As soon as I get back to the UK I get a hankering for fish and chips so strong that I usually have it within 48 hours of being home.
And this was what happened at Ben’s Traditional Fish and Chips just after we had visited the opening day of the World Travel Market at the Expo Centre London Docklands. Oh yes, we also got a lot of free swag there too.
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What the Ben’s Traditional Fish and Chips?
Ben’s Traditional Fish and Chips opened in the heart of London’s West End and is perched on Shaftesbury Avenue in the Covent Garden‑Soho theatre land. The business claims daily deliveries of fresh fish direct from Billingsgate Market and the kitchen peels and hand‑cuts the potatoes onsite.
It’s owned by local brothers who decided to skip the flash gimmicks and stick to proper battered fish and chips in the action of the city. The venue has a little upstairs seating and a basement dining space, making it more than just a take‑away, though it still carries the old‑school chippy charm.
Menu at Ben’s Traditional Fish and Chips
The menu at Ben’s is exactly what it needs to be without going into the silly zone. You’ll find fish and chips, saveloys, sausages, pickled eggs. Don’t expect deep‑fried Mars Bars, mushy pea fritters or fried chicken (heaven forbid!).
Sample Menu
- Cod & Chips ~ £16.50 for a generous portion.
- Haddock & Chips – comparable price in the high teens.
- Saveloy & Chips – a bit cheaper, around £12‑14.
- Side of pickled eggs or sausage – around £4‑5.
- Soft drink or pint of beer – extra.
It is though far from cheap, something I’ll circle back to later.
The food and ambience at Ben’s Fish and Chips
OK, so this is a proper old‑school chipper with scant room upstairs, but a cool basement with more seating, as well as a toilet. The staff run around like blue‑arced flies in the small area taking orders and turning tables.
Behind the counter you can see the fish being battered, which gives the air a slightly fishy pong. That’s OK though because there are only two things that smell of fish in there, and one of them is fish. The food came out pretty quick. We had two fish and chips, plus a saveloy and chips for our group.
The chips were done very well — not too greasy, proper golden. The same goes for the fish: no gross overbattered wreckage, just crisp shell and soft flakey white flesh. And you can never beat a saveloy. So, pretty decent all round. But because there were three of us sitting down in central London it came to over $65 USD or about £53. Them’s the rub and part of the course when you eat out in the West End. So decent enough, probably a good 5/7 — worth a visit if you’re nearby, but not worth jumping on the Tube just for here.
Click to read about British Street Food.
Address of Ben’s Traditional Fish and Chips
Ben’s Traditional Fish and Chips
200 Shaftesbury Avenue
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 8JL
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7240 3348
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benstraditionalfishandchips