Bardsley’s Fish & Chips

We went to Brighton last week and we asked a waitress in a pub where to eat a good fish n chips: she gave us this address.
The service is great, the boss has sense of humor. Regarding the food, we ordered traditional cod fish and chips. It was very generous! The fish is very good and it is not too greasy. We all finished our plates!
I recommend you to go there!

One of the best fish n chips in England hands down!
The child size (~£8) and medium size (~£10.50) fish n chips were the perfect size for us because we wanted to have some room left for dessert in the North Laines later in the day. They have a wide range of fish to choose from, and you have the option between fried, baked, or broiled. The portions were very generous and the food was delicious!
Our server was very nice, gave us honest recommendations, and told us about the history of the place. She also gave us all postcards of the restaurant as a souvenir to remember our visit there.
It’s a bit of a walk from the main tourist area, and because of this it’s atmosphere seems like a more genuine ‘local’ experience. We had heard from a tour guide once that they had one of the best fish n chips in England, so we had to try it, and it absolutely lived up to the reputation!

Simply the best fish and chips in Brighton. They’ve been consistently good since I was a kid. I don’t visit my home town without going there and visiting Roy and his family.

Surreal experience on Friday. Got caught in torrential run on our walk from the station and arrived cold and soaked. The fab staff loaned us chef trousers and threw our jeans in the dryer. First visit, so tried the sample platter and a beer — perfect. Jeans were dry on completion of our meal. Day out saved.

Far too expensive. I felt ripped off. And I’ve had just as good at two thirds the price.

This place is finger-​licking good. It is slightly off the tourist track when it comes to the heart of Brighton and weekend trippers packing out the laneways. But the great thing is there’s a park one block from the chippery that is the perfect spot to sit, people-​watch and enjoy takeaway. We preferred this option as the fried food smells inside were a bit overwhelming to sit in so early during lunchtime. Lovely staff who cracked a few jokes with us foreigners.
The large haddock was practically exploding out of the styrofoam box. It was perfectly flaky without being neither dry or oily. The batter is perfectly crisp to the point you can feel the crunch out of every bite. The texture was exactly how as a foreigner I always thought real fish and chips should taste like. The chips were extremely generous in portion size, thick and looked hand cut. But the best part — they actually tasted like real potatoes, not oil or a pasty white bleached semblance of a potato. The batter of the fish wasn’t oily so the chips didn’t get soggy either. Even better was we felt full, but not disgustingly-​lie-​in-​bed-​in-​a-​desperate-​food-​coma full. It was perfect — cannot recommend enough.

Anytime I get a hankering for fish and chips, this is the only place I’ll consider.
I order a medium haddock and chips with mushy peas and it’s perfect every time. Their chips are thick and soft and actually taste like REAL potatoes, honestly couldn’t be improved. Their batter is light and crispy and their fish always fresh and juicy.
Amazing food and friendly service makes this a Brighton institution, if you haven’t been, go.

Despite the restaurant’s incredible reputation, leading to it being nearly always fully booked, the employees managed to squeeze us (6 people) in upstairs without a reservation.
The service was marvellous with kind staff, and quick delivery of food to the table. Our order was simple (due to the reputation the restaurant has for it’s fish & chips), 4 medium and 2 large fish & chips. We were all extremely satisfied with the quality of food as well as the portions. The fish was cooked to perfection, and not overdone (as fish often is). It was also clear that the fish was not frozen prior to cooking.
It is easy to say that with the quality of chefs, and freshness of the fish, that you would be hard pressed to find this level of fish and chips anywhere else (and definitely not in a pub!). Highly recommended.

So I’ll admit upfront — I’m partially responsible for my own dissatisfaction with my meal here, because it was my choice to go and sit in that extremely strange Max Miller room. I originally just gravitated towards it because of the sky lights and plants inside — it seemed the perfect combination of outdoor seating yet no exposure to the elements. But after sitting there surrounded by all these ridiculously sexist jokes (he was a product of his time, I know, I know), the posters of which even repeat the same jokes over and over all around you, I was just starting to lose my mind a little! The service over there is slightly worse as well, since it’s so out of the way. So let’s just assume you’ll skip the Max Miller room and talk about the food instead. Unless you love Max Miller — in which case you should probably go here for that reason alone.
We originally journeyed to this pricier-​than-​average chippy because Unilocal!reviews seemed to indicate it was the best fish and chips in town, and once you move to Brighton, everyone assumes you know where the best fish and chips in town are so we needed to get on that right quick. Unfortunately, it seems we were led astray. The fish just didn’t seem particularly fresh compared to some of the other Brighton venues I’ve tried. And, as other reviewers have pointed out, the chips were particularly awful — not crisp at all and very soggy (though my partner seemed to like this type of chip? maybe you do too?). The only good thing about it was the variety of flavoured vinegars (chili, garlic, etc) which as a vinegar lover I did appreciate it. I just had to drown my meal in them to power through. Alas.

Finally tried the fish (Haddock) and chips here after viewing the positive ratings. To be honest the fish and chips were decent but I felt they weren’t that special to rave about. I’ve had my share of fish and chips here in Brighton and overall Bardsley’s was standard. Prices are a bit higher than your usual chippy shop in town.
Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll make an effort to come back but just to end on a positive note, the food here was reasonable.

We had popped down to Brighton to visit for the day, and we felt that the surroundings called for a lunch of fish and chips. We consulted our Unilocal app and saw that Bardsley’s Fish & Chips had a good rating. We were on Brighton Pier at the time and it wasn’t a far walk away.
We both got a medium size battered cod and chips and also ordered some scampi on the side. I enjoyed the fish even though it was a bit flakey. But, I really didn’t enjoy the chips. They were bland and mushy. I attempted to eat them a few times, but I just couldn’t get into it.
We finished lunch and I had an oily taste in my mouth. I was already looking forward to having an icecream to take the taste away.
The service was friendly, though, and I had no complaints about that.

Their garlic vinegar & chili vinegar are brilliant! Ask for it specifically or «a bit of everything» & they’ll bring a few mustards, mayo, ketchup & tartar, too.
Overall, great service (the chef is a flirty guy!), fair prices and good quality fish. Something I noticed overall in the UK at chip shoppes, is a lack of seasoning on the actual fish (either under the breading or after it comes out of the fryer). This place wasn’t that different. So prepare to cure that bland with some salt in your vinegar.

Best fish and chips. Friendly staff. Love that they now sell beer, making my sit-​down a real pleasure with a Harvey’s. Introduced my American wife to english fish and chips here, no doubt raising future expectations.

Excellent fish and chips shop/​restaurant. Large portion sizes, I just ordered a child’s sized portion (and I can EAT). The fish is yummmmmy and you can have it cooked in a number of ways! Friendly staff. I would recommend reserving a table for dinner if you decide to go around 8 on a weekend.
My only criticism is the layout of the place. Mainly because this is primarily a take away the seating area is in a separate part and it’s sometimes difficult to get the attention of the staff because they are busy in the other area.

This chippie seems to have been serving up our underwater allies since there were mods and rockers in the city. I guess that an established food business speaks volumes and shows that they are frying in the right way!
Aside from your usual takeaway in a folded piece of greaseproof, there is also a fairly large restaurant tacked on. The restaurant is in a bit of no mans land and sits uneasily between a proper restaurant and a place to sit and eat your meal from the chippy. In honesty, this doesn’t matter. The quality of the fish speaks for itself. They clearly are not defrosting tasteless cod caught in the Atlantic or North sea and you really do get a fresh hit to the mouth with each bite. Also, these guys know how to fry chips while still retaining a semblance of healthiness — not an easy task!
You may end up paying a bit more than other chip shops in the city but it really is worth coughing up that extra couple of quid. It’s a jewel in the crown of Brighton, that’s for sure.

This is an extremely popular British fish and chip shop, selling not just food, but a brilliantly friendly service and also a lovely glass of wine.
That is what I like about Bardsley’s, it isn’t a take away, but it doesn’t feel the need to use words like gourmet. It is a restaurant that offers a very good product, and as fish and chips go, I do mean very good.
I really like the atmosphere here, the ability to have a relaxing drink and a huge meal together, absolute British pleasure at it’s best.

Quite possibly the best fish and chips in town, Bardsley’s has a large sit in restaurant which people flock to. With a tendency to opt for the Haddock, I can honestly say I haven’t tasted it being so good since the Haddocks we used to eat straight from the Grimsby Docks.
With décor still remaining from what looks like the 70’s, there are loads of offerings at Bardsley’s and it’s a great place to sit for fish.
Understandably the lines for takeaway may be larger of an evening, but you really must go for the Haddock-​Sublime.

Bardsley’s is every bit the standard Fish and Chip shop, if a bit more upmarket. For a chippy, it boasts a pretty classy exterior and interior, with a wide glass frontage, classic styled signage above the door, and several fish and fishing related curios framed around the wooden bar.
The place is famous amongst Brightonians, and when I first moved here, after making the mistake of going to Harry Ramsden’s I decided to ask the locals where was really the best place in town, and unanimously, and without a second’s hesitation, they’ve all said Bardsley’s.
Now, five stars for a place that charges upwards of £8 for a large portion of the national dish of the seaside might seem excessive or unfair, but, quite frankly, they are the best. Purely and simply, their fish tastes better than anyone elses, and it still retains that hearty element– filling and solid– that would be lost in a sophisticated fish restaurant.
Also, if you’re of a mind to, you can attack your heart pretty aggressively with their battered sausagehttp://static.px.yelp.com/static/20 100 107/​i/​ico/​star_​big₅.gifs. Here once again, the devil on my shoulder always prevails because these things are ridiculously tasty.
Finally, and probably most importantly, the chips are really spot on. Nice and thick, but crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, you couldn’t ask for better.
If it’s a sit down meal you’re after, they’ve got the place looking pretty nice and tables are normally available at most times of day, but in the summertime, if you can ward off the seagulls, a better plan is to head down the level, which is less than a minute away, and enjoy your meal in the sun.
Don’t be fooled by its distance from the sea, Bardsley’s is the only real choice for fish and chips, and you can tell without even eating them that their fish are fresh, because sometimes they run out of certain fish, and sometimes they have others in on special, because the fish have just turned up in Brighton, and been scooped out of the sea and sold to Bardsley’s BY A REAL FISHERMAN, not caught in the middle of the Atlantic by a trawler and frozen for weeks before arriving.
I can’t make a heartier recommendation. Go to Bardsley’s.

Bardsleys has certainly gone upmarket in recent years. Gone are the formica tables and the greasy spoon vibe, in are shiny tiles and a restaurant feel. Nevertheless, it has not lost hold of its roots — which are in providing very good quality fish and chips to both eat in diners and to takeaway connisseurs.
For those eating in, there are a wide range of options, and fish can be cooked in a variety of ways not involving batter and a deep fryer. For the traditionalists though, they still do what a fish and chip shop does best, and the queues for takeaways that stretch far out of the door on weekend nights are testimony to that. They have also kept the cream and brown seventies style plasticy name sign, which I find a reassuring nod to tradition while they, understandably, move with the times inside.

Bardsley’s is famous in Brighton and with pretty good reason. They do great basics: haddock, cod, fish cakes etc. and their mushy peas are very tasty indeed. You can sit in or take away. This place is certainly more upmarket than the average chippie along the sea front… as well as the expected fish and chip classics, they do more interesting seafood dishes, including scallops and sea bass. Look out for specials, which vary depending on the catch!
What I like about this place is that they strike a good balance between greasy fish and chip joint and swanky seafood restaurant… they fall somewhere in between and cater to everyone’s needs. It used to be a BYOB, which was amazing– regrettably (in my humble penny-​pinching opinion) that’s changed, and they are now fully licensed. I must therefore deny them one star for their sins.