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After eight months at Soho’s Berwick Street Market, the folks behind the excellently named fish and chips stall, The Chipping Forecast, have made the move from pop-up to permanent with a cosy neighbourhood restaurant in Notting Hill. With shabby-chic turquoise chairs, reclaimed wooden interiors and photographs of fishermen on the walls, the decor hints at a nautical theme but thankfully stops short of twee seaside knick-knacks.
While you won’t get the sea air around these parts, the fish is as fresh as it can be this side of the M25 – it’s sustainably caught in Cornwall and goes from sea to plate within 48 hours. There’s a choice of battered cod or haddock, or you can have your fish grilled or coated in panko breadcrumbs if you’ve got an aversion to deep-fried food. Having quite the opposite, I ordered the BrewDog beer-battered cod and triple-cooked chips. The fish was fresh and dipped in a light batter, and the chips were a winning combination of crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The generously portioned monkfish scampi was a far cry from your average chippy’s, where you’re never quite sure what lurks beneath the batter.
But some traditions shouldn’t be meddled with, so purists will be pleased to hear that there are pickled eggs, curry sauce and free scraps. Just don’t expect a battered saveloy.