From battered cod, to tuna wraps with wasabi mayo, we reveal the top fish and chip shops to visit in East Anglia this summer.
It's beach time!
And what goes hand-in-hand with a day of building sandcastles, egging each other on to go in the freezing water, and trying to get half the seaside out of your shoes and bags? Good old fish and chips of course.
There are a few rules to observe, mind. Firstly, the fish has got to be responsibly sourced and super fresh (none of that frozen rubbish). Secondly, the batter mustn't be soggy – we want it as golden as a summer wheat field. And, lastly, those chips had better be crunchy on the outside, yielding to a fluffy, floury centre of gorgeousness.
1. The Rembrandt Restaurant, Easton (Norfolk)
This place is so much better than your average chippy, and has become a real part of the community.
Lucy and Skip cook everything fresh to order, with regular seasonal specials chalked up on the board each day – from sea bass to skate goujons.
Fish can be battered, baked or simply dusted in flour and fried.
And you can call ahead if you have a gluten intolerance for gluten-free frying.
2. Henley's, Wivenhoe
Tom Parker-Bowles has previously raved about this multi award-winning chippy, which is the regional winner in the 2017 Fish and Chip Awards.
Sustainable fish is trimmed and boned each morning, with customers able to choose their cut to be cooked from fresh out of the wet fish counter.
Cooking in vegetable oil, options include hake, pollack and coley. Or try the cod bap – a battered cod loin served in a floury bap with salad and homemade lemon mayonnaise.
3. Grosvenor Fish Bar, Norwich
This is a fish and chip lover's dream! Upstairs is a busy, buzzy takeaway (you can take your food over the road to The Birdcage if you fancy a pint of shandy booze). Downstairs is a funky grotto of nooks and crannies – it's what we'd imagine the batcave to look like but less gadgets, more chips.
If you fancy something out of the ordinary this is the place.
There's toad in the hole with chips. Battered treacle and beer cured bacon. Battered tuna steak with wasabi. Spicy steamed cod wraps. You basically need to stay all day and try everything.
4. Fish Dish, Felixstowe
Fish at this seafront restaurant is sustainably sourced, potatoes are the best the owner can buy (choosing them for their superior crispness and golden colour) and all meat is from the local butcher.
Cooking in dripping, the savoury fish batter takes on a moreish flavour.
But, if you're watching your weight, you could opt for whole fish such as sea bream or bass cooked over the smoky charcoal grill.
Aside from fish there's a tasty homemade steak and onion pie, homemade lasagne and lots more for all the family.
5. No1 Cromer
No1 serves what some say are the ultimate version of the Friday night favourite. But would you expect anything less from owner Galton Blackiston?
Ingredients are local and sustainable – including Norfolk potatoes and sausages from Icarus Hines.
All sauces, batters and suchlike are made in-house.
And aside from regular fish and chips, you can get your chops around lager, soy and ginger marinated whitebait with wasabi mayo dip, cockle popcorn with chilli vinegar and spicy salt, and mushy pea fritters!
6. Aldeburgh Fish and Chips
It's a rite of passage for any Suffolk resident or visitor to eat fish and chips from this nationally famed takeaway on the wall flanking the beach at Aldeburgh. Just beware of the seagulls!
Family-run, this place keeps it simple, serving good quality, spanking fresh fish, encapsulated in crunchy batter cooked in beef dripping. There's no frills, and they don't need them anyway.
7. French's Fish and Chip Shop, Wells-next-the-sea
Eating a packet of chips from here on the harbour wall is one of summer's great pleasures.
The takeaway was area winner in the 2016 National Fish and Chip Awards. Why? Now run by the third and fourth generation of the family, these guys know what they're doing!
They've got all your usuals, cooked in vegetable oil, plus a special every day.
8. Sole Bay Fish Company, Southwold
You might get lured in by the fresh fish and deli counters at this place. But you'll want to stay for lunch.
Fish is caught in the waters around Southwold and the Suffolk/Norfolk coast, with the restaurant menu boasting humble cod and chips with mushy peas and homemade tartare sauce, shellfish platters, and decadent chargrilled lobster with garlic butter.
9.Eric's Fish and Chips, Thornham
Eric's brings fish and chips bang up to date. There's battered cod and chips (cooked in dripping) for the traditionalists. Beyond this foodies will be in fried food heaven, with gruyere and spinach aracini, Kansas wings, Japanese style fish burger and battered gherkins making it onto the menu.
There are some awesome sounding puds to sink your teeth into too. A diet-breaking deep-fried Mars Bar. Or how about Norfolk made salted caramel ice cream in a brioche bun with maple bacon syrup? Swoon.
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