Where to find the best fish and chips around Australia

Hungry? We quizzed our readers on where to find the best fish and chips around the country. The results may surprise you…

Australia is known around the globe for the quality of our seafood and, without question, we have some of the best beaches (and beach towns) in the world. Pair the two together and what do you get? An A+ offering of fish and chips and the perfect spot to devour them.

The recipe? Non-soggy chips (with a good mix of shapely long ones and crispy stubby ones), a decent bit of fish (always battered over grilled), brown or white vinegar (to taste), maybe a potato scallop or some calamari to mix it up, a wedge of lemon, some salt and tartar sauce, all wrapped up in white butchers paper (loads of). Transport yourself to the nearest beach, sit away from the seagulls, and enjoy.

Everyone has a favourite local fish ‘n’ chips shop. So much so that when we asked our readers for their recommendations the comments came in thick and fast. Here, find a curated list of where to get the best fish and chips around Australia, according to our well-fed readers.

NSW

New South Wales is renowned for its stunning stretch of coastline – made all the better with a parcel of fish and chips in hand.

Fishy Fishy in Lennox Head services the Northern Rivers region of NSW with friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere, or you can opt to pick up your goods straight from the trawlers at Scales Seafood in Tweed Heads.

Sea Salt Fishmongers Toormina lays claim to the mid north coast’s best chips. They also sling a variety of freshly caught products to the masses, including local wild-caught fish, prawns and oysters.

On the South Coast, Mollymook Beach Hut Café is an unassuming juggernaut – if you know where to find it, of course (hint: it’s just across from the beach on Ocean Street). World Famous Fish N Chips is Huskisson’s pride and joy, recently reopening after a schmick new renovation.

Closer to Sydney, at Clovelly’s Out Of The Blue burgers you’ll find locals lining up outside the door on a daily basis. Get in early to secure yours. Around the corner, Chish and Fips Coogee deliver a nostalgic beachside experience under an Eastern Suburbs sunset. South Beach Seafood is Cronulla’s hidden gem. Grab a perfectly cooked calamari ring and make a beeline to an empty stretch of sand.

Honourable mentions: The Chip Shop Port Macquarie, Woy Woy Fishermen’s Wharf (Central Coast), Charcoal Fish Rose Bay (Sydney), Beach Street Seafood Forster.

Tas

A pristine environment combined with passionate local producers makes Tasmania an ideal place to hit the coastal road and indulge in some of its best local bounties.

Fish Frenzy opened on Hobart’s Elizabeth Street Pier in 1998. In the years since, its quality seafood, fast service and innovative presentation have won accolade after accolade. Take a trip to neighbouring Bruny Island to taste the goods at Bruny Island Cruises Restaurant. This new space offers a menu of tantalising, local produce and premium Tasmanian fish, served alongside views of Adventure Bay.

The famous Freycinet Marine Farm provides a quick seafood education from a laidback showroom on the water’s edge at Coles Bay in Tasmania alongside a seasonal menu that can be enjoyed on the deck or takeaway. With the water sparkling just metres away you know the seafood can’t have come far.

Honourable mentions: Aqua Grill Café (Franklin), Tasmanian Coastal Seafoods (Bicheno), Fraggles Fish and Chips (Launceston).

Vic

According to our readers, the Great Ocean Road provides the perfect backdrop in which to enjoy a humble serving of fish and chips.

A feed at Fishos Torquay is about as local as you can get. Potatoes come fresh from the farm and are hand-cut on site. Seafood is locally sourced. And the hospitality? Courtesy of long-time mates and residents, Luke Edwards and Luke Dalton.

Anglesea’s Fish by Moonlite is the takeaway offshoot of the successful, hatted restaurant, Captain Moonlite. Matt Germanchis and Gemma Gange used their premium seafood contacts to set up shop in town with a fresh catch arriving daily. Here, you can glean tips on how to cook your own seafood at home or get them to cook up fish and chips for you.

Apollo Bay is the Victorian capital of the southern rock lobster and the Fish and Chip Co-Op is where it’s done best. Drop by and try the latest fresh catch while watching the crays being offloaded from the boats.

You’ll find San Remo Fisherman’s Co-Op on the mainland just before you cross the bridge to Phillip Island. They have serviced the needs of the fishing fleet and the seafood-loving Gippsland community since 1948 – and they were a name that up came up frequently with our readers. The locally caught gummy shark is a menu highlight.

On the Mornington Peninsula, Fish Fetish Sorrento is considered the place to go. Housed on the main street, this old-school chipper is no muss no fuss – we hear they’re yet to invest in an Eftpos machine.

Honourable mentions: Hunky Dory’s Richmond (Melbourne), Peninsula Fresh Seafood (Mornington Peninsula), JJ’s Fish and Chips Doncaster (Melbourne), The Crispy Catch (Melbourne).

WA

Western Australia is blessed with beautiful beachside breaks stretching right along the magnificent mainland coastline. Choose your favourite stretch of sand and grab some local catch.

The small crayfishing town of Leeman is a top spot for chasing your own catch of the day. At Leeman Fish & chips, the fish is caught and cooked by the owners, served with hand-cut chips and plenty of regional hospitality.

Considered the best fish and chips in WA, Dynamite Bay takeaway is tucked away in Green Bay between Geraldton and Perth. Expect succulent fish, delightfully stringy calamari and a tempting dessert cabinet.

For those with an epicurean palette, Tankk Gourmet Fish and Chips satiates with upscale fare. With three locations around Perth, grab a gourmet pack and beeline for your closest stretch of Perth coastline.

Honourable mentions: Grand Lane Fish House (Perth), Frankie’s On Rotto (Rottnest Island), Stone Jetty Scarborough (Perth).

SA

If our readers were anything to go by, you’d think The Stunned Mullet was the only fish and chip shop in South Australia. It was suggested more than a few times, and the only one mentioned in the entire state.

Each summer, a line of fish-and-chip-lovers winds out the door of Henley Beach’s favourite store. Most are in search of the decadent King George whiting, accompanied by an excessive amount of chips. If you prefer your bounty on a budget, the butterfish is another winner.

Honourable mentions: Angler (Stirling), Sotos Fish Shop (Adelaide), Vivonne Bay General Store (Kangaroo Island), Fish Out Of Water (Adelaide), Flying Fish Restaurant & Café (Port Elliot).

Qld

It came as no surprise that our readers couldn’t get enough fish and chips in Queensland.

The first submission came from a place called Woody Point – a coastal suburb in Brisbane’s Redcliffe region. Seafood Town is situated on the picturesque Woody Point Jetty, with views of Moreton and Stradbroke islands. Access locally caught Queensland seafood, direct off the trawlers or straight from the fishermen.

Burleigh’s Red Hot Cod offers the fishy attractions and beachside mellowness that many crave from this coastal jaunt. Cheap, cheerful and revered – stop here for Burleigh’s favourite fish and chips. For a highbrow neighbourhood option, the ocean-side dining institution Rick Shores does an Instagrammable Moreton Bay bug roll.

A little further South, Hunky Dory in Palm Beach shakes up the classic fish and chip game to give it a healthy spin. While the menu leans a little more rustic-chic, barefoot diners will still enjoy the classics.

If you find yourself around Noosa River, follow the crowd of locals – a clear indicator of good food – to Mr Fish and snag yourself a takeaway pack full of perfectly cooked calamari, whiting and chips.

For all you well-seasoned British chippy lovers, Chumley Warner’s Traditional British Fish & Chips is the place for you. Birkdale mightn’t be geographically close to Ol’ Blighty, but the flavours here might convince you otherwise.

Honourable mentions: Golden Prawn Seafood and Takeaway (Bribie Island), Neptunes Harvest Coorparoo (Brisbane), Piranha New Farm (Brisbane), Three Girls Fishing (Brisbane).

NT

The NT’s an outdoorsy type of place, so it’s only natural that you eat your fish and chips alfresco.

La Beach Fish & Chips overlooks the spectacular Fannie Bay. It’s a very popular spot to enjoy one of Darwin’s famous sunsets, with some freshly cooked catch from La Beach in hand. Alternatively, enjoy a cold one on the balcony.

Nearby, Frying Nemo Fish and Chips is consistently ranked as a finalist in national seafood awards. This truly Territorian experience is positioned right on the waterfront at Tipperary Waters Marina. Frying Nemo specialises in wild-caught produce – with a menu that features Territory Crocodile, Buffalo, Camel and Kangaroo, alongside the NT’s famous Barramundi.

Honourable mentions: Wulagi Fish and Chips (Darwin), Eastside Fish and Chips (Alice Springs), Captain Jack’s Katherine (Katherine).