Fish Friday: Get Your Classic British Fish and Chips from These Places

Katie Coy | Jun 24, 2022 1:32 pm | Add a comment | 556 reads

As a Brit I have a soft spot in my heart for a good old classic fish and chips. No other food quite reminds me of home like this does. When I first lived in China over ten years ago I remember going to a restaurant and being super excited to order fish and chips. However, when it arrived the fish had been cooked in a sweet donut type batter and it was truly awful and I was so disappointed. Luckily, times have changed since then and you can now get a pretty decent fish and chips from a number of places here in the capital.

Arrow Factory

This is my personal favorite in Beijing and in my opinion is the closest thing you’re going to get to a proper pub fish and chips. Arrow Factory’s fish and chips (RMB 90) consists of beer battered Icelandic haddock, triple cooked chips, tartar sauce and, in true British fashion, a side of mushy peas. From experience the fish is always cooked beautifully and although the chips aren’t quite those you get from the chippy they are still really good.

Peach by Hulu

Now Peach by Hulu has what has to be the best Fish Friday deal, discounting their Fish and Chips every Friday to just RMB 28 (it’s usually RMB 58). They serve up battered white fish with a side of chips and coleslaw along with tartar sauce and spicy sauce if you want to mix things up a little bit.

The Local

Another place offering up a Fish Friday deal is The Local. From 4pm-9pm every Friday, you can get either Pan Fried Sole or Beer Battered Fried Fish with one side for RMB 68 (usually RMB 96). The choice of sides are French fries, grilled asparagus, brown rice or mashed potato.

Jing A InStreet Location

As you’d expect from Jing A’s InStreet Location, which specialises in classic British food, they have Fish and Chips (RMB 90) on the menu. Although bereft of mushy peas, they serve up battered white fish with a side of chunky chips, tartar sauce and coleslaw.

Paddy O’Sheas

In Beijing you can’t get much closer to a proper British pub than Irish bar Paddy O’Sheas, so it should come as no surprise that they offer up a traditional Fish and Chips (RMB 78). This is one hearty meal, with two generous portions of beer battered fish, chips and tartar sauce.

Joe’s Bar and Kitchen

This sports bar offers up a range of your usual pub grub including of course Fish and Chips (RMB 68). Joe's Bar and Kitchen serve up their beer battered fish in chunks rather than the usual big fillet and it’s accompanied by chips and tartar sauce.

Mr Whale

Officially Beijing’s only fish and chips shop now that Mr Chips is no more, we have Mr Whale. Complete with a model double decker bus outside, this place is really channelling the UK. Here they only serve Fish and Chips (RMB 69) on it's own, but if you want to add that essential tartar sauce you’ll need to pay an extra RMB 3.

Wild Kite Brewpub

They have pub in the name so it’s not too surprising that this relatively new spot serves up the British classic. Varying from the classic large fillet of fish Wild Kite Brewpub’s Fish and Chips (RMB 58) has smaller strips of battered fish, along with chips and of course tartar sauce.

Beersmith

Although currently closed for indoor dining, Beersmith also have Fish and Chips (RMB 188) which you can order on waimai. Along with Arrow Factory, this is the only other place in Beijing that serves up their Fish and Chips the traditional way with mushy peas. However, veering away from tradition their pilsner-battered codfish come with a side of sweet potato fries instead of normal chips, but they do have the vital tartar sauce.

Cafe Flatwhite

A bit of an unusual offering considering it's a cafe, but Cafe Flatwhite offers Fish and Chips (RMB 88). Their take on the dish consists of two beer battered fried fish fillets, chips, salad and tartar sauce.