With definite roots in British culture, the humble fish and chips have to be one of Australia’s most loved takeaway dishes.
It partners magically well with sitting by the beach, the wind in your hair, watching waves crash on the shore and, more than likely, being mobbed by a rabid pack of seagulls. It’s just the done thing.
There’s no shortage of quality establishments pumping out wonderful examples of deep-fried battered goodness along our coastline. So, with that in mind, we’ve narrowed it down to the Gold Coast’s best fish and chips. You’re welcome!
Kiwi Fish and Chips | Broadbeach
Now let’s be honest here, Kiwis take their fish and chups pretty darn seriously and that’s very evident at Kiwi Fish and Chips. If it’s not the perfectly crisp and golden batter, it’s definitely going to be the generously sized portions that’ll bring you back. Serving up those quintessential Kiwi things such as Pãua Fritters and the like, it’s very much “sweet as bro”. Sorry, not sorry.
Where: 20 Main Place, Broadbeach
Selfish | Tweed Heads
On the very southern end of the Coast we come across fish and chips by Selfish, and they are anything but. Firstly, the location and vibrant beach-y décor of this little takeaway joint instantly put you in the weekend mood. Sat next to a grassy park with the banks of the Tweed River only metres away, this is the kind of spot you’ll want to linger. The food is plentiful, fresh and even catering for the vegos. We’ve never been disappointed by the classic crumbed fish, oh and did we mention unlimited sauce at no extra cost? It’s the little things…
Where: 4 Wharf St, Tweed Heads, New South Wales (and now at The Strand, Coolangatta)
8th Ave. Terrace | Palm Beach
You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard the buzz surrounding Palm Beach’s growing dining scene of late. Into the fray enters 8th Ave. Terrace. Now, apart from being an incredibly pretty and Insta-worthy venue, they are backing it up with some excellent food. Their take on fish and chips is market fresh fish (we had Spanish Mackerel) in a sesame beer batter, partnered with fried kipflers with house-made slaw and tartare. A more refined version of the Gold Coast’s best fish and chips, but most definitely worth your attention.
Where: 1172 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach
Great British Fryer | Helensvale
Now folks, here’s my whinge. Fish and chips in England, well, they’re pretty special and in all my years in Australia I’ve never quite experienced the same sensory mouthwatering experience, until now. I cannot explain how good this place truly is. The way the chips are kind of crisp but also fluffy and limp, the way they can batter a sausage (no jokes intended), and the very pinnacle of any fish and chips are here—mushy peas and curry sauce. Don’t ask me why, but mushy peas and curry sauce with fish and chips just works; you’ll never ask for chicken salt again. Take my word for it and make a trip to Great British Fryer Helensvale, the most genuine English-style fish and chips this side of the equator.
Where: 22-32 Siganto Drive, Helensvale
Fishmongers | Burleigh Heads
Do we really have to talk this place up? Oh, ok then… blessed with a prime position on Burleigh’s main drag, James Street, you’d probably assume these guys would just pump out some pretty average fish and chips. But they actually don’t! Since 1948, Fishmongers has been serving the freshest fish, the best chips and also has some pretty tasty burgers if you don’t fancy seafood. If it were us, we’d beeline straight for the office, AKA Burleigh Hill. Or feel like sitting in? Pull up a chair and relax in the barefoot casual dining area, where you can even bring your own bottle of wine = winner!
Where: James street, Burleigh Heads
Glenelg Public House | Mermaid Beach
Think Glenelg Public House and you should be thinking about one of the best steak restaurants on the Coast, and you’d be right. What you didn’t perhaps know is the fresh array of fish these guys have rotating through the menu. IPA beer-battered Mulloway with mashed peas and baked Gold Band snapper with crushed peas and caper mayo have both recently featured. Pair that with the house Dirty Sebago Fries and you’re eating some damn fine fish and chips, people.
Where: 2460 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach
Fish Lab
It seems The Kitchens at Robina Town Centre has got everyone’s attention lately and with good reason. Incredible food is being showcased in an industrial, ultra modern setting and, to be blunt, we love it! Now the Fish Lab is no ordinary fish and chips experience, there won’t be any paper wrapping or gargantuan seagulls to contend with. Instead, you’ll find an array of gorgeous fresh fish being served with the intention of you, the customer, “enjoying it in its original form”. Fish and chips are taken to new heights here: hand-cut chips, super fresh fish perfectly cooked, and the house-made tartare being the cherry on the cake. Fish Lab proves you don’t need to be close to the beach to find some of the Gold Coast’s best fish and chips.
Where: The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre
You know what goes hand in hand with the Gold Coast’s best fish and chips? Well the best beaches, of course! Here’s seven of our faves.
Photo Credit: Hayley Williamson for Metropolist and Jason Starr for The Urban List