Whether you prefer your chips served in a posh, hipster-esque mini fryer, or straight out of the newspaper, Fish and Chips is a dish that can be tailored to suit any occasion. Here are four fabulous chip shops in Glasgow to visit either as a treat to yourself, for a pleasant meal out with pals, or to soak up the booze at 3am. Go on.
The University Café – 87 Byres Road
Possibly the most obvious choice when thinking about Fish and Chips for the students of Glasgow University, The University Café is right at the end of University Avenue and provides joyous, battered solace after a hard day at the library. The charming, art-deco interior of this café, which has been serving the students of Glasgow for nearly 100 years, is the perfect place to travel back in time and have a comforting, restorative meal; you will feel as if you are in the company of all who have done the same before you. The staff are incredibly lovely; the café is in their blood and so is making chips. That is to say, the chips are seriously, seriously good. The menu is tailored to students, as the name would suggest, and as such the prices are SAAS friendly. You can get your chips from the takeaway, but there is nothing better than sitting in one of the faux-leather booths, people watching in the glitzy, mirrored café and then choosing an ice-cream cone or some pick-and-mix (yes, really) to finish your meal. Not that you will need it.
Average Cost Per Main: £4.00
Recommended Dish: Anything with Chips
Old Salty’s – 337 Byres Road
Further up Byres Road you will find a more modern take on Fish and Chips, Old Salty’s. One of two restaurants (the other is in Finnieston) Old Salty’s is a relatively new Byres Road staple, having replaced American diner Charlie Rocks, incidentally owned by the same Glaswegian restaurant group. The interior is the perfect mix of restaurant/chippy, and if you sit upstairs on the mezzanine level you can watch the bustle of Byres Road go by over your fish supper. Whilst Old Salty’s is also a takeaway, the service is better if you sit inside as the takeaway seems to be a secondary priority. They do an incredible £5 lunch deal, which is well worth it during the week, especially if you order the mammoth portion of macaroni cheese and chips. The multiple fish options make it a good choice for those concerned with over-fishing, and they also have a varied menu for non-fish lovers, including wood-fired pizzas and chicken Katsu curry. What’s more, the portions are so big that even the hungriest of diners are not likely to be left unsatisfied.
Average Cost Per Main: £7.50
Recommended Dish: Macaroni Pie and Chips, with mushy peas.
The Chippy Doon the Lane – 84 Buchanan Street
The Chippy Doon the Lane depicts itself as the best chippy in Glasgow, and offers an upmarket spin on the traditional fish supper. This is the place to go if you feel like treating yourself to a swanky meal, but actually just fancy some chips. When you eventually find it, hidden upstairs on a lane off of Buchanan Street, the interior far more expansive than the pokey staircase would at first suggest. The décor is tasteful and glam, with a drinks menu that is more extensive than your usual chippy, although quite expensive if you want to fork out for booze. When your meal comes, it is quaintly presented in a chip box despite the luxury of the place. The extensiveness of the menu ups the standard of The Chippy Doon the Lane, presenting options like a Lemon Sole supper, and Thai Green King Prawn Curry. While the prices are a bit higher, this is a great place to go to indulge yourself in style. You deserve it.
Average Cost Per Main: £9.50
Recommended Dish: Plaice Supper
Philadelphia Fish and Chicken Bar – 445 Great Western Road
Be it after a night in the Hive, or just because you feel like it, Philadelphia Fish and Chicken Bar is the place to go for one of the best takeaway experiences in the West End. Run by an Italian family who also own the upmarket La Parmigiana restaurant next door, Philadelphia doesn’t just do good chips but also offers seriously good homemade pizza and pasta. The deals they do throughout the week are very good value for money, and never compromise on the quality of your food. It’s open late, so a great place to get something to soak up the booze, without the risk of ordering something grey, greasy and cold by accident. They also make the illusive potato fritter, basically a chip-like, fried potato cake, which is just as good as it sounds. The fish is always good quality, although on quiet spells like a late Sunday night there is a risk that they won’t have the entire menu available. With reasonable prices and in a prime location, Philadelphia should not be overlooked.
Average Cost Per Main: £6.00
Recommended Dish: Any Pizza, the Napoli Italian family who own it really know what they are doing.
