Polydish city guide

Best Fish and chips in New York

“One of the few foods not rationed during both World Wars, fish and chips became a symbol of British resilience.”

Fish and chips

What the real thing tastes like

Fish and chips is a hot dish consisting of battered and fried fish, served with chips. Often considered the national dish of the United Kingdom, fish and chips originated in England in the 19th century. Today, the dish is a common takeaway food in numerous other countries, particularly English-speaking and Commonwealth nations. Fish-and-chip shops first appeared in the UK in the 1860s, and by 1910 there were over 25,000 of them across the UK. This increased to over 35,000 by the 1930s, but eventually decreased to approximately 10,000 by 2009. The British government safeguarded the supply of fish and chips during the First World War and again in the Second World War. It was one of the few foods in the UK not subject to rationing during the wars, which further contributed to its popularity.

0 voices, one story

Fish and chips arrived in England during the 19th century as a hot, straightforward pairing—battered and fried fish alongside chips—and became so embedded in British life that it earned the title of national dish. By the early 1900s, fish-and-chip shops had proliferated across the UK with remarkable speed, reaching over 25,000 locations by 1910. The dish's cultural staying power deepened during two world wars, when the British government deliberately protected its supply chain and kept it off the rationing lists, cementing its place as comfort food through hardship.

Order it here when it has

  • national dish status
  • widespread availability by early 1900s
  • protected during wartime
  • unrationed during wars

Walk away when you see

    Restaurant-level rankings for New York land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —

    Fish and chips on Polydish →