The Victims: Me, Myself, and I
The Damage: 10 quid, with wine!
So in a taxi one day, I’m talking restaurants with my taxi driver. He says, "Fish Central. That’s a taxi driver hang out. You should check it out." I have adopted the logic that while in the US, you should always eat where the cops eat. Cops appreciate a good value. In London, you should always eat where the taxi drivers eat, as they to understand that good food doesn’t have to cost a fortune. So I dutifully sent myself over to Fish Central later that evening for a take-away.
I returned home with my catch, comforably surrounded by cardboard boxes. I unwrapped my gift to myself. One large piece of cod, and a whole lot of chips. The Cod was delicious. Dare I guess it was fresh, as opposed to that frozen, overly breaded, old schnitzel like stuff you usually get? It was flaky and buttery. Good stuff.
The chips, on the other hand, were soggy. Bad. They could have used another few minutes in the fryer. Do these people not know to leave the chips in until they float to the top???? They weren’t bad tasting, but they weren’t good either.
I returned to Fish Central a week or two later. This time, I ate in. I grabbed a seat by the dining counter that looks out on the courtyard. Unfortunately, I was right by the menus, so the entire time I was eating, people kept coming and taking menus from above my head. Also, I clarified that I wanted white wine with my meal about 5 times, and the girl still brought me red. Must be my accent.
The fish, again, was delish. The chips, again, were crap. WHY? I don’t understand.
I’m going to give Fish Central a few more tries. One, because it’s cheap. Two, because it’s cute…the dining area is very clean and neat and modern. Three, because it’s neighborhoody, and the people in there seem like a good cross-section of the English. Fourth, because I like fish and chips! And these are still pretty good.
The Verdict: There is no reason not to go. Try eating in. They have a pretty extensive seafood menu, and they cook the seafood in lots of different ways and with different sauces.
149 Central Street
EC1V 8AP
Tel: 020 7253 4970
Date of Last Visit: Multiple
1 comment
I love Fish Central! I’m not local and like you found it by accident – talking to cabbies. It is a bit of a pain to get to / from unless one is taking a cab, but the food (I have only ever eaten in) is excellent value. I love their grilled fish. THe atmosphere is fun. There are smart City types for the cheap meal as well as East Enders celebrating their birthdays. Wish I could get more people to go with me.
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