Listed: Melbourne’s top five fish and chips

Fish and chips ... they’re a national favourite. But not all are created equal. So we headed out to compile this list of Melbourne’s very best. Batter up!

Hands up if you’ve ever been tempted on the way home from the fish and chip shop to tear open the warm paper parcel and sneak a few chippies? Yep, us too.

Fish and chips are one of life’s great pleasures.

But what makes the best fish and chips can be a deeply personal and highly contentious matter.

There are many things to consider.
The type of batter (classic, beer or tempura?), the variety of potato used to make the chips, the cut of the chips, the magical frying texture ratio to ensure your chip is perfectly balanced — crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

This being 2022, the fish and chip shop variables have gone well beyond the add-ons of a dim sim, Chiko Roll or a “crab” stick (spoiler alert: no crabs were harmed in their making).

Any self-respecting chippery now has a variety of sustainable fish to choose from, gluten-free and vegan options and a smorgasbord of sauces.

There’s plenty of choice in Melbourne, a town that debates fish and chips with a kind of fervour otherwise reserved for the football.

So delicious has stepped in to rate the five best.

Whichever one you plump for, may your fish always be fresh and your chips crunchy.

1. Tommy Ruff Fish Bar

The fish & chips selection from Melbourne’s Tommy Ruff Fish Bar.

You can certainly go fancy at this trio of inner-south-eastern fish and chip shops – we’re thinking of the prawn tacos, deep-fried fish wings and poké bowls – but the classics are an intrinsic part of the Tommy Ruff experience. Head directly to the classic packs such as the “tacklebox for two”, a picture of golden delight including fried fish, calamari rings, king prawns, potato cakes and chips, or hit the healthier option of grilled John Dory fillet with chips and Japanese `slaw.

Address: Shop 3, 1-3 Carre Street, Elsternwick; 574a Main Street, Mordialloc; 121 Chapel Street, Windsor

Website:tommyruff.com.au

2. Blu - by Australian Seafood Group

Blu by Australian Seafood Group in Coburg North took out the award for Victoria’s best fish & chips at the Australian Fish and Chips Awards in 2018. Picture Norm Oorloff

Let’s hear it for the wisdom of a seafood wholesaler with the foresight to open a vast 200-seat fish and chip shop. The Australian Seafood Group deals only in sustainably fished Aussie and NZ product, with its long list of local fish waiting to be grilled or fried including sea perch, flathead and king George whiting, along with the added-luxe options of chargrilled cray tails and Moreton Bay bugs. You can take away but eating in means you can enjoy a prosecco or Aperol Spritz with your dinner.

Address:146 Gaffney Street, Coburg North

Website: blubyasg.com.au

3. Fish Tank

Fish and chips from Fish Tank in Brighton. Picture- Nicole Cleary

This Brighton fave has the soul of old school fish and chippery hiding in the up-market design demanded by its location. There’s a dazzling range of fresh seafood to take home, but we recommend you let them do all the work before taking the paper parcel to the nearby beach. Expect excellence across its menu of bubbly-battered potato cakes, crisp fat chips, sustainable Australian and New Zealand fish and tempting extras such as garlic prawn skewers and salt and pepper calamari. They also crank out a classic Australian burger with beetroot, egg and bacon. Happy days.

Address: 20 Church Street, Brighton

Website:fishtankbrighton.com.au

4. Fish on High

Fish & Chips from Fish On High at Thornbury. Picture: Supplied

A classic for a reason, this Thornbury shop has been worshipping the fryer gods since the 1930s. The acclaimed hand-dipped potato cakes and lacy-battered fish are backed by an old school menu of Chiko rolls, corn jacks, pineapple fritters and pickled onions – perhaps with a battered sausage chaser? – but it finds time for newfangled things like a wagyu burger in a brioche bun and a soba noodle salmon bowl. The Greek owners have also proven convincingly that they know their way around a grain salad.

Address: 844 High Street, Thornbury

Website:fishonhigh.com

5. D’Lish Fish

A little box of delicious: Fish & Chips from D’Lish Fish in Port Melbourne.

Eyeballing Port Melbourne beach and its chip-loving seagulls, D’Lish Fish provides an excellent example of the fryer’s craft. Your choice of flake or blue grenadier is encased in a bubbly, super-crisp batter; all you have to do is add potato cakes, dim sims and chips so good you’ll be tempted to order maximum rather than minimum. Pro tip: tell them to go hard on the chicken salt, and keep an open mind when it comes to the deep fried Mars bar.

Address: 3/105 Beach Street, Port Melbourne

Website:dlishfish.com