Sometimes when you’re away from home, it can be overwhelming to constantly pick out places to eat. Don’t worry, we have got you covered!
The best meals we have aren’t always the fanciest, it’s about timing, location and freshness of ingredients. With clean water lining the South Coast, it’s not surprising there’s access to some of the country’s best seafood. In fact, there is something synonymous with ‘a trip down the coast’ and some darn good ‘fish n’ chips’.
To help you enjoy nothing but crisp batter and the freshest seafood, we’ve put together a list. We have eaten our way through the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, finding the best fish and chips for you to add to your itinerary.
What Makes a Good Fish and Chips Shop?
When it comes to choosing what makes a good fish and chips, there are few key factors to consider, like regular or chicken salt and is there a nice place to sit when I enjoy this.
When we were carrying out our research, we thought about the following criteria to choose the South Coast’s five best fish and chipperies.
- Freshness and Quality: The fish and seafood should have a crispy, flavorful batter (if ordered this way) as well as being firm and flaky. The chips should be more than just oil and salt. Good chips should have a potatoey taste, crisp crust and piping-hot white interior.
- Location Location Location: Nothing compliments some fish & chips like a nice view.
- Service With a Smile: Employees should be welcoming, effective, and accommodating to customer requests (more tartare, please!). Minimal wait times during busy times is also a plus.
- Portion Size and Value for Money: The key is to strike a balance between quantity and quality.
- Cleanliness and Hygiene: The venue should be clean, food safety standards adhered to, guaranteeing a high quality of product is delivered.
Now let’s see which five passed the test and made it into our best fish and chips on the South Coast.
Pelican Rocks Cafe
Greenwell Point
Address: 117 Greenwell Point Rd, Greenwell Point NSW 2540 ( Get Directions )
If you’re wondering where to get the best fish and chips in the Nowra and Jervis Bay area, this is it. These guys are famous, they have been the NSW winner of the Great Australian Fish and Chip Award several times over in both judges and people’s choice categories. Once you come and sample the goods, you’ll understand what all the hype is about.
From simple fish and chips, to a hot and cold seafood platter, these guys nail it. Whether you decide to grab a table in the cafe, or takeaway to the adjacent park, you won’t be disappointed. The Crookhaven River surrounds the area, you won’t have to walk to enjoy your meal with a view of it. Across the road is a fishing wharf, each day local trawlers dock to deliver their catch, you can’t get fresher than that.
But that’s not all. If you aren’t fancying the seafood, they also serve all-day breakfast, are fully-licensed and have great burgers. Open 7 days a week from 9 -2.30pm, it’s no wonder why Pelican Rocks Cafe serves some of the best fish and chips on the South Coast.
Something Seafood
Callala Bay
Address: 2/57-59 Emmett St, Callala Bay NSW 2540 ( Get Directions )
Now, aren’t you lucky? Here is another past winner of the Great Australian Fish and Chip Awards that made our list, and we can taste exactly why. Offering you the ‘total seafood experience’, this is the best fish and chip shop in Callala Bay, a small town on the Northern side of Jervis Bay. If you fancy music with your meal, they have live local bands at lunchtime Sundays.
Whether it’s Maryann’s signature spring rolls or Jamie’s best grilled fish, you know that quality is not scrimped on here. Fresh, not frozen seafood is skillfully prepared, so be aware menu items can run out. A day at the beach can work up quite an appetite, it’s great to know Something Seafood is there to help. Open from Tuesday to Sunday with lunch and dinner sittings.
Fish Vibes, Jones Beach
Kiama Downs
Address: 13 Johnson St, Kiama Downs NSW 2533 ( Get Directions )
The ‘new kid on the block’ in our list of great places for fish and chips, Fish Vibes is a small takeaway store in an unassuming group of shops at Kiama downs. We ate our way through Kiama, but it wasn’t until we ventured the 7 minutes drive North, that we found a list-worthy seafood meal.
Fish Vibes offers some really tasty food with an innovative seafood menu. From the pink salt & cracked pepper squid with squid ink mayo, to the Balter battered barra roll with yuzu kosho mayo, you’re sure to find something interesting here. Fanciness aside, Fish Vibes cook great fish and chips in a choice of four different Australian fish. They also had our favourite side salad out of all the places we visited.
Seating is limited, so walk over to Jones Beach and enjoy your food in the park next to the water. Jones beach is a really good beach for the whole family with great swimming and surfing. Fish Vibes is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11.30am to 7.30pm, there’s online ordering which is great for minimising wait time.
Levendi Kiosk
Wollongong
Address: 81 Cliff Road, Wollongong NSW 2500 ( Get Directions )
Levendi is a kiosk style establishment on the shores of Wollongong Harbour. Great fish & chips, amazing views and ample outdoor seating both at the venue and neighboring park.
For us, the location is what makes Lavendi so special, there’s no better spot to enjoy a seafood meal. Busy most of the time, staff at Levendi are used to dealing with crowds, pumping out meal after meal efficiently. As well as fish and chips, Lavendi also serves good coffee, burgers and a range of ready-made sandwiches and wraps. For those avoiding fried food there are grilled seafood and salad options.
One of our favourite spots for fish and chips on the South Coast, come here to enjoy casual dining with an awesome view. Lavendi Kiosk is open Monday to Sunday from 7am to 6pm.
Nowra Fresh Fish And Chips Takeaway
Nowra
Address: 2 East St, Nowra NSW 2541 ( Get Directions )
Nowra Fresh Fish & Meat Market is one of the South Coast’s premier suppliers of local seafood. For this reason, it’s no wonder the Nowra Fresh Takeaway Fish & Chips is so well regarded in the Nowra Region.
Don’t let the exterior of this little takeaway shop fool you. The hole-in-the-wall store offers some of the best local seafood, cooked fresh on the South Coast. What this place lacks in location, it more than makes up for in fresh, hot, fish and chip goodness. Once you’ve received your order, it’s only a few minutes drive to the shores of the Shoalhaven River and some beautiful scenery.
This small but mighty takeaway shop has some good value deals and specials that change regularly. It’s on the Princes Highway, so whether you are heading North or South, you won’t have to go out of your way to try this one out. Lunch is served at Nowra Fresh Takeaway Fish & Chips from 11AM to 5PM, Wednesday through Sunday.
Whether you’re looking to dine-in with the family or eat your takeaway at a seafront location, New South Wales has some of its best fish and chip shops on the South Coast. With award winning establishments, the freshest product and great value packs, you can guarantee you’ll have one of the best fish and chip experiences at one of our Five ‘Must Try’ Fish & Chips on the South Coast.
