Barnacle Bill's Traditional Fish & Chips in Mendip

Was a great restaurant, now closed. Fabulous fish and chips, they will be missed. Food was always cooked fresh and huge portions

Its really good for lunch or dinner, and the chips are great. the service was fast and nice and the chips were hot, crispy and arrived quickly. I've also had the jumbo battered sausage and their pukka pies and it was a great addition to the food. if it was still open i would 100% recommend to anyone

Went in to get a take away for dinner, the service was fabulous. The staff were so friendly, the food was ready very fast anf it tasted delicious

I love this place. Food is delicious, veggie/GF/vegan all available. My boys and I travel 30km round trip to go. It's easily worth it :):):)

Excellent food, with amazing available gluten free options and staff knowledge. Eat in or takeaway, have never had a bad experience in the years we’ve been visiting Barnacle Bills!

All through lockdown the quality of the fish and chip takeaway food was outstanding, well done. Highly recommended.

We were in the area and we needed a place to eat! We looked and came across Barnacle bills frome fish and chip shop. Their prices are excellent and their food is amazing! Would highly recommend!

The place is spotless inside and has a nice bright feel. There is only one price list, so I guess take out portions are slightly bigger than sit down ones. All of our items were cooked to order so there was a bit of a wait but not too long. Between the three of us we had chips, potato scallops, pea fritters and fish fingers for the boy. With drinks, the whole thing cost less than £20 which is excellent value for money for a sit down meal.

Good old fish & chips like it should be, tucked down a back street, ate in, freshly cooked and good friendly service, what more could one want, oh yes, a pot of tea.

Lovely fish and chip you have to wait a fairly long time as they cook it all when required The oil had a funny taste not to my liking

If have eaten excellent fish (cod or haddock) and chips (large or regular) several times at Barnackles Bill's and have always enjoyed the meal. The restaurant is friendly and very well used by the local community (despite competiton from at least two other fish and chip shops in the near neighbourhood) for both eat in and take away. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and a limited choice of alcohol (beer, wine) are available and vegetarian food is on offer (including 'Melon fired'!). On my last vist tow out of the three toilets were unavailable and the third in an unpleasant state - hence the 4 not 5 stars rating

This fish shop has exceptional fish and chips. All made to order so it is hot when it comes to the table. I was in Frome 2 weeks and ate here twice. Second visit I took friends and they loved it too! Great meal for a great value. Enjoyed it very much!

Visiting nearby on a weekend away and so glad we stumbled across this place for a takeaway. Amazing vegetarian options, great menu and choice. Came in half hour before closing and staff were absolutely lovely. We will be back!

Are we talking about the same place? Tried again to see if this was a one off terrible fish & chip dining experience. It was.... I’ve read other reviews & really wanted Banacle Bills to be great, as we live locally. Where to start? The batter was soggy & oil was old and smelled awful. My friends also agreed that it was the worst fish & Chip experience ever. Please Bill’s - take this onboard as would love to have fish in fluffy light batter it’s not that difficult is it?

It’s always very welcoming, clean, well presented, staff are friendly and helpful. There is a very varied choice on the menu. Now catering for vegan diets. Very reasonably priced. There is a huge tv with subtitles for all patrons to easily see. Food isn’t greasy or fatty but freshly cooked. Well worth a visit - you’ll definitely want to go back!!

Amazing friendly family feel with children's and senior citizen menu and prices. Discount also for armed forces and I love the fact the support our lads and lasses who serve. Gluten/dairy free batter is a dream in fact I would go further and say its the best I've ever had, and that's a lot over the years. Management and staff quickly get to know you and welcome you anticipating your preferences. Eating in is great but you never feel rushed and they will move tables around to accommodate the size of your group [but me thinks you can book if large party and time matters to avoid waiting]. The premises are always kept clean which really matters to me.

We ate at Barnacle Bill's because it specifically said that it makes gluten free food. It really was, I didn't suffer any gluten after effects, which is unusual if we eat out. We had a home made fish cake, battered halloumi and chips. The fish cake was lovely, the batter was light and not greasy and the chips were chunky and perfectly cooked. I would definitely eat there again. It cost about £13 for two people including a mug of tea each.

Myself and several of my friends all had a fantastic time and meal food was great and the service was warming and friendly can't wait to go again

Such a shame that, in my opinion, Barnacle Bill's has gone dramatically down hill since opening. We ordered the classic cod and chips last week and, although the fish was was lovely, the chips were over-cooked and dry and all elements were cold.

30mins wait for fish and chips 3 kids on services. One on peas, one on gravy and one on bags Very poor Only thought of putting more chips in when they ran out 😟

Have been many times and always no complaints. They ccok fish to order so you know it hasn't been left in the warming shelf. For me, the best f&c; in Frome

Very nice in taste although it was a long wait of around 20 minutes but you can sort of understand it was all cooked fresh the only real criticism I have is the portion sizes are very small indeed

not the cheapest fish and chip shop but one of the best, food cooked when you order not lying on a hotplate waiting for a customer, also table service is worth trying if your not eating on the go. I have used both sit in and take away and food was very good

Barnacle Bill produced top quality fish & chips and all the trimmings for our family reunion. Highly recommended!

A good place is hard to find, and that's certainly true about Barnacle Bills. But once you have you'll not be disappointed. Always good, never had a bad lot here.

The fish was wonderfully fresh, the batter light and not at all greasy or stodgy. Chips were cooked beautifully. Everything was cooked fresh when we ordered. We will return!

Really friendly, lovely grub, well worth the visit if you're craving fish and chips. Staff were really lovely and the atmosphere was really homely. There are better restaurants out there, but this does what it says on the tin.

Without exception every time I have eaten here be it dine in or takeaway the food and service has been excellent.

All food is cook when you order so it’s freshly done might wait a bit but worth it,there is a sit down area as well and they do party’s as well very worth a visit

Went with my son for supper, absolutely delicious fish and chips

Honestly the best veggie battered sausage and chips I've ever had. Tastes like the seaside. Only visited on the off chance, but shall be returning this week with the kids :)

We have been to Barnacle Bill's several times (usually for take away, but not always), and every time is just excellent. Everything is the right temperature, it's packaged nicely in decent boxes, the cooking is just right, never under or over done, the chips are excellent and the service is absolutely first rate. The people who work there are always very friendly and always greet you with a smile. I called through an order today and the girl on the phone even wrote down my name before I'd said it; when I told her said "Oh I'd already written it down, I recognised your voice".

Barnacle Bill's is a great chippy to eat in or take out. We have eaten in three times and have not been disappointed. Fresh fish and crisp chips and essentially, there is a Gluten Free option. I tried the tartare sauce at only 50p a little glass pot, given to us by mistake, and it was delicious. So it was what I call when I make a mess of one of my prints, a happy accident. I nearly didn't give BB 5 green dots because of this BUT then thought why let a silly thing like that spoil the sumptuous tastes that I have experienced during each of my visits.

Mejor sin gluten pescado y patatas fritas de pescado normal fantásticas y un personal amable. Cuando estás celiaquía tener gluten patatas fritas de pescado es una delicia fresca, y tan sabroso,

Buena comida, recién preparado y un gran servicio! Disfrutamos de la comida y el. Lugar bien merece una visita! Gran relación calidad-precio! Recomendado! !

Muy contentos nos encontramos este pequeño tesoro como volveremos la próxima vez que nos alojamos en la zona. Todo el personal era muy amable y servicial y entusiasta. Un menú grande con mucha variedad. No raciones demasiado generoso, así que vaya con el gran si tenemos un gran apetito, pero la comida era tan sabrosa. Pescado y patatas fritas agradable simplemente perfecto. Hay una pequeña zona para comer en el lugar o se puede llevar si lo prefiere. A un precio razonable y cocinados a la orden, así que espera puede ser un rato.

Pescados frescos recién cocinados (no lote preparado y mantienen calientes) patatas fritas crujientes y macizos (no pálido blanda y calmo). El personal es encantador, muy agradable y servicial. Normalmente ring nuestro pedido de comida para llevar en luego recolectar en nuestro camino a casa. Gran servicio en todos los aspectos.

Fabulous fish, all cooked fresh while you wait. Staff are always very polite & cheerful. Wouldn't go anywhere else for my fish & chips

Absolutely delicious food cooked to perfection, and so nice to be able to take a close friend out who is gluten intolerant and she was able to enjoy a meal without the worry of has this been fried in a different fryer or the same fryer, and there is so much selection for those who are gluten intolerant

This could actually be described as a chippie but they also have a restaurant that serves wines and beers as well. Cant fault the food especially the pea fritters ( Northern delicacy). There are also burgers etc, the best thing for me is that they will do Gluten free food in a special area. The service is friendly and efficient and they own the business.

Family of 5 had takeaway here on 30/12. Five fish and chips ordered, 3 of which were gluten free, very good quality and great portions and great good value for money. Would come back

I often get take away gluten free fish and chips, the service is always amazing, the lovely staff are always so accommodating and reassuring, they always make sure they label the gluten free box, put it on top of anything else I order that may contain gluten, cook it separately, all of these touches really make this the best place to go for a delicious take away. Also they always cook everything fresh, so nothing is sat just keeping warm it's all cooked to order. And finally the food always tastes absolutely delicious, fresh, crispy batter, chunky chips, great portion size and value for money. I can't recommend it enough!!!

Love this cafe as the owner and staff are lovely. My only criticism is, is that a couple of times I have been here the chips weren't straight out of the fryer. Fish lovely and fresh though.

A rare find: fish and chips have to be worth the calories and these are. Fresh fish, light crispy batter, and chips fried in fresh oil. Homemade tartare and wine by the glass. Delicious.

We were in Frome for two nights and on our second decided to try some where else rather then the hotel we were staying. It was very clean and spacious in there. Unfortunately the food was not so great. The chips were fine but the batter on the cod was pretty bad. It was over cooked on the bottom and very oily. I left the majority of it. My partner said his was fine so maybe I was just unlucky.I asked for as some mayonnaise when the food was first brought to the table and was told this was 50p. It came in a small glass dish and I'm pretty sure a cheap mayo was decanted into the dish. It was vinergary and not very nice. Felt overall the meal was a let down and the apperance of the shop promised so much more.

Living in batcombe I wanted to fined a fish and chip shop that was open on a Tuesday after much looking around on the net I found this little gem the service was outstanding with lots of smiles from the young lady taking my order. The food was probably one of the best places I have been for a long time! I would highly recommend this place for your takeaway needs.

Not the best fish and chips ever, but very good. Fish excellent and very fresh. Catered for gluten intolerance which was great for my dad. Lovely mushy peas. Great young staff team - really professional and friendly. Only thing which let it down was chips, slightly cold and not to my taste.

Dine in licensed fish and chip restaurant. Difficult to find gluten fish and chips so we are pleased to find this one. Tasty, piping hot and really friendly service. Drinks and food very good value for money! Nice laid back atmosphere.

petite salle blanche et propre avec terrasse à l'arrière.Service cordial et rapide; menu classique Fish&chips mais aussi burgers et légumes.Environ 4£ le poisson et 2£ les frites, bien servi mais un peu gras.

Esther and the team are friendly attentive hosts, their fish and chips easily the best in town. I am obsessed with fish and chips, so it was the obvious choice to go to BB's for my birthday bonanza. We had the restaurant area to ourselves, all the fish and chips we could eat, and our own deserts were brought out with candles and plates to happy birthday! An altogether brilliant evening with my nearest and dearest who also thought the choice of restaurant was perfect. Thank you Esther and crew (Sorry I'm so late in reviewing you!). We will be having more events there in the very near future :-) Did I mention they make the best fish and chips in town? There is nowhere else in my book. I only wish they were open every day!

The usual is 2 large haddock and a large chips. What can I say, never over greasy, in fact not greasy at all. Fish cooked to perfection, chips never anaemic and all cooked to order, Fresh. The staff are always friendly and helpful, it does have a license for alcohol, eat in or take away. Spotlessly clean. Child friendly.

I make the six mile journey from Warminster to Frome just for the fish and chips at Barnacle Bills. There are four chippers in Warminster but they are all rubbish. It's worth the drive to Frome. Before I discovered this little place I was driving once a week to Shepton Mallet...as you may have gathered, I like my fish and chips!.....the service was friendly, newspapers to read and the cod is fresh with a light crispy batter. Gluten free, I think. Must confess I prefer good old fashioned batter dunked in lard! However, the food here is lovely and it's not expensive. (There is a huge TV on the wall but they keep the sound off thankfully.)...a big bloke like me would have liked a few more chips!

We've been here with our kids a few times in the last couple of years and always found it to be extremely friendly and helpful. Happily, the fish and chips match the welcome - and it's great value too. Recommended.

We ordered ahead as it was over the Xmas period and picked up shortly after. Everyone enjoyed well cooked fish and chips and would go again.

This fish and chips restaurant is very nice. Good food, quick service, friendly staff and a large seating area so you don't always have to take-away. It's not the cheapest chip shop in town but it's worth the money.

I work locally and barnacle bills is my favourite go to place on my lunch break. You may have to wait a few minutes because they cook food fresh to order, but I personally prefer that. I've never had a bad meal! The two lady who work in there too are always very pleasant and friendly too. In my opinion the best chip shop in Somerset!

Being local, this is my default chippy, always friendly and polite and the best fish and chips by far in the area. As said in previous posts - can be a little light with the chips, but what you do get are always bang on!!!

Come on guys, I've been having fish and chips now for the best part of 50 years and I know the difference between a large fish and a small fish. We asked for a large cod and we got in return a small cod which was just about sufficient in addition we ordered two portions of chips which were dry, plastic and un interesting. To add insult to injury, we asked for a portion of tartar sauce for which we had to pay 35 pence. I would say there was about three or four tablespoons. I complained and asked for a bit more and got the most miniscule refill.As a result, we both left the restaurant feeling shortchanged. I should say that the fish was fresh but undercooked and for such an establishment they should really know what they're doing.The whole place suffers from lack of discipline and I do not recommend anyone to visit.We were taking a quick break from an auction house bidding session otherwise I would have spent time telling the staff what I thought but there is a part of me that really does hate to do this

Visited twice in the space of a week as we couldn't get enough of the delish dishes here. I only eat Fish 'n Chips a couple of times a year as, living in Spain, it's just not possible to get this nice quality and freshness of 'Traditional' style British Fish and Chips easily (not moaning about Spanish food, far from it! Just that when you get a craving for what we would call the PROPER way to do Fish 'n Chips, Brit-style that is - there are few places you can go). Esther runs Barnacle Bill's and she is a sweetheart. Her staff are all lovely, smiley and helpful. A tea, juice or water will cost you one pound. The price of the food is very reasonable and the portions were average to large, in my view. I can't say I liked the deep-fried mushy peas one of our group ordered, but hey, I don't like mushy peas anyhow! My meal (both times) was absolutely lovely. Even when one of our party asked the waitress to bring a condiment for him to put on his chips of: 'Some vinegar out of the glass jar on the counter that has the pickled eggs in it', she smiled and returned promptly with just that item! "Strangest request of the day" for her, no doubt, but she was unfased and genuinely delightful to deal with. Seating outside at the rear and also parking back there too, if you are eating in the restaurant. Will certainly return on my next visit to Frome. Recommended for a good, cheap 'n cheerful, nice quick lunch.

I agree that the portions are small, at the end of the day it`s just potatoes!I have been here a few times and the oil could be changed more often, sometimes the smoke from the oil is wafting out the door and you have to stand outside to avoid being smothered in the dirty oil stench. The portions do vary and I too have had half a cone from here and when I confronted them, they really didn`t care. Surely the customers come first. I would understand if it was truffles and lobster!! I have now started going elsewhere due to this, it`s a shame because it looks like a nice chip shop from the outside. i guess again glutton has got hold of another retailer. I would sort it out if I were you, as said before there is sooo much competition in the area!!

There is certainly nothing dirty about the oil as indicated. In fact the fish was the best ever and the chips more than enough. Service (by the girl in glasses) was first class!!

I wanted to like it here I really did, but...... Your eyes will weep as soon as you walk in as the oil is so dirty, you can confirm this by the colour of the batter on the fish and the over-coloured chips. The service and portion sizes totally vary depending on who serves you, if you get the young girl with glasses, you will have the smallest portions! And she will clearly let you know that you are only entitled to ONE scoop of chips (no more), which for the record doesn`t even fill a cone, just about half way perhaps. Next time I will take my own scoop!I have heard it used to be good, but standards have clearly dropped recently. And there is some fierce competition in the area.

Wandering around Frome on holiday when we found Barnacle Bills open early evening and were lured in by the delicious smell of chips. Excellent chips - as good if not better than we have had in the whole of the UK :) even in seaside towns.The lady serving was so lovely and genial and gave us some local info. Would highly recommend for quality and cogeniality :)x

Amazing fish and chips...they're cooked fresh to order so a little wait should be expected, but you can preorder. We took my mum and dad who were visiting and they really enjoyed them too. We stayed in to eat, and customer service is as good as the food. Well worth a visit.

What a gem! So glad we've discovered Barnacle Bill's. Delicious crispy, gluten free fish, proper chips (fluffy in the middle), lovely mushy peas..really very good all round. Friendly, yet professional staff, and reasonably priced. Best chippy i've found in years, highly recommended!

Crisp Golden Chips and a huge piece of Cod, both perfectly cooked and served piping hot. Maybe we were just lucky with our timing, but this was Fish & Chips at it's best. We dined on a Wednesday lunchtime, 2 x Cod & Chips for a tenner. Can't be bad!

We chose this restaurant over a fair choice on offer in Frome. We had a substantial meal for a reasonable price. Quality and quantity of food was good. It came hot to the table and was cooked to order, had not been sitting around in around in a hot cupboard as is the way with many chippies. The pea fritters are to be particularly commended, the batter being crisp and not gooey. You get 3 moderate size ones, rather than one big soggy effort. Batter on the fish was made on site. The tartare sauce is home made, not out of a sachet. The extras to be had with chips are varied and many, including jalapenos. The mugs of tea and coffee come in proper mugs, not narrow elongated cups. Service was friendly and staff seemed actually happy. Appears to be a genuine small business not part of some soulless chain. Would definitely go back.

Excellent service, amazing food. Highly recommend barnacle bills for the best fish and chips around!

Visited about 7pm had my order taken people behind my order were served first no condiments on the chips relish in the burgers when I had requested no relish the whole food order was cold and disgusting the burger was mildy warm. This "food" is only good for the bin. Smelled so great what a massive let down. Will not be going back!

We were told that this takeaway/restaurant was really good now so we thought we would try it outHad a really good meal and because they have a licence also enjoyed a glass of wine

It seems a little odd that I should rate what was really 'only' take-away fish & chips as one of the best meals I have ever had in a restaurant (not least because I didn't actually eat 'in' the restaurant but that's a mere technicality - in essence the fact that it was still so good even after spending 15 minutes in a box simply further illustrates the quality of the product).This was, quite simply the best fish & chip meal I have ever eaten. I've eaten at a number of Harry Ramsden's restaurants 'back in the day' when they were all the rage but they are not a patch on Barnacle Bills.I had 'regular cod & chips' and talked myself into having curry sauce. The fish was cooked freshly for me and then allowed to drain in the heated cabinet. I imagine this is what helped keep the batter crisp and fresh for it's journey home. The portion of chips does not appear to be very large but is perfectly adequate. Some fish & chip shops seem to be in the firm belief that more is better, but you only feel compelled to eat them and end up feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Not at Barnacle Bills, the proportions are, I think, just right.When I arrived home the curry sauce needed microwaving but that's inevitable. It was a pleasure to not have to contend with a thin, wishy-washy putrid luminous yellow liquid but a good, substantial and chunky curry sauce.I will qualify my review further by saying that I'm not a great fan of fish but persevere and try fish & Chios a couple of times a year, usually feeling uncomfortable afterwards, with an unpleasant greasy nausea 'post fish' aftertaste. I had none of this after eating from Barnacle Bills. I will definitely be eating from here much more frequently.My total spend for take-away regular fish & chips with curry sauce was £7.75. Eat-in would be slightly more expensive as you would imagine and the restaurant even has a drinks licence. Well worth a visit.

What a clean and good value for money chip shop with excellent food and good sized portions. 10 out of 10

Spotlessly clean, great staff and generous portions of freshly cooked fish in gluten free batter - what's not to like? We've been three times recently after the movies in Frome and it is a winning combination for a casual night out.

Popular fish and chip restaurant and take away, good deals for Senior Citizens. Clean eating area. Friendly staff. Visit if often.

We have just eaten in Barnacle Bills and it was truly superb. Rock and chips (which is so hard to come by these days) and a Cod and chips, both fresh, succulent and covered in the most fabulous light batter. All the staff were friendly, polite and courteous. We placed our order for the special 2 Cod and chips for £10.00 and then my husband changed his mind when he noticed the Rock on the menu, there was no tutting or huffing from the young lady on the till just a smile and a very pleasant "of course you can change your order" We ate in and the restaurant as well as the cooking areas were spotlessly clean. If you know the area and have visited White Row fish shop, forget it and go to Barnacle Bills as it is much nicer. Would definately recommend and will be visiting again.

We visited on a Saturday lunchtime & opted for pie & chips twice to take away. We had to wait a few minutes for chips which is not a problem as you now your getting fresh chips, whilst waiting we sat at a table & watched the tv.The food was great & the staff extremely helpful, we will be back again.

We asked a shop owner in Frome where the best place for fish and chips was and he directed us here! I'm so glad he did! The service was lovely and the food was spot on. Huge piece of cod in perfect batter, with delicious chippy chips. Highly recommended.

situated in a small road a little way from the main street and along the side of the church. A large, bright, airy, clean restaurant. Friendly service. very good chips. My companion had rock which they said was very good. I had cod which, sadly was very dry. Perhaps I was unlucky. Excellent value.

I went to Barnacle Bill's last Friday evening with friends for supper and experienced their amazing cod and chips. The chips were golden and chunky with next to no grease complimented by a worth watering tartare sauce! The fish was coated in a non greasy crispy, golden batter which we all loved! The ladies in the shop gave us a warm an very friendly welcome throughout our visit! We will definitely be going there again and recommend it to all our friends and family! :D