Anstruther Fish Bar in Fife

Popped in for fish and chip. Offered a table quite quickly. The tables are solid park bench type, not the most comfortable. We were served by a trainee, who had minimal personality, and no smile. We had 3 orders and drinks, and twice had the waitress to return to confirm the order. Appreciate we all have to learn, but a smile on returning to make sure she got order correct would probably have helped her... The fish and chips come with bread and butter. This must be the cheapest bread around, looked unappetising (Didn't eat!) Most fish & chips come with a portion of tartar sauce, but not here. The meal was good, no complaints there, but everything is for a quick turn round. Been, won't be going back, bit of a let down.

Very nice and delicious meal. Thank you so much.

I first came to the fish bar about 27 years ago and had smoked finnan haddock as a takeaway, eaten on the harbour a stones throw away. It was utterly delicious, one of my happiest ever food memories. Only yesterday did I visit again, whilst visiting Edinburgh. We ate in this time and drove for 3 hours in total. Was it worth it? Well that depends on just how high you consider the bar for fish & chips is - we're not talking high end French cuisine here. For me, the second time around wasn't as great as the first, but was still, a 5* chippy experience. The food was lovely, the staff helpful, and the ice cream varied. Perhaps just don't travel so far just to try it. And maybe check the weather so you don't have to eat in, and possibly try to visit in your early 20's when your core memories are still being formed!

Visited this famous chippie a few times over the years always excellent so looking forward to a beautiful fish, freshly cooked, meaty and translucent. Just the way it should be. Alas it all went down hill my expectations were shattered so what happened. We got in and ordered just before a boys football team hurray, alas they were all served before us. This wouldn't have been too bad but we had a three year old to entertain. Then the fish and chips arrived, a small fish and a bit of another fish. More batter than fish, over cooked and greasy. When you pay top dollar, and you do in the Ainster chippie, you expect top quality alas this was not. Then you pay where they serve ice cream you have to wait until people have ordered and paid for their cones. This system needs to be improved. Let me say the staff tried their best. I think like a fading pop star this place is living on its reputation.

Great place for a chippy We love it.

Best cod and chips I have ever had !!!!

First time being there was disappointed. Fish was tasteless for £14 it's not worth it.

Fish was good but chips were a bit hard and crispy. Was disappointed after hearing how popular it was.

Maybe we got lucky, but we enjoyed our lunch at Anstruther Fish Bar in early October. We arrived after the main lunch crowd and were seated quickly. We didn't quite understand the slices of bread and pats of butter that were quickly brought to us, but we don't complain about being given bread. It wasn't dry as others have mentioned. We all ordered the fish lunch. I also ordered mushy peas because--well, just because. They weren't my favorite, but I tried them! The experience was positive, the food was tasty, the staff were pleasant.

Fresh and cooked to order, hugely recommend.

Fish and chips good, but not special. Eaten as well if not better at Tails End St Andrews , Murphy's Broughty Ferry, Trawler Golspie. Service atrocious. Can accept queue to get in, but not 45 mins wait to have order taken and then further 30 min wait to be served.

Best fish & chips ever! Had to queue for quite a while but so worth the wait!

Food was delicious 😋 service excellent from friendly mature ladies who worked hard to ensure we had everything we needed. Highly recommend 👌

Simple and true environment. The fish and chips are dreamy. The ice cream is also worth a try.

Great pib with beer garden. Great food available.

Great fish supper, brilliant that it includes your tea and bread. No frills place but comfortable and quick service. Nice ice cream on the way out too 😁

I'd heard a lot about this place and it did not disappoint, it was excellent 👏

Very good fish and chips. The battery is lovely. Expect to queue as this place is popular. Be aware there are other chip shops in the town if you are in a hurry.

Bitterly disappointed with fish and chips Very greasy and left a nasty aftertaste Avoid at all cost eat there at your peril

came back here again as my bestie boo boo bear Tom Holland, recommended I come back here with an open mind so I came back JUST for him. I got the traditional fish and chips with a side of curry sauce which was extortionate as it was £2.20 which is just insane if you ask me. thankfully my bestie boo boo bear Tom Holland paid for my meal in advance so I didn't have to pay the extortionate price of everything. the meal I got was alright, nothing special if you ask me. just normal fish and chips. curry sauce tasted a tad weird but oh well, it's 'not their specialty' so apparently 'it doesn't count' but nothing I can do about it. the fish was decent, fell apart very easily tho and hard to dip in my EXTORTIONATE curry sauce but oh well. chips were alright I guess, I've had better (in dumbarton) . they also told me to choose in taking two drinks, a hot drink and cold drink which i found was obscurely insane. coffee OR tea which is very caffeinated and not good for your general health. the staff were nice. everybody kept staring at us as we had a baby with us but the staff didn't tell them to keep their eyes to themselves which is also insane. very bully-like if you ask me. but apart from all that, very good!!!!! you know you love me, xoxo.

We were looking forward to a fish supper today from the Anstruther Fish Bar but to say we were disappointed is an understatement. We were served thin, overcooked, tasteless, tough fish and greasy chips. A business relying on its past reputation and needs to go back to the drawing board when it comes to frying fish. We will not be back.

Good service and excellent fish and chips. Very busy though.

Good food long queue as anticipated for a place as famous as this

Having visited and purchased Fish and Chips at the Anstruther Fish Bar on a number of occasions,I could not wait to return.Sadly,this will be my last trip.I was dining in,there was a free table when I arrived which was great as the queues can be lengthy,especially at the weekend.I ordered the breaded haddock and chips,with a side of prawn cocktail.My order arrived after a short wait,I was given a slice of bread with a portion of butter,the bread was so hard,like it had been sitting out for quite a while.The haddock was hot,but overcooked and was small in size compared to the portion I have been served on other trips.The fish was extremely tough and didn’t taste very fresh,not what I have come to expect from this establishment.The prawn cocktail was nicely presented and the portion size good but tasted like it had been just taken out of a tub,similar to what I could have bought at a supermarket.The service was good but I was so disappointed with the food quality.I really feel,in my opinion,that this establishment may be ‘Living off it’s reputation and previous awards’.For me,the quality of the dishes here has gone downhill and I would recommend the owners pay attention as this is a great shame.I will return to Anstruther but will try somewhere different for fish and chips.

Fanfeckintastic Fish was superb. Curry sauce with the chips had a lovely spice kick too

Has to be either the best or one of the best chip shops in scotland. always come here on a cheeky ocasion and the food is just top notch. Staff are always cheerful and polite and fast servicing. always enjoy coming here for the view and food. Hope this place goes on for years 💪

Shame as I had heard so much about this place but never actually went inside to eat. The first time, the queue was so long, but as I walked by, there was a strong smell of fish. We planned to go mid-week, when it was quieter, but again got outside and the smell of fish put me off. Not good. I always feel that when there is a particular smell of fish, the fish is not fresh. Went along the road to the Wee Chippy, no smell of fish inside or out, so had our meal there.

Friendly staff, nice atmosphere. Comfortable seating, very clean and tidy. Cracking fish and chips.

Without doubt the best fish and chips eaten in Scotland. Tasty and huge portion

Good but poorly organized for take away An endless queue in the middle of the afternoon A single line for people eating on site and for those taking away

Superb as usual, food nice and fresh quick service, but the fish has definitely got smaller.

One of the best fish and chips I have ever had in my life, delicious

The best fish and chips ever. Still as good as the first trip

Delicious lightly battered fish

Best fish and chips I’ve ever had. Ordered them to take away and ate them over looking the harbour. What more could you want.

Excellent Fish & Chip by the seaside

Excellent food fish to die for as was the white pudding everybody try it

Fish and chips as it should be, very tasty! Yummie

Definitely best fish and chips !

Possibly the best fish and chips I've ever had

Very good chippy with a good range on their menu.

Fish and chips, in a box, even eating in. Freshly cooked and going by the people visiting as popular as ever.

First visit in a few years and still the same excellent fish, chips and mushy peas, definitely the best in the area. Service was quick too, just the job.

Great staff, lovely food, no pressure to leave.

As they say, one of the best fish and chips we had in our Scotland trip! They are very well organized and fast to serve the seated customers either the take-away ones. Portions are big!

Sat outside on the harbour side on a very hot day eating what was probably the best fish and chips I've had. Not cheap but you get what you pay for.

Went there on 31 August 2024. Thought the fish and chips were poor, tough unrisen batter not crispy, chips were also badly cooked not brown and crispy, the home made Tartare sauce was the thing about the meal! Won't be back

Tried their traditional fish & chips, really good

Well that was disappointing, I know it's Scottish but should they still not have cod ? Not keen on haddock so went for battered sole, it was average at best, chips average, service average, in fact so much average it was bad, didn't enjoy the food

Nice food nice staff bit pricey for food in a cardboard box,no atmosphere worth talking about

Used too be excellent. Has deteriorated since changing ownership. And way too expensive compared with other fish & chip shops in Fife. Won't be back

The fish and chips were as expected. 1st Class and delicious. Thank you Anstruther Fish Bar. Keep up the great service.

Unbelievably slow, such a strange ordering system and weren’t busy at all

It's the first time I've ever left a fish and chip shop hungry, aye nice small fish n chips, 1 slice of bread n butter and mug of tea £14.00 good value but a bit wee.

Might have been fish restaurant of the year in 2019 but won’t be winning any prizes serving dried up fish like this. Really disappointing considering we queued for half hour.

Food is banging, we had cod and chips, and battered prawn. We queued for take-away as the eat in queue is massive. Sit on the quay just outside, nicer than inside I reckon

Fish and chips, second to none!

In a very pleasant fishing village, you absolutely must go and taste excellent Fish and Chips.

Excellent fish and chips. Homemade tartar sauce is very good. It is pricey, but worth it!

Bang average for the UKs no1 chip shop, seating was nothing special, service not to great and food was just okay

Wonderful....you can't miss this wonder!!

I was really disappointed.i guess I was expecting more The chips were average at best and black pudding g was just average also.

Always a wonderful meal, good value and great service. Highly recommended

Not sure how the judges on the best fish & chips in the world panel found this the best chipper, we got 4 portions of fish & chips plus onion rings and tartare sauce, they didnt give us the tartare sauce, fish batter wasn't crispy enough, too much grease on the chips, taste wise it wasn't bad but our estimations were expecting better quality, nice sitting area right on the coastal road, not sure I'd go back

One of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had! If you can get here, do so, it’s worth your while

Deteriorated a lot over cooked fish dry inside but oily outside used to be the best not now by far / they get the money we get disappointments never again

Great food but a wait for a table. Thought tartar sauce being home made was expensive. Have had better fish elsewhere

This place is every bit as good as it's reputation. Food was excellent, staff friendly & efficient, facility clean & well organised. Being this good, there was a queue, but that was well-managed by the staff. First Class

Queued for over half an hour for takeout. Dreadfully slow service. Cramped space and nowhere to sit while waiting. Fish was dry,batter overdone, even though it appeared to be cooked to order. Chips were like cardboard. Best bit was the mushy peas. Grossly overpriced at nearly £30 for 2 fish suppers, peas, 2 bottles of water, tomato sauce and tartar sauce.

Use to be better years ago, still good fish and chips though

Best fish and chips on the east coast that I’ve been to.

There was a Que for takeaway but well worth the wait!

Always enjoy visiting the fish bar. Even been a local its always worth the drive and always take any visitors to Scotland there for the best chippy they have ever had. To add after many many visits, it truly is amazing how the food is consistently excellent 👏 👌

The worst fish and chips ever. Overcooked thin fish in batter. Chips tasted terrible 😞 My expectations were shattered as so many people recommended this fish bar and said it was the best fish and chips in Scotland. Definitely did not live up to it's expectations! When complained the second female waitress was insincere in her apology with no eye contact and with a curt angry manner. Would never return

So disappointed with the quality of the food. The battered haddock came in 2 small pieces and was really thin and overcooked. Chips were hard and again overcooked Not what I expected at all from the awards this restaurant has received

Food was excellent, but gluten free option - a disappointment- grilled fish with no seasoning in a box. Honestly, it doesn't take an effort to add some salt and a piece of lemon. It would actually make a difference. But the whole place is so busy (waiting time for a takeaway -45 minutes) that expecting this was impossible it seems.

Nice place right by the sea. The fish bar is highly praised, the food is ok. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether the journey here is worth it (approx. 1.5 hours from Edinburgh)

Not worth coming… not the best fish and chip winner quality. We were very disappointed with the experiences. Dine in needs $3 extra which is quite a lot. The young waitress were quite rude as well, we ordered the fish and chips, the waitress does not ask us what size (single or supper) and automatically charges us the supper price. we also ordered the salt and pepper squirt, $5.9 for six tiny pics

2.60 for a can of fantasy,let's you down,great food,great staff, but in the end I think you are greedy because of price of soft drinks

Fantastic food, friendly atmasphere , well worth a visit

Good fish and chips. Queue was ~20 on a Sunday lunch. No ketchup at table but will provide on request. Pittemween prawns were great but few, they add a small salad to pad it out. Still I would come back next time I'm in the Anstruther area.

We came here years ago and had a very nice experience and tbh today i was very dissatisfied... fish was dry and greasy and small ...chips were ok...got 1 fish for 14.99 was expensive for what I had ..seems to have gone down hill since last I came ...

Was a bit disappointed after my last visit. Really small piece of fish . I'll stick to the Wee Chippy. Should use real plates when eating in , especially with the price you pay.

Food is great, little pricey but quality is worth it. Added bonus of seeing a celebrity every now and then.

Very nice haddock and chips, there was quite a wait when I was there but the great food made up for that.

Day Trip Anstruther wee pop in for some ( Battered Fish ) Was a bit let down Batter was over cooked and fish was Wafer Thin Mabey Better Luck next time Staff was nice Girl with Butterfly on her neck served me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍

long waiting time for fish and chips, 15min around 2pm on tuesday (take away), was asked if i want salt and vinegar, i watned salt only, fish was extreamly salty. they should offer salt sachets so customers can salt to their own liking

Best fish and chips ever Also had a massive side salad. Always love it here

Excellent fish and Chips. Great service. Definitely go again. Excellent ice cream

The food is delicious. Continuously for over a dozen years.

We visited for a takeaway on a Friday afternoon and joined the queue which had about ten people in front of us which took about 45 minutes to get our food . The lady come up in the line taking your order which speeds things up. I honestly don't know why it takes so long there must be about 15 members of staff working . Anyway the food was lovely about the same standard as any good chippy shame not much for vegetarian ie cheese pies.

Super busy but worth the wait. Not sure I queue for the rather basic sit in option

Waited 30 mins for a table, but it was worth the wait Particularly impressed with the attention to detail from the waiting staff when cleaning and turning the tables. Top marks

Service was excellent but I had fishcakes and I would say they were overcooked

Food was good and sevice was polite. However after entering the cafe by the wrong door I asked the waitress for a table for one. She directed back out the building and in the correct door. She then asked if I required a table which I did, and then she directed me out though a great queue of people waiting in the stair way back to where we first spoke and offered me to the same table I stood beside 5 minutes before 🙄 Anyway I enjoyed my fish tea 👍🏻

Battered Haddock was fab but the chips were really greasy which let it down a wee bit

Oh dear - big standard fish and chips with poor service. I’ve had better food out of my local chippy for half the price. Staff shockingly inattentive to customers. DONT GO.

Fish and chips very tasty... In the take away restaurant everything comes on paper plates, but you can at least sit inside and eat.

Absolutely lovely- about a 15 minute wait but was definitely worth it. Super reasonably priced, £10 for a large portion. Friendly and efficient staff and the restaurant is kept very clean. Thank you!

My partner and I traveled from Newcastle to experience the fish and chips here. All we can say is it didn’t live up to expectations. The queues for takeout and the restaurant were quite long and we thought this was a good sign. We waited about 20 minutes for a table. The young waitress was efficient and the table was clean. It was £14.50 for haddock and chips in a cardboard tray including a hot drink, a slice of dry bread and a pat of butter. The portion size was very good but the chips were sharp at the edges, dry and chewy, and the fish portions were very thin, not the chunky fish we expected. The curry sauce and mushy peas we ordered as sides were good and disguised the tasteless fish. We were quite disappointed. I just wonder if they couldn’t cope with the demand? We won’t be returning anytime soon.