London's best chips
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By Rachel Halliburton and Jenni Muir with thanks to Michael Jacobson, Andrew Staffell and Sonia Zhuravlyova. Photography Tricia de Courcy Ling
Posted: Mon Jul 30 2007 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
To fry for: absolutely the best chips in London 50 Dog & Fox
A revamped Young’s pub with an exemplary range of draught beers and appealingly uncomplicated cooking, the Dog & Fox serves both fat chips and long, thin French fries. Unusually, we’re told, they’re cooked in olive oil. Enjoy them alongside one of the pub’s hearty sandwiches, such as minute steak with tomatoes, caramelised onion and salad; chicken and avocado with baby spinach and lime mayonnaise; or ‘the best bacon buttie in the village’.
Dog & Fox, 24 High St, SW19 5EA (020 8946 6565) Wimbledon tube/rail.
49 Maoz Vegetarian
Triple-frying is a technique that helps makes Belgian frites the renowned chips they are, but unlike the skinny, size-zero specimens we’ve come to expect from Belgo and beer-swilling trips to Bruges, the thrice-fried chips at this Netherlands chain are a nice fat English shape. Maoz’s potatoes come from Belgium and are cooked in vegetable oil.
Maoz Vegetarian, 43 Old Compton St, W1D 6HG (020 7851 1586) Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Rd tube. Feature continuesAdvertisement
48 Waterfront
A homemade tomato relish made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, herbs and olive oil accompanies the thick, hand-cut chips at this Young’s pub and dining room tucked away by the Thames in Battersea.
The Waterfront, Baltimore House (Battersea Reach), York Rd, SW18 1TS (020 7228 4297) Wandsworth Town rail or C3, 39, 295 bus.
47 Natural Burger
Jalapeño pepper sauce and aïoli are among the dipping options for the chunky golden chips at this pleasantly posh neighbourhood burger joint. Cooked in vegetable oil, they’re certainly delicious but for something a little different, try the skinny courgette frites.
The Natural Burger Co & Grill, 12 Blenheim Terrace, NW8 0EB (020 7372 9065) St John’s Wood tube.
46 Feng Sushi
Silla Bjerrum’s small chain specialises in sushi and Japanese fusion dishes, as befits a Danish woman who’s trained in Japan and lives in London. The tempura cod with hand-cut sweet potato chips mixed in with regular potatoes is a delicious example of east-meets-west and you can order it safe in the knowledge that Bjerrum devotes much of her time to careful fish sourcing (as well as saucing).
Feng Sushi, Unit 9, Festival Terrace, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX (020 7261 0001) Waterloo tube/rail.
45 Brady’s
Wandsworth favourite, Brady’s, offers some unusual dips to enjoy with their beautifully golden chips, such as dill, tarragon, and tomato and basil mayonnaises. Owner Luke Brady reveals that around 50 per cent of their customers also order mushy peas. Grilled fish is a popular alternative to fried here as well.
Brady’s, 513 Old York Rd, SW18 1TF (020 8877 9599) Wandsworth Town rail.
44 Eagle Bar Diner
A New York-style diner-cum-bar, with green booths and Formica tables, Eagle Bar Diner’s menu takes in sandwiches, hot dogs and a veritable ark of burgers made from exotic meats. Their fat chips, though, are a down-home affair. Hand-peeled and thick-cut using Maris Pipers, they’re double fried in groundnut oil. Enjoy them with basil mayo.
Eagle Bar Diner, 3-5 Rathbone Place, W1T 1HJ (020 7637 1418) Tottenham Court Rd tube.
43 Ricks Café
Much thought goes into the chunky chips at this informal restaurant. In summer, they are made from Jersey Royal potatoes; the colder months see a shift to the Cyprus variety. The chips are cooked in vegetable oil and served with Rick’s homemade chilli jam, or as our reviewer enjoyed them, with chargrilled pork fillet and a fried egg whose yolk oozed delectably into the chips. Bliss.
Rick’s Café, 122 Mitcham Rd, SW17 9NH (020 8767 5219) Tooting Broadway tube.
42 Red Veg
Founded by two travellers who met by chance in Vietnam, Red Veg is an ethically-led establishment offering vegetarian fast food. Even if you don’t hunger much for beanburgers, the amazing chips make it worth a visit. The long, thin fries are bought frozen and fried just once in vegetable oil before serving. There’s the revolutionary option of vegan mayo to enjoy with them; otherwise there’s mayo, ketchup, barbecue or hickory sauces.
Red Veg, 95 Dean St, W1V 5RB (020 7437 3109) Tottenham Court Rd tube.
41 Belgo Noord
Never thicker than 10mm – and that’s a promise, otherwise Belgo’s chips would not be Belgian. We tend to favour this north London branch as a more peaceable alternative to the busy Covent Garden sibling. At both, however, you can expect a mountain of skinny golden fries cooked in vegetable oil and served with a pot of Belgian imported mayonnaise.
Belgo Noord, 72 Chalk Farm Rd, NW1 8AN (020 7267 0718) Chalk Farm tube.
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6 comments
Upscale is different than top range restaurants where they actually prepare fresh food on the premises. I love skin on chips and I think fried potato skins such a cheap dish that fits for the compost!
C. Elder
If you want to generalise about other people's countries then how's this:
-The Iraq War
-The BNP
-The WHOLE of British Imperialism
-The Canadian black bears that get killed each year to make those stupid hats that the guards at Buckingham Palace wear. One bear pelt to make one hat. Nice.
Imagine how ridiculous it would be if I harassed random British Citizens about the above.
Secondly,
I have never even seen a baby harp seal nor do I condone the culling of them to which you refer.
It's great that you're against it but I find it very odd that you use this point to label an ENTIRE nation of individuals as Philistines.
Lastly why did you have to turn a simple, friendly debate about chips into something political?
In Canada chips always have the skin on unless you are buying shitty fries from some fast-food chain.
The skins are both delicious and nutritious. I have yet to have a chip in England with the skin on.
Sorry mate,but having worked in an upscale restaurant,you never get a choice of skins on or off,you only find out when served,or if you ask,but they wont peel them just for you if they serve with skins on,as they are doing large batches of them(usually bought in and not done by hand for each order) and can't keep them separate(and if skins are off,they won't do them with skins on just for you either).And as for what gets washed in a restaurant and how thorough that wash is.....you are a bit naive.
I disagree with what you say. As potatoes grow below the ground any manure doesnt come into contact with the skin as it sits on the surface of the soil. The same applies to fertiliser. Nutrients from manure and/or fertiliser are absorbed into the potato and dont cling to the surface ie the skin. Even if they did, a wash under the tap removes contaminents. I think potatoes with skins do taste betterthan those without skins. Usually you are offered both options in a restaurant so I cant see how your cost saving arguement is valid.
Can't believe you fall for this nonsense about leaving the skin on the potato for "goodness" .On the farm,we were always taught that if it grows below ground(potato,carrot etc) you ALWAYS PEEL it,to get rid of the fertiliser,manure etc etc.The only reason restaurants leave the skin on is to do less work,so they don't have to pay staff to do it.Don't fall for the skin on myth.