Tag Archives: Fish and Chips

Jack the Chipper

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We just paid an Observer visit to new Chippie on the block and it’s the unfortunately named ‘Jack the Chipper’ in Sayer St. in Elephant. It’s part of a micro franchise and this third location is run by a father and daughter team. It exists as both a takeaway and as a higher priced dine in establishment with other options to order such as burgers and pasta (but don’t). On this occasion we were accompanied by Marsha from Business Support, who needed her spirits lifted after worrying that she was about to be replaced by AI (she is).

Jack the Chipper works as both a traditional fish and chips takeaway service but also, with the same menu but higher prices, as a dine-in restaurant. This isn’t like the chippies with a few afterthought tables, but a proper restaurant experience with full table service, and a bar. The menu covers all the chippie classics, including sides such as mushy peas or pickled onions. Marsha ordered haddock and chips. While she was chewing she noted is that the batter was light and the fish tasted fresh. The chips are proper, thick, chip shop chips, made in-house without resorting to Mr McCain or a freezer. There are even reassuringly large bags of potatoes out front.

Your scribe ordered the frankly quite fancy sounding grilled seabass with cherry tomatoes. Playfully assorted was garlic, lemon parsley, capers and baby potatoes. The seabass flaked easily and had a delicate, mildly sweet flavour. Each portion comes with tartare sauce and lemon, as is correct procedure and salt and malt vinegar was on the table. We could have done with a bit more tartare sauce; I’m sure we would have been granted had we asked With an airy ambience to the restaurant and substantial outside seating, this is a good place to stop. We feel reassured that everything was of high quality, which it should be for £22

At the Observer we pride ourselves on being the least ‘woke’ site you’ll find, but we draw a line under your name, Jack. Ten years ago it might have been very clever to name your gaff after a serial killer of vulnerable women but its 2026 and its not on. When you arrive at that giant deep fat fryer in the sky you’ll understand this, but hopefully before. In spite of the name we hope Marsha had a nice evening as she wistfully and correctly pined ‘this might be the last time I eat out for a while’.

Getting Fishy at the Prince of Wales

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One of the joys of going to the Prince of Wales in Cleaver Square is that it gives one the otherworldly feeling of being transported to a rural pub in the Cotswolds. A place populated by people wearing cords in the summer and saying things like ‘well, daddy’s having a bugger of a time housing that second pony’. But when a meal deal is in the offing we don’t mind sticking out a bit   

We came to the PoW to enjoy their Fishy Friday meal deal, which entitles diners to two fish and chips for £20, and this great value was definitely the default option for most of the diners we saw. You might think this keen pricing would mean some skimping on portion size but this was not the case. Our fish was beautifully fresh, large and in a crisp batter that had been made in house, and possibly so was the tartare sauce it came with. The chips were serviceable, of the “chunky McCain’s” variety. We do wish more places would offer homemade chips, but understand they are a hassle. Finally there were some minted mushy peas thrown in the mix. 

When our surreal evening with Tarquin and his floppy haired pals drew to a close we departed, only to encounter outside the pub a group of men MORRIS DANCING! And they were throwing serviettes in the air. In KENNINGTON! This was quiet enough surreal country fun for one evening so we gave them a wide berth but the evidence is below. And you don’t get that at All Bar One.