5 /5 Humphrey Google: Bloody good, proper chippie. Dont be fooled by pragmatic setup; these guys know exactly what theyre doing. Fed up with poor standards in London, I was kind of amazed how good it was. I am a fish & chip connoisseur, so I will break this down for anyone who really cares and is used the Northern standard.
1) Haddock
This was the star. Batter so thick and crispy it was still brittle, audible cracking as it should even after being wrapped, right through to the end of the meal. White meat was thick and full - it was actually a gigantic specimen, I struggled to finish it, even though I was so hungry. The batter had a very delicious savoury heart-warming flavour (if you know, you know) whilst fish tasted sweet and fresh. Note the skin; do I like skin? Only if its clean, clear, shining like it was just plucked from the waves, which it did (bad skin is a sticky, gooey mess with faded scales). If you dont like skin, no matter, the meat will pull cleanly away from the skin, another indication it was high quality fresh fish (poor quality the skin and flesh is not so easily separated).
2) Chips
Piping hot - thats the main thing, am I right? Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Thick cut. Not exactly triple cooked gastro but you could tell the oil it was cooked in had not been over-used / recycled, which is the single most common mistake in London. If you have a foreign friend visiting, show them this for accurate insight to the British tradition, they definitely wont be disappointed. On a very cold day, they were life affirming, as it they should be.
3) Mushy peas
Again, decent. Good, vibrant / bright green colour, not dark sludge. So hot it will burn your mouth if you eat too quickly - as it should be.
4) Pickled onion
Damn good. Soft yet firm enough to skewer on your fork and eat like an apple, not like poor quality ones that either too tough with bitter flavour so you need a knife to slice up, nor too soft that it falls apart into disgusting mush. Just right. The perfect pickled onion.
Final score - For London? 5 stars. For price? 5 stars. For friendly customer service? 5 stars.
Fish on The Hill was a nostalgic experience and certainly the best chippie I have ever found in London. They could setup in Manchester / Newcastle and they do very well.
