The best fish and chips in Singapore

For classic British pub fare, it’s a no-brainer: head over to Lad & Dad in Tanjong Pagar. They’re known for their hearty grub – there aren’t any fancy-schmancy airs over at this humble pub and they’ve got an endless list of craft beers to match. Though a pint of a crisp Pilsner Urquell goes best with the grub. On to the fish and chips (from $22.42) – it comes as beer-battered Atlantic haddock, with a serve of thick-cut chips. When cutting in, make sure to have a smear of the gherkin tartare, a hefty spoonful of the mushy peas, and a splash of malt vinegar.

If it’s a restaurant with Marco Pierre White’s name on it, you can be sure that it’s one to impress. Straying away from the label of “fine-dining”, this quintessential British restaurant along Mohamed Sultan Road still makes for an elegant space for a memorable meal out. Try the beer-battered black cod ($68) that’s served with triple-cooked chips and a tartare sauce, but for something leaner on the wallet, the beer-battered Greenland halibut ($20) should be enough to satiate. The English House is also one of the rare spots in Singapore that serves up a traditional Sunday roast.

Changi Road might not be the immediate location that comes to mind when you envision a hearty meal of fish and chips in Singapore. Previously known as Pig N Whistle, this neighbourhood pub has a cult following for its lineup of natural beers, ales, stouts and ciders that are imported directly from the UK. The beer-battered Hoki N Chips ($20.90) features wild-caught New Zealand cold water hoki coated in a secret beer batter recipe for ultimate crispiness and served with housemade tartare sauce.

Opened by the same guys behind Lad & Dad, come to Lad & Co expecting freshly prepared chunks of golden beer battered haddock (from $19.90) served with heaps of thick-cut chips – the traditional way. The batter’s so crisp that you can hear your knife scrape satisfyingly over it. Cut through the golden brown crust to get to the tender, fleshy middle, and pair it with homemade mushy peas, gherkin salsa, or the crowd-favourite curry sauce. Lad & Co is also tucked away in an unsuspecting location just off the Orchard Road belt, so you might just be able to get some respite from the thronging crowds in town.

As the first Irish pub to open in Singapore way back in 1995, Molly Malone’s is perhaps the cornerstone of everything Irish in Singapore. This place has the honour of being designed and built in Ireland, then shipped to Singapore and re-assembled at Circular Road. Swig back a pint of Guinness here, and make sure you pair it with Molly’s Famous Fish & Chips ($18). The simple white fillet is battered and deep-fried to a delectable golden brown. Add on mushy peas with bacon for $3 or upgrade to haddock for $4. The dish comes served with chips, fresh lemon and tartare sauce.

This long-standing fish and chips joint at Balmoral Plaza is a true classic and has been around since 2010. The standard dory and chips start at $28.50, but you can also choose from more premium fish fillets such as the halibut ($31), cod or haddock (from $28.50). Even the wholetail Whitby scampi ($29) is a crowd favourite, featuring golden-breaded scampi that’s served alongside crunchy pink coleslaw. All of the fish are flown in directly from the UK and the restaurant only uses MSC-certified cod. On top of that, Smiths serves only thick-cut chips as it absorbs less oil during the frying process.

This pub along Boat Quay is named after the UK’s first postal stamp, The Penny Black. Back in the day, these black-and-white stamps cost just a penny – the equivalent of around 25 pence today. When a restaurant warns you that there might be fish bones in a classic fish and chips though, you know that it’ll be a sure-fire winner. Here, it's a freshly filleted red snapper ($26) is battered in an age-old ale recipe and deep fried at precisely 290 degrees celsius for a light crisp. It’s then served with straight-cut skin-on fries, homemade mushy peas and tartar sauce. Complete the meal with a pint of one of the seven international beers on tap, from Kilkenny and Guinness, to Heineken, Strongbow Cider, Old Speckled Hen, Tiger, and Erdinger Weissbier.

For a fresh serve of seafood, there’s none other than Greenwood Fish Market. It’s an oldie, but still a goodie, with a house fish and chips ($24.95) that makes the most of a top-grade catfish fillet, or whatever the seasonal catch of the day is. Otherwise, you can opt for a fish fillet of your choice, with the likes of red snapper, black cod, barramundi, and plenty more – simply ask for it to be battered and fried. Of course, you can’t walk away without trying the oysters. Slurp down anything from Australian Coffin Bay oysters ($5.95 per piece) for clean, crisp and sweet flavours, or the French Fine de Claire ($4.95 per piece) for a more delicate profile

This restaurant in Shaw Centre might be known for their fried fish soup, but they also do a mean serve of fish and chips ($20.22). Their rendition is breaded rather than battered, with salad and chips on the side. Don’t expect anything too fancy though – it’s more of an old-school establishment, but it’s still well-respected for its classic steakhouse lineup.