Stones

Stones Fish and Chips opened in 2015. It is primarily aimed at takeaway but has a couple of tables to eat at indoors. In late 2023 it was the only London establishment shortlisted for the National Fish and Chip Awards 2024. There is no alcohol license here, but you can bring beer or wine without a corkage charge (but would need to bring your own wine glasses).

The haddock was fried to order and the fish was carefully cooked, with golden batter that was not too thick. Even at some quite prestigious places the chips can be a let-down, but here they were crisp and well made (easily 13/20). The attention to detail could be seen in the sourcing of the pickled gherkin. The ones used here are Kuhne sweet and sour from Germany, and they are excellent. The tartare sauce was home made and nicely piquant, though mushy peas were nothing special.

The bill came to £15 per person. Stones is a cut above the normal level of fish and chip shops in London, which for some reason has always struggled to produce high quality fish and chips, especially compared to somewhere like Whitby with Quayside and indeed The Magpie. The best fish and chips I can recall were those made by Simon Hopkinson at Bibendum, but of course that was a much grander affair and anyhow that option no longer exists. Until somewhere of that calibre opens once again, Stones will do nicely.