The 21 best fish and chips in Australia

Located in the idyllic coastal village of Coledale, about a 20-minute drive from Wollongong, is Rosie’s Fish & Chips – home to the best fish and chips in the state, according to Time Out Sydney Editor Avril Treasure. The family-owned shop serves sustainable, wild-caught Aussie fish – such as gurnard, flathead, sea bream, blue mackerel and pink ling – all sourced directly from local fishermen. Opt to get it grilled or beer-battered in an ale from Wollongong’s Principle Brewing and add on chips – they’re triple-cooked until deeply bronzed, then finished with a generous dusting of salt. There are a handful of blue tables out the front, but your best bet is to waddle down the hill and enjoy your lunch on the grassy patch in front of Sharky Beach with front-row ocean views.

Time Out tip: This place pumps daily, so you may want to order online ahead of time. Or accept there’ll be a wait and go for a stroll, or dive into a page-turner.

Address: 757 Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Coledale, NSW

“Fresh off the boat” is the catchphrase at Batemans Bay’s beloved seafood institution. The Innes Family have been catching, cooking and serving the freshest fish and chips since 1955. The menu changes daily depending on what they catch, but you can expect fish and chip meal deals, family packs, fresh salads, oyster trays and prawn bowls. Grab your tucker, settle on the back deck and soak up the sparkling views of the bay.

Time Out tip: For the full experience, join one of The Boatshed’s leisurely lunch cruises along the Clyde River, departing at 11.30am daily. The cruise includes their famous fish and chips, plus complimentary hot drinks and a licensed bar.

Address: 1 Clyde St, Batemans Bay, NSW

With all its fishing towns and welcoming little local-run shops, it's a crime not to order some fish and chips for lunch by the water on NSW’s South Coast. Pelican Rocks is just down past Nowra in the Shoalhaven region and is your one-stop shop for all things seafood. They don’t just dish up a mean battered fillet – they source local oysters and have lots of seafood packs that mix fresh and fried bites. The restaurant is still casual but more of a sit-down venue than the traditional fish and chips shop.

Time Out tip: If you want to fancy it up a bit, Pelican Rocks also does seafood towers and cocktails.

Address: 117 Greenwell Point Rd, Greenwell Point, NSW 

With 5,500 reviews and counting, plus an average 4.1-star rating, Charis Seafoods is officially Australia’s most popular fish and chips shop. This bustling takeaway joint – which also doubles as one of Queensland’s biggest seafood markets – has been scaling, battering and frying up the freshest seafood from Australia and beyond for more than 13 years. Both locals and tourists swing by to pick up fresh fish, prawns, lobsters, oysters, crabs and sashimi, or grab a cooked-to-order fisherman’s basket to enjoy while overlooking the water (just watch out for the cheeky seagulls).

Time Out tip: Charis Seafoods is perhaps best known for its daily pelican feeding sessions. At 1.30pm, large crowds gather on the beach to watch the staff feed around 100 hungry birds. You’re pretty much getting lunch and a free show!

Address: 371 Marine Parade, Labrador, Gold Coast, QLD

You can't talk about fish in Brisbane without talking about Costa's. In both 2019, 2021 and 2022, this place on Old Cleveland Road was named Queensland's Best Fish and Chips by the Great Australian Fish & Chip Awards. The owners, Maria, Chris and Costa Tapinos, have more than 30 years of experience in delicious things from the deep, and the family atmosphere is as palpable as the quality and value of what's on offer. A standard fish dinner comes with salad, chips, lemon and tartare – and you can have your fish crumbed, battered or grilled. Costa's also does a range of seafood platters, both hot and cold, and old schoolers can get burgers, potato scallops, battered sav, dim sims or a Chiko Roll.

Time Out tip: Beat the line and order online.

Address: 108 Old Cleveland Rd, Capalaba, QLD

Floating on Hobart’s Constitution Dock, Flippers serves up fast, freshly cooked fish and chips seven days a week. It’s the full waterfront experience that earns the chippery a spot on this list – grab a box of golden goodness and enjoy it by the harbour (weather permitting). There are plenty of meal deals, including the ultimate fisherman’s basket loaded with battered flake, scallop, crab stick, prawn cutlet, calamari rings, fish cocktails and thick-cut chips. Add a potato cake, a fried dim sum and a tub of tartare sauce, and you’ve got yourself a proper feast. How flippin’ good!

Time Out tip: For dessert, head next door to Van Diemens Land Creamery. The pepperberry and leatherwood honey is a winner.

Address: 1 Constitution Dock, Hobart, TAS

Down Under, we all love a good chippy, and there's no denying that the best hot chips are the ones that are hand-cut. Fraggles source all their produce in Tasmania, so you can expect it to be super fresh, from the potatoes to the flathead and gummy shark that they use for their fish fillets. Expect a golden crumb and plenty of chicken salt. They’re even one step ahead of your traditional hole-in-the-wall fish shop with an online ordering page so you can skip the waiting and make sure your feed is nice and hot as soon as you pull up for pickup.

Time Out tip: Fraggles closes on Sundays, so plan accordingly!

Address: 297 Invermay Rd, Invermay, Launceston, TAS

If fish and chips weren’t already a nostalgic enough dish with flaky white meat and crispy potato cakes, The Fish Van is serving up the goods in adorable brown paper takeaway cones that make for super easy snacking. Their slogan is “fresh from our boat to you”, so you get to choose exactly what they cook to order – are you a battered, crumbed or grilled person? There’s also a decent spread of other delicious bites, like fish burgers, cray rolls and ridiculously cheap oysters. For dessert, the little kids (and big kids too) will look forward to the extensive array of ice cream.

Time Out tip: We hear the steak sandwich is also a winner.

Address: 19 Esplanade W, Triabunna, TAS

This Richmond favourite is an inner-city institution that serves decadent seafood platters of the highest quality. Unassuming fish and chips might not be your first thought when dining in this light-filled bistro, but we implore you to reconsider. First, pick your fish from the extensive range, then choose from one of four preparation styles. The result is a well-cooked piece of fish with perfect chippies (you can pick salad as a side, but that's not why we're here).

Time Out tip: After your lunch, grab some fish from the wholesale section and try to recreate the glory at home.

Address: 437 Church St, Richmond, Melbourne, VIC

Not just a “fish and chip restaurant”, Hooked is a celebration of the sea, serving up the freshest daily catches from local fishermen in Albany, Denmark and Bremer Bay. In 2024, these reeled in the title of Australia’s Best Takeaway Fish and Chips at the National Seafood Industry Awards, adding yet another accolade to its trophy shelf. A classic fish and chips here will set you back just $18, with your fish available lightly battered and fried, or grilled with a choice of lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning. A generous portion of thick, crispy chips seals the deal, and for a touch of nostalgia, you can even throw in a pineapple fritter or Chiko roll. 

Time Out tip: You can stroll five minutes to Middleton Beach for a sundown session with your takeaway in tow.

Address: 12/20 Adelaide Cres, Middleton Beach, Albany, WA

On a sunny day, few things beat classic fish and chips by the Fremantle Harbour – and Kailis Fishmarket Café delivers it perfectly. This longstanding Fremantle fishery offers Western Australia’s most extensive range of fresh local seafood across three counters: fry, raw bar and barbecue. The classic fish and chips can be fried or grilled, with extras like squid rings, potato scallops and mushy peas. Over at the barbecue counter, you’ll find whole grilled fish, alongside lobster and prawns, while the raw bar serves up pickled oysters, chilled Moreton Bay bugs and sashimi. Truly a seafood feast!

Time Out tip: The seafood chowder in a roll is legendary for a reason.

Address: 46 Mews Rd, Fremantle, WA

Ocean and Paddock’s big blue shopfront plays facade to plates of gorgeously crumbed fillets and piles of golden chips. Forget digital menus, or even printed ones, because the offerings are written up by hand on chalkboards all around the joint. Aside from all the classics, Ocean and Paddock have some enticing and interesting specials, like baked brie, buttermilk lobster burgers, battered mushroom wedges and crumbed sardines, and for dessert, deep-fried Mars bars. The daily catch varies daily but regularly features snapper, hammerhead shark and blue groper, all from the area.

Time Out tip: Whatever you pick, it’s best enjoyed on the sands of Middleton Beach at sunset.

Address: 116 Middleton Rd, Middleton Beach, Albany, WA

Dolphin Fish Ship won the people’s choice award for Best Fish and Chips in South Australia 2022 – so you know they're good. Almost every type of fish here is locally sourced, but for those meals where everyone just wants to eat something different, there is plenty of variety. Aside from their specialty of butterfish, Dolphin Fish Shop dishes up nugget and schnitzel boxes; yiros packs with meat, onion, chips and garlic sauce; Aussie-fave chicken chippies, falafel rolls and burgers. To top it all off, you can finish with a cheeky fried dessert like their hot doughnuts, banana fritters or pineapple fritters.

Time Out tip: Get the chips and gravy – you can't beat a classic.

Address: 284B Marion Rd, Netley, Adelaide, SA 

If you order a classic fillet of battered fish from a fish and chips shop, chances are it's either hoki or basa because they’re so cheap. At Frying Nemo, they showcase the best produce that the Northern Territory has to offer. That being? The humble barramundi. There’s actually a whole list of fresh fish to choose from, and you can decide if you’d like it beer battered, tempura battered, crumbed or grilled.

Time Out tip: Take your catch of the day to one of the picnic tables and enjoy waterfront views of the Tipperary Waters Marina.

Address: 10/90 Frances Bay Dr, Stuart Park, Darwin, NT