Downey's Fish and Chip Restaurant in County Durham

We had the Fish n Chips sit in meal deal ...Food was great, except they didn't serve any Tartare Sauce, with the meal as described on the meal deal info card.. As we had nearly finished our meals when we noticed this, we didn't raise this missing sauce with the staff.. Attention to the meal detail would have gained a higher star rating!

Absolutely amazing and delicious as usual.

Wouldn't return to the restaurant again the staff are lazy and rude sat for ages serving people who had just came in and ignoring us didn't even care when we left without ordering

Never got a meal staff attitude is disgusting sat down then serving people who came in after us when I got up to leave she just looked couldn't care less attitude won't be returning went elsewhere was just as good

Came for a quick takeaway, the man on the fryer had an appalling attitude. Saying “f**k sake just go home man” as more customers came in creating a queue. The way he spoke to other customers in front of children was appalling. Won’t be returning. The lady who served me ( Julie ) was lovely, and was a pleasure!

We visited Downey's in Seaham on a Wednesday evening and ordered a can of Coca Cola, a kids sausage and chips with beans, a massive cod and chips, and a jumbo sausage chips and batter. The portions were generous and the food was hot and fresh. The staff were friendly and helpful. The prices were reasonable, considering the quality and quantity of the food. We paid £14.50 for the can of Coca Cola, £4.50 for the kids sausage and chips with beans, £8.50 for the massive cod and chips, and £7.50 for the jumbo sausage chips and batter. The total cost was £35, which was not bad for a family of four. However, we were not impressed by the cleanliness of the place. The tables were sticky and the floor was greasy. The toilets were also dirty and smelly. We felt that the hygiene standards could be improved. We also found the place quite noisy and crowded, which made it hard to enjoy our meal. We would recommend Downey's for a quick and filling bite, but not for a relaxing or romantic dinner. Overall, we had a decent experience at Downey's, but we were not blown away by it. We give it 3 stars out of 5.

I don’t want to be writing this but I’m very disappointed with this visit, Large cod and chips, I mean I’ve been coming up for years just for this place and today well Im not very happy at all! The fish is tiny compared to what I normal get, hardly any chips, even asked the women ‘is that large’ she said ‘yes’ wow! My trips to seaham just for this chip shop will not be happening anymore! What a shame, fish is thin and tiny and £15.90 with peas and curry well I feel I’ve been ripped off! What a shame, travel 3 hours for this and never again now, seems a lot of people are saying the same thing 😩😩 EDIT THE NEXT DAY! GO TO BELLS ITS SO MUCH BETTER!!!!

Filthy restaurant with miserable unpleasant staff that also look filthy. Very Expensive fish n chips compared to Bells. Tasteless curry sauce.

Awful customer service. Will never return

Love there fish and chips, can't get better

My daughter has been very ill, her husband and children decided to go here for lunch to cheer her up, they decided to eat inside due to my daughter recovering. Her husband and children gave their order and my daughter asked for a small portion of a children's meal,she explained that she hadn't and wasn't eating very well due to bring I'll but she was refused, the staff asked who was in charge that day and they flatly refused, how absolutely disgusting to treat some one this way, no empathy and very bad buisness to treat people like that. We will never go for good there again, they charge the maximum they can get for little and those at the back of the counter are unfreindly. I telephoned to discuss this and was told no management in that day and the complaint would be passed on and we would be contacted to which not one of them to date hundredths do not deserve business and there is a fish and chip shop further down that charges less and much better in every way...note I do not have any connection with this business in any way.

Fish and chips always fabulous quality we enjoy going

Great portion of fish and chips quality was fantastic 👌

The best fish and chips ever. Better than Bell's, better than anywhere else.

I love the food. It's simply the best. The staff are happy and friendly.

Fantastic fish and chips. Well worth a visit.

Let's start from a place! Lovely, spacious room for lot's of people who want to enjoy the free time. Live music with a nice band. Fish was gorgeus! Very tasty, crispy, not fat and just the right amount of crumbs around. Size was massive, lovely chips with it and extra peas on a side. Everything served in a paper box easy to carry. Nice lady at the till. Very busy but manage with all the orders. Highly recomended, especialy at Xmas time when the atmosphere is magic!

Staff extremely rude!!! Did not understand about gluten intolerance!! Would not trust gluten free chips as cross contamination happened in front of my eyes. When asked if they could not use the same scoop for gluten and non gluten the staff member looked blankly at me and did not understand my concern. Crazy!!! Buyer beware

Excellent fish ,,chips average, the childrens menu very good but let down by not including pensioners,,( very stern about this) called in with my Father who is 89 and cant eat an adult portion so most was wasted , pity spent £40 for three at lunch.

Very expensive and asked for a large Cod which was £9.50! During a very long wait the Fish that were served were far larger than the one I received. Wander a bit further on and the same meal is far cheaper…. Won’t be back. As an add on to the Owners reply whether large or not, over £12 for Fish and Chips as a takeaway is outrageous even in the current climate!

ordered a sausage and chips and the chips were fresh and the sausage was crispy. although the fella behind the counter seemed like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. vibe in the place was pretty flat so I’m glad I got a takeaway too.

Visited a few weeks ago... outstanding fish n chips. Haddock was the best I've ever tasted

Fish and chips were very tasty and staff were very welcoming

Shame about the flies in restaurant window as we were trying to enjoy our food 😢

Loverly fish and chip and a good pot of tea

Visited Downeys in Seaham on Sunday, busy place but very nicely decorated and clean. We'll staffed and friendly. Fish (Cod) and chips ordered, we're cooked there and then so took a few minutes, but well worth the short wait. The batter on the fish was lovely and crisp, not soggy like many places. The chips were large and golden. Portion sizes are generous. Prices are competitive. It's definitely worth another visit

This is the most overpriced fish and chip shop ever,We went as a family ,On the order were half and half fish and langastines,we were expecting full langastines however these were cut in small pieces with b. Mostly batter ,total rip off,also the fish pieces (3)were also a rip off at £7.90 plus extra £3,50 for chips The curry sauce was smoky,Then what can I say about the gravy,I thought they had brought us chocolate mousse as it was that think,don't waste your money eating here as it's so overrated and very expensive ,Never come here again!!!

Food and service always good . Much better than Bells in my opinion.

Wanted a sit in meal but told no table service as not enough staff. Ordered at the counter, whilst rest of party sat down. During that time one guy was frying and two ladies waiting. Queue was growing. Only one of the ladies served, other was going to the back, chatting with colleague or on her phone. The counter is not big enough for two to serve. One could have provided table service. There was only three tables occupied. The least they could do was clear the tables. They left a bin bag for customers to clear up. Food was good but for the price I expect better service.

Ordered large cod and chips. The fish was huge, perfectly cooked, moist inside and battered to perfection. So often chip shop batter is far too thick and greasy and makes me feel queasy an hour after eating. This was light, crispy and with no adverse after effects. Highly recommended and the best fish and chips I have had in a long time. I will definitely be going back again.

Two regular cod And a portion of chips..with a small carton of gravy...£20 worth the money.. lovely better than gills and bells is just a joke... downeys is simply the best chip shop 👌

Downeys Seaham Takeaway & restaurant were very busy. The customer in front of me placed her order with the fryer which a lot of chip shops do - order when you join the queue. I tried to do the same. I was then told by a waitress with a loud brash voice that was not the thing to do and that I would be asked when it was my turn. Its not what she said its the fact that she repeatedly told me I was wrong in this loud voice. People were staring so I left the shop. I am not the first reviewer to mention the staff rudeness maybe the management should take a look at that. I won't be back.

Best fish and chips by far, was well worth the drive and the money. Will be visiting again.

Too many flies even a fly came out of vinegar when put on food

Always a lovely meal here and it's a pretty little restaurant too. Staff are lovely and the toilets are very clean.

Called in for a supper and met with lovely servers, friendly and fun. Fish was cooked to order and fresh n delicious. Excellent value for money.

Beautiful fish and chips, staff are really friendly and very helpful, inside is very clean

Amazing fish and chips and fabulous service from the two young gentlemen working in there. Love my bowl of scraps too

Lovely fish & Chips. Served quickly with very friendly staff. Busy with lots of customers coming & going even on a normal Monday. Worth a try x

Outstanding food every time (and we've been here a lot, despite living 200+ miles away!) Today we ate in on a very rainy Monday eve and the mood of the staff reflected the weather, sadly. No other diners but a few taking away. The weather really is affecting tourist trade in the area. Perfect food as always, especially the langoustines :)

We were not at all impressed with this place despite the fact it has been rated as one of the 5 top fish and chip shops in 2019 and a couple of years ago too. Both the fish and chips tasted quite bland even with the addition of salt and pepper, and the portion of chips in the serving was very small too. As we had our dog with us on this occasion, we chose to sit at the outdoor tables. I was horrified to see that these tables were not cleaned between customers. They were left in a disgusting state with bits of food left lying on the table, chairs and on the floor. This place does not offer value for money. There is at least one other fish and chip shop in Seaham offering better quality food at more reasonable prices.

Five star from a great wee chippy !!

Always so good. Fresh fish and chips always perfectly cooked in clean oil.

Stunning fish and chips wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Visited last night, absolutely superb haddock and chips, freshly cooked, attentive and friendly waitress, will call again without doubt

Decent food as always. Great chippy.

First time I've been here took the whole family, daughter likes calamari, my better half likes fish and chips as do I but also langoustines, so we all ordered regular cod and chips and my daughter and I had calamari and I had langoustines , the regular cod was huge to say the least!!! Would have hate to have seen the large size we would have probably had to sit at separate tables. The calamari and langoustine came with salad.....we ate as much as we could and the boxed what we could not eat. Left the chips, though. Wonderful things, air fyers....... Oh yes, and 2 tins of dandelion and burdock.

Very disappointed today have used this Fish and Chip chop for a few years The service was slow and the batter on the fish wasn’t cooked properly and the price is really high considering it’s only a fish shop

Please note this review is for the Seaham shop only! The only reason we return is because the fish and chips are usually excellent even though you wait so long at this particular branch for some reason it's allways extremely slow service, I know it's a restaurant too but they don't even appear to be trying to manage the customers, they are extremely rude every time, appalling customer service. The last 2 times the food wasn't up to standard and they were ruder than ever so I dicided to write this review as this place should be like all the other downies but it's not, the staff spoil it with their bad attitude..They should be thankful for the custom especially since Bells have opened up the road but instead they are probably loosing custom. After using this shop consistently for years we won't be returning after the last visit

Really good quality fish and chips: I had the haddock and chips and it was excellent. The service was also prompt.

Fantastic location between the beach and harbour

We were at Downey’s about 2 months ago. We live in Stanley, so we don’t get there very often, but we always enjoy the food here.

We did take away haddock and chips, very good. Served in decent boxes with good wooden forks! Was nice to see they still use beef dripping. Friendly service and not a too long of wait. Bit expensive compared to others but does feel like good quality.

There are chip shops galore ar the seaside. Downey stands out for me and friends. Always freshly fried and delicious.

The service and food was fantastic. Best fish and chips in region (can't say the same for Sunderland Downeys). Only downside was toilets.....not good

Perhaps the best fish and chips you will ever eat

Had a spur of the moment visit to seaham today - weather was lovely and had a day off so decided to drive through. I walked along the front and came across Downey’s. Staff were busy cleaning which is always a great sight. Called in and ordered fish and chips to takeaway. The fish is cooked fresh to order which is great, so I sat for 5 mins whilst it cooked. Staff taking my order were lovely & very friendly. When my lunch was ready, I looked to walk outside and the heavens had opened, it was pouring down!! Having parked at Noses Point carpark I had a bit of a walk back to the car, which I wasn’t looking forward to in the pouring rain! One of the members of staff - male, potentially owner/manager - immediately said ‘you can’t be walking out in that, you’ll get soaked, have a seat and have your lunch in here’ It was very much appreciated! Prices are slightly higher to sit in due to tax, but he was happy for me to sit. I ate half my lunch and the rain had eased so I set off for my walk and to finish my lunch. All the staff I encountered were great. Special mention to the younger male and female - no older than 18? I know how daunting first jobs can be, but they were great - a little shy but very friendly. I’ll definitely return!

Can't deny they are nice fish and chips and I even recommend the fish bites if you're a small eater and I do take my hat off to those who work in catering in this red hot sun but there's no need to be surly abrupt and rude and argue with my partner when you charged them twice and make out refunding them was a big deal. I'm not the only one to have picked up on this. Even if you're food is nice it's off putting when the staff aren't.

Fantastic fish and chips. Will definitely be back.

Sat inside near window, was a hot day even with doors open heat was quite strong inside but no seating outside at time. Service was very good, staff were there when needed, food was hot and plentiful, fish was cooked very well and lightly battered, nice fat chips not greasy,the guy next to us had a large fish and he struggled to eat it, overall very nice shop with an indoor seating, toilets were clean but small, but there if needed. Gets quite busy in here so be prepared to grab a seat quickly.

Always amazing fish and chips. Best in the area in my opinion

I ordered cod and chips and it was amazing. Much flavour and a huge quantity for 10.50 is something that you are looking for. Customer service should be better. Next time don't be so annoyed when a customer says that the floor is wet, you should take care of it first.

Great food, always come here, even noe Bells have opened I will return here.

Fantastic award winning fish and chips

Fantastic fresh fish and chips and excellent service.

I had fish and chips the wife had chicken burger and salad,both meals were very good and the staff were excellent, the meal was expensive but worth it.I would recomend downeys to everyone.

Third and last visit to the seaham shop , met by rude staff, trying to close even before listed times and told at 7.41 when closing hours are closed at 8pm, told "no food available" and looked all packed up . On previous visits well within normal hours staff seem disinterested, borderline rude and generally make you feel uncomfortable as a customer . We used to be a regular visitor here but the fish shop has gone seriously down in levels of service. Bells has opened around the corner, first time in tonight after being turned away from downeys , met by friendly staff, good food and longer hours opening , looks like the end of what was a very decent place to go in Downeys, can't believe management are unaware of the service and attitude of staff and let this carry on.

The best fish and chips I’ve ever had was from them. Thanks

Had pattie and chips lovely food nice staff

Sausage and chips were lovely as always but very slow service queuing for almost 50 minutes

Had cod and chips, couldn't fault them, absolutely delicious. Sat in the rear of the cafe, which was very nice but it got quite noisy when it started to fill up with other customers.

Excellent fish & chips! The portions are big and it is served hot & fresh. Very friendly staff.. B&B is thick cut & soft with anchor butter. Curry sauce was a big pot and good.

Rude rude staff...food nice but not as nice as Bells and you get treat properly there.Your fryer is just miserable so yes your fish and chips are fine but the service isn't!!

Delicious Cod and chips, chunky white cod, with a light batter. A good size portion of very good quality. Friendly staff.

Great portions and Excellent place to eat in with family it's on my list of places to go

We have used this place many times in the past and as usual the food was very good had a great flavour, however we will never be back again When the food was delivered to our table it was minus the bread and butter that was ordered. Also no serviettes were given or offered. The biggest shock was when the bill arrived having been charged over 11 pounds for a large haddock the assumed included chips were another 3pounds 50, same with the wife's corned beef pattie, extra for the chips they even charge 50 pence for hot water to top up your pot of tea. I questioned the practice and was told that is the way it is. Will I be back? NOT A CHANCE, I would rather go to maccy d's

If you have fish and chips on Seaham, it HAS to be Downey's. It's been years since I last visited, but the food is still just as good! (If not better!) My partner and I had our first anniversary meal here and it was amazing! We had fish and chips and sat in, the staff were lovely and we'll most definitely be back next year at the latest! Thank you Downey's for helping make our first anniversary an absolute hit!

Very over priced for a basic fish and chip shop

Fish and chips don't get much better than this

Visited Downey's at Seaham yesterday for a take away. The older staff female member was very rude and had a terrible attitude. ( refused to split chips between two fish). We got 2 fish 1 portion of chips and i portion of 3 fish bites which cost us £23.20p. Very expensive and terrible service. Will not be coming back. Roll on when Bells opens and gives them some competition.

Nice fish and chips. Needed after a long costal walk. Restaurant could have been tidier. Staff were friendly. Slightly on the pricey end of the spectrum for fish and chips.

Really nice thick chips. Average size portions, comes in a box. There is plenty seating inside also. £2.80 for a portion. Friendly staff. Will be back.

Nice fish and chips. Fish was big and tasted fresh and the chips well cooked! Loads of batter they're not shy with that. Would have been 5 stars but the curry sauce isn't too my taste.

Staff pretty miserable. every time go queue out door and one person serving while other staff just standing watching. So frustrating. Been worth wait in past but tonight fish hugely over cooked and rubbery. Staff more interested in closing up than serving customers.

Simply Lovely Beautiful white, flakey and tasty Cod expertly fried. No sign or taste of fat on fish or chips.

Nice staff fast service and very nice food and very good prices

Got a lovely table and didn't need to queue up long. But sat at the table and had to separately ask for ketchup, mayo and napkins. One of the foods never arrived even after reminding, but was still left on the bill to pay for. Then when at the end we ordered even more food to take back to the family at home- again something else was missing and we only checked because of the above. With so many chippies about we will try another next time round.

It was a bit of a wait but very much worth it. Delicious fish and chips and a massive pot of curry sauce is always nice to see. I liked how the staff were very friendly and refused to make you sit on a dirty table which was nice. I'm definitely coming back the next time I'm in Seaham

Lovely walk along the beach and then having the best fish and chips staff and service great

Beautiful small lot of fish n chips had on this Easter weekend. Service was friendly and quick. Food was delicious and hot! Devoured in minutes with a beautiful view of the coast. Highly recommended!

some best fish and chips around the area

Went to the shop at West rainton with the kids, food very nice but the service from the ladies working there is shocking, rude unpleasant won't return for that reason

Fantastic just expensive like everywhere else but well worth it 👌

Fantastic fish and chips, the batter is incredible. Fast and friendly service too. Not the cheapest but well worth it.

Absolutly gorgeous food and the portions are amazing.

Excellent teatime treat. Beautifully cooked fish and chips. Service very good too.

The one star rating isn't based on the food which I'm sure is lovely but instead the disgusting attitude of a member of staff. I walked in with my Mam and seconds later walked straight out. It appeared there was free spaces for us to sit so we made our way to sit down, missing the wait to be seated sign. We were spoken to with a poor attitude from one particular member of staff saying "you cant sit there they're reserved" . My Mam asked politely about an uncleared table which was responded with "I'll have to clear it the sign says wait to be seated you'll have to sit there" pointing to the waiting area. Not an ounce of friendliness received, it was incredibly rude and embarrassing. There was nobody waiting to be sitted. As a customer I won't be going back neither will my Mam. I will not recommend this place in particular to anyone to prevent the animosity we received. Disgrace.

A wide choice of quality food, they seem to cook it all after ordered so it's fresh. Very friendly staff

Best fish and chips I've had in ages. Would come back to visit Seaham just for this place.

Very good. Friendly staff, good quality, very large portions and when I say very large that is exactly what I mean - they were huge! Plenty of tables at the front of the establishment and more in the back. Recommended, especially if you are after a traditional fish and chip menu.