 minutes ) but I was pleasantly impressed. The food was exceptionally fresh and as hot as the blistering June sunshine which shone down. The chips were a mixed bag, some nice and crispy, others not so, a frustratingly inconsistent mix but the good ones were really good. As for my fish, it seemed to have just a little bit too much butter mix which slightly spoiled the taste, although was still enjoyable.

A few little tweaks to the recipe and they could have a real winner here. The shop itself is spacious and also serves ice cream, particularly handy on nights like this evening, and the two female staff remained pleasant despite it being quite hectic.

7/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - The Codfather

THE CODFATHER, SCIENNES

Thought I'd have a portion of my favourite meal before the birthday night out last night and came across this highly recommended eaterie round the corner from Clerks. Unfortunately, it was a rather large disappointment.

Yet again, the chips were poor and this is becoming a very common trend in Edinburgh, with only two or three establishments so far proving competent. The fish, while better, was lacking in freshness and the batter seemed uneven in places. In terms of the place itself, the building interior is tired looking and although there is seating inside, it is awkwardly positioned and that's why we ventured over to the Meadows to eat.

There are some nice touches, 10% student discount is available and the staff were pleasantly friendly. However, this is another chippy that I find hard to recommend.

5/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - Eatalia's

EATALIA'S, LEITH WALK

There's an unwritten rule that you should never eat fish and chips on a Monday. Well that theory was well and truly blown out the water tonight with this exceptional meal. A fish so fresh, I genuinely thought it had been caught an hour previously, and chips cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside, soft inside. The staff at Eatalia's were the best I've met so far, extremely friendly and helpful from the moment we walked into the shop. And such a nice shop it is, well furnished and steeped in Italian colours, a television to watch while you wait for your food and a bar at the back to sit inside. Downsides? Feel like I'm being really picky but at 7 pound it was the most expensive fish supper I've had so far on the journey and not quite as good as Port Seton or Dunkeld. But, its still by far the best I've had in Edinburgh and cannot recommend it enough.

9/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - Barracuda

BARRACUDA, NORTHFIELD DRIVE

So in an attempt to make up for the horror show of the St Andrews takeaway on Sunday night, I thought I would visit this little chippy next to the Radical Road Pub. The shop is bright and colourful and has that 'fresh look' feel to it, backed up by an extensive menu where there is surely something for everyone.

The shop assistant was friendly and full of banter, enjoying a laugh at David as he tried to take pictures inside.

My fish was the biggest I had ever ordered, resembling more of a small shark and barely fitting inside the box. However, it was, for the most part delicious and incredibly filling, well worth the 5 minute or so wait. Yet again though, the chips were a big let down, not an ounce of crispiness about them, just soft, soggy and very unenjoyable. If they can sort out the chip malfunction, then this place has huge potential.
7/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - St. Andrews

ST ANDREWS, PORTOBELLO HIGH ST
Thought a nice fish and chips from here would cheer me up from my disgusting hangover but boy, was I wrong. Similar to Giovanni's last week, the chips were soggy and tasteless, completing lacking in any crispiness or flavour. 

The fish was also very disappointing, far too much oil and I don't what the batter was made from but I eventually stopped eating it, such was the taste. Even the brown sauce was poor. 
For a well furnished shop with friendly staff and reasonable prices ( it was less than 6 quid) this place has the potential to flourish. However, until they start producing quality food, there will be many more disgruntled customers like myself.4/10

In search of the perfect fish and chips - Giovanni's

GIOVANNI'S, NORTHFIELD BROADWAY

One of those familiar places you've passed your entire life but never actually been into, this chippy in Piershill was highly recommended to me. Ultimately, however, it turned out to be a big disappointment.

The chips were the worst I've had on the journey so far. Soft, soggy and tasteless, in fact so bad that I left around a quarter of them without finishing and that is a rarity. The fish was better, clearly a different recipe used and this resulted in a pleasant taste however, it was lacking in freshness.

This is probably explained by the fact that it was sitting ready to serve when we arrived at the shop. I always prefer to wait for fish to be cooked from scratch, even if it does take up to 7 minutes. The shop itself is very clean and well presented, and the staff provided fast and friendly service with smile. Until they sort out the chips though, I cannot recommend this place in a hurry.

5.5/10

In search of the perfect fish and chips - Castle Rock

CASTLE ROCK, GRASSMARKET

Hadn't been to this chippy in over a year but the smart refurbishment and seven minute wait for the food put me in a confident mood. And I was not to be disappointed.

The fish was delicious and perfectly cooked, suitably melt in your mouth stuff and accompanied by equally fantastic chips, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. By the end, I could easily have ordered another supper, such was the quality.

The shop interior is impressive also, with bars at the back to allow for indoor eating. Only slightly disappointing service and the fact I have had better fish elsewhere (Port Seton and Dunkeld) stop it from being perfect but this is the best I've had in Edinburgh so far and will take some beating.

8.5/10

In search of the perfect fish and chips - Tailend Takeaway

Outside of the shop 

TAILEND TAKE AWAY, LEITH WALK

Been to this chippy a few times and it usually never disappoints but last night was a different story. The fish, while decent as always, was coated in overly crispy batter and diminished the taste while the chips were soggy and nothing like the delicious ones served up in the L'Alba Doro last week. To be fair, this was the only time its let me down, and there is an unwritten rule about never eating fish on a Monday but still, a business should be consistent for its customers. What really lets the Tailend down though is the staff. They are as miserable as sin and look as though a smile might cause them extreme pain and torture. The icing on the cake was when David was refused access to the toilets in the restaurant section as it was for "customers only" despite him having just spent 15 pounds in the take away moments earlier. Shameful

* Edit: I have been informed by one of my friends that the reason you avoid fish on a Monday is because they add lime to freshen the frying process and extend the life of the fat. Adding a thicker batter hides the taste but creates a browner colour instead of golden. It also destroys the chips as the acid goes through the potato and makes them soggy inside.

6/10

In Search of the Perfect Fish and Chips - l'alba Doro

Outside of the shop

L'ALBA DORO, HENDERSON ROW


Spacious, well presented chippy with sit in bars and award recognition's covering most of the far walls. However, the fish didn't quite live up to the billing, the 2-3 minute wait seemed a little too fast to be cooking it. The chips were fantastic though and the friendly service made it an enjoyable night out overall.


7/10