Which UK towns and cities are the best to visit to enjoy a perfect fish and chips?
Chippy Capitals: The Best Cities to Enjoy the UK’s Most Famous Dish
With UK staycations on the rise, many Brits are choosing to explore the natural beauty that their own country has to offer. From seaside stays and country retreats to bustling city breaks – what better way to celebrate a truly British getaway than with a chippy tea?
Whether your go-to chippy is a classic battered cod and chips, pie and mushy peas, or you’re partial to a deep-fried Mars Bar, online casino Betway set out to discover which towns and cities come out on top as the ultimate ‘chippy capitals’ of the UK.
To determine which cities and towns took the crown for their fish and chips, we looked at the following factors:
- Number of fish & chip restaurants/takeaways in each town/city
- Number of menu options available at the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city
- Number of vegetarian/vegan options at the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city
- Google reviews/rating of the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city
- Distance from the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city to the nearest seaside/beach (km)
- Number of IG hashtags for fish and chips in each town/city
- Number of TikTok views for fish and chips in each town/city
- UK monthly searches for fish and chips in each town/city
Bristol is crowned the ‘chippy capital’ of the UK with an impressive overall score of 60.6 out of 80.
The bustling city that sits on the River Avon is the perfect place to enjoy a chippy with a picturesque view. You can even stop by Bristol’s highest-rated chippy Mario’s Fish Bar which has 4.8/5 stars and a Google reviews score of 9.1/10. The shop has an extensive menu of 83 items (scoring 8.8/10) that includes everything from cod fishcakes to spam fritters, alongside 29 vegan and vegetarian options (scoring 8.4/10) like jacket potatoes and breaded garlic mushrooms.
The city also received an Instagram hashtag score of 9.1/10 for its 85 hashtags dedicated to showcasing the ‘grammable fish and chips from Bristol’s 149 chippies (scoring 8.8).
Nottingham secures the title of the second-best city to enjoy a chippy with a total score of 59.8 out of 80.
The city in the Midlands has a serious love for fish and chips and has scored highly in a number of categories, including a 9.4/10 for its 172 restaurants. The city’s highest-rated chip shop Fish Xpress has 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google, giving it a score of 10/10 – guaranteeing you’ll get a top-notch chippy.
Fish Xpress offers a very accommodating 110 different menu options (scoring 9.7/10), with 46 being veggie and vegan-friendly choices (scoring 10/10).
Britain’s capital city London ranks as the third best UK city to enjoy fish and chips, with an overall score of 58.3 out of 80.
Chippy teas have built up quite the reputation in London, gaining the city full marks 10/10 for both its monthly searches at 4,300 and its number of hashtags dedicated to it at 3,622.
The highest-rated chip shop in London The Golden Chippy is rated 4.7/5 stars on Google and also offers a wide range of veggie and vegan options with 25 available (scoring it 8.1/10).
Finishing up the top 5 ‘chippy capitals’ are Edinburgh in fourth place with 55.6/80 and Leicester in fifth place with a score of 55.0/80.
Which cities boast the highest number of fish & chip eateries?
We all love a chippy tea, but some cities take getting their fish and chip fix more seriously than others and boast a much higher number of eateries to choose from.
London takes the top spot for having the highest number of chippies in the UK with 182 shops in total and a score of 10/10. Whether it’s a London favourite like saveloy or a classic cod and chips – picking up a chippy has never been easier than in Britain’s capital.
Ranking as the second city with the most fish and chip shops is Leicester with 179 eateries in total and a score of 9.7/10 overall. The city has plenty of options when it comes to getting a good chippy, including the likes of Leicester’s highest-rated chip shop Billy’s Fish Bar, or other favourites like Burnham Chippy and Gipsy Lane Chippery.
Nottingham secures their spot in third for its large number of chippies in the UK, with 172 in total, scoring 9.4/10. From fishcakes to chips in gravy, Nottingham has an abundance of shops for residents to pick up their favourite chippy teas from.
Bristol and Glasgow have the fourth-highest number of chippies with 149 in total and a score of 8.8/10, whilst Swansea lands fifth with 146 in total and a score of 8.5/10.
Which cities are home to the most diverse fish and chips menu?
Whether you’re team gravy, team curry sauce or team mushy peas, the best thing about the chippy is…you have it just the way you like it. However, some chip shops do things a little better than others and have way more diverse menus.
Birmingham is home to the most diverse fish and chip menu, as its highest-rated chippy has an impressive 113 options, giving the city full marks with a score of 10 out of 10.
Those looking to eat at Gabriel’s can enjoy anything from a classic chippy tea to battered halloumi, kebabs, calzones, veggie burgers, pies and more. There really is something for everyone.
Runner-up in second place is Nottingham with its highest-rated chip shop serving up 110 different menu items to its customers, scoring 9.7/10.
Fish Xpress caters to a range of different tastes alongside its classic chippy dishes, including options like jumbo jacket potatoes, mega naans, wraps and sweet treats like a battered banana with Nutella and pineapple fritters with golden syrup.
Exeter is the third-best city for its diverse chippy menu, with its highest-rated chip shop boasting 102 options, scoring it 9.4/10.
Smart Fish Bar’s extensive menu has healthier choices like tuna, chicken or cheese salads or jacket potatoes with a range of toppings available. The chippy also has a wide choice of gluten-free options that include everything from fish, battered sausages, chicken nuggets and chips.
Leicester ranks as the fourth-best city for Billy’s Fish Bar having 87 options and a score of 9.1/10, whilst Bristol placed fifth for Mario’s Fish Bar having 83 choices (scoring 8.8/10).
Which cities have the most veggie/vegan-friendly menu?
From cooking in vegetable oil to serving favourites like cheese and onion pies, veggie dippers and vegan burgers – which cities have the most vegan and vegetarian-friendly menus?
Taking the lead in joint first for the cities with the best veggie/vegan chippy options are Birmingham and Nottingham, with a score of 10 out of 10.
Veggies and vegans in Birmingham can head to the city’s highest-rated eatery Gabriels which has 46 options or check out veggie-specific chip shop The Veggie Chippy.
Alternatively, in Nottingham, there’s no place better than Fish Xpress, which has 46 veggie/vegan options, or Sea & Earth also offers an extensive vegetarian and vegan menu.
Newquay lands second place as one of the best cities for its vegan and vegetarian-friendly fish and chip menus, scoring it 9.7/10.
The highest-rated takeaway Francine’s Newquay has an impressive 34 vegan and vegetarian options available, so that everyone can enjoy tucking into a chippy tea.
Exeter earns its position as the third-best city for vegetarian and vegan-friendly fish and chips, scoring an impressive 9.4 out of 10.
Exeter’s highest-rated fish and chip shop Smart Fish Bar has 33 vegetarian and vegan options to choose from including everything from jacket potatoes with beans to veggie burgers and cheese salads.
Leicester emerged as the fourth best with 32 veggie/vegan options at their highest-rated takeaway (scoring 9.1/10), whilst Bristol landed itself in fifth with 29 choices (scoring 8.4/10).
Which cities are best to enjoy fish and chips at the beach?
There’s no better way to indulge in a chippy takeaway than with a stunning sea view right in front of you. So which seaside towns take the lead for having their highest-rated fish and chip shops just a short stroll from the beach?
Brighton leads the way for being the best UK town to enjoy a chippy on the beach, scoring 10/10 for its highest-rated takeaway located just 0.38km from the nearest seaside.
The popular, Polish-ran fish and chip shop RYBKA (the fish likes to swim), is in a great location to grab a bite to enjoy on the beach. The chippy has a menu that includes everything from classic fish suppers to baskets of scampi and Polish delicacies like pickled herring served with a shot of frozen vodka.
Newquay emerges as runner-up, making it the second-best town to enjoy fish and chips by the sea, with the highest-rated takeaway 0.64km from the seaside (giving it a score of 9.7/10).
The town favourite Francine’s Newquay serves up all types of fish from haddock and cod, to plaice and hake, so you can enjoy your favourite fish whilst taking in the scenic sea views.
Padstow takes the title of the third-best UK town for indulging in a chippy tea by the sea, scoring 9.4/10 for its highest-rated takeaway being only 1.11km from the nearest seaside.
Chip Ahoy, known for serving hearty portions of fish and chips in takeaway boxes, is a firm favourite to be enjoyed in Padstow, taking in the panoramic views of the golden sand and deep blue sea.
St Ives comes in fourth with the highest-rated takeaway just 1.13km from the nearest beach (scoring 9.1/10), whilst Portsmouth follows in fifth at just 1.28km away and a score of 8.8/10.
Which cities have the most viral fish and chips?
For many of us, a chippy tea is definitely worthy of a spot on the ‘gram, but with so many aesthetically pleasing fish and chips out there, which city has the most snap-worthy ones?
The city with the most Instagrammable fish and chips in the UK, is the capital city of London, scoring 10/10 with 3,622 hashtags dedicated to Britain’s signature dish.
From snap-worthy shots of award-winning fish and chips in restaurants like The Mayfair Chippy to photographs of takeaway chippy teas served the good old classic way in newspaper in Camden – London has the best-looking fish and chips on the ‘gram.
Following closely behind in second place for having the most ‘post-worthy’ fish and chips, is the northern city of Leeds with an impressive score of 9.7/10 and 451 Instagram hashtags.
Whether it’s photos capturing a trip to The Oldest Fish and Chip Shop in the World (1865) in Yeadon or a golden crispy cod from the highest-rated chip shop in Leeds Cardigan Fish Bar – one thing’s for certain, their top-notch fish and chips are worthy of showcasing.
Emerging as the third best city for its aesthetically pleasing fish and chips is Glasgow, with a score of 9.4/10 and 229 hashtags on Instagram.
Glasgow residents love a chippy, especially from the top-rated Tina’s Fish and Chicken Bar, so it’s no surprise that Instagram is flooded with posts of battered sausages, pie and mushy peas, and of course the star of the show – giant, golden fried haddocks.
With TikTok being a place where anything can go viral, it’s no surprise that fish and chips are getting their fair share of fame. But which cities are in the spotlight for their top tier chippies?
Newcastle lands the top spot as TikTok’s most viral destination for fish and chips with ‘Newcastle fish and chips’ boasting 6 billion views, giving the city a score of 10/10.
The viral videos review Newcastle’s large offering of 80 different fish and chip shops, with people recommending their go-to spots for the ultimate chippy and reels of the delicious dishes they chose.
Leicester ranks as TikTok’s second most viral city for fish and chips with ‘Leicester Local Chippy’ amassing 1.1 billion views and a score of 9.7/10.
The TikTok reels include everything from chip shop owners getting creative and promoting their own fish and chips, to people showing off their delicious chippy teas and favourite scenic spots to tuck into them.
The third most viral destination for a chippy tea is York with ‘York fish and chips’ racking up 919.6 million views, scoring 9.4/10.
The reels showcase behind-the-scenes videos of how our favourite chippy dishes are made in York’s eateries to food challenges that involve vloggers taking on some of York’s seriously big fishes.
We Brits are renowned for our love of fish and chips, but some areas are more associated with a chippy than others. So, which UK cities are racking up the most monthly searches for chippies in their area?
London takes the crown for being the most searched-for city for fish and chips, with 4,300 monthly searches, scoring it 10/10.
Whether residents are searching for the best spots to get their chippy teas from, or tourists are wanting to tuck into something truly British – fish and chips are getting some serious traction in London.
The seaside town of Brighton surfaces as the most searched location for fish and chip shops, with 2,800 monthly searches, giving it a score of 9.7/10.
Seasides are the perfect destination to enjoy fish and chips, so it’s no surprise that the bustling Brighton is accumulating a flurry of searches from people looking to enjoy a chippy on the beach.
Emerging as the third most searched-for destination for its fish and chips, is Edinburgh with 1,600 monthly searches scoring it 9.4/10.
Boasting 95 different chippies, the demand for fish and chips in Edinburgh is clearly a big one. Scottish favourites have also even been added onto menus, like at the highest-rated eatery Salvatore’s which serves a classic haggis and steak pie.
Methodology:
“The ‘Chippy Capitals’ Report conducted by Betway reveals which UK towns and cities are the best locations to visit to enjoy a classic fish and chips.
The team first created a seed list of some of the most populated cities in the UK and the most popular staycation spots. Then, looking at the first page results for Fish & Chip shops on Google, the team picked the chippy with the highest rating and also the highest number of reviews (if there were many with the same rating) for each location before ranking each town/city using the following factors:
- The number of fish & chip restaurants/takeaways in each town/city
- The number of menu options available at the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city
- The number of vegetarian/vegan options at the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city
- Google reviews/rating of the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city
- Distance from the highest-rated takeaway in each town/city to the nearest seaside/beach (km)
- The number of IG hashtags for fish and chips in each town/city
- The number of TikTok Views for fish and chips in each town/city
- UK monthly searches for fish and chips in each town/city
The team then used a normalised ranking function to score each data point out of 10, which gave each location an overall score out of 80
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