Downeys of Seaham in County Durham

The service was slow and they made a mistake. We ordered a small size but, they bought us a regular and made us pay for it. They also brought us extras we did not ask for. And they were not nice. Terrible experience.

We decided to try here for fish and chips for dinner as was staying in Seaham for the first time. And went be reviews , and was not disappointed . Lage potion of chips with a big piece of fish that both tasted absolutely amazing. Would recommend this place to anyone For a lovely meal. All freshly cooked .

Found this place on Tripadvisor and wanted fish & chips on a very wet lunchtime. The fish was absolutely delicious and proper chips. Loved the little touch that it was lurpak that came with the bread. They offer a choice of sizes of meal which was really appreciated then give you a doggy box to take home what’s left as they’re generous portions

Visited for the first time today. We ate in, and both had fish and chips. I had the haddock, and my husband had the cod. Portion sizes were very generous, and the fish was freshly cooked to perfection! We had a side portion of mushy peas, and curry sauce. We both throughly enjoyed our meals, and would return and recommend. Service was friendly and fast. An all rounded solid 10 out of 10!

Excellent quality food. The fish was very fresh, batter light and crispy and chips perfectly golden. We chose a table near the window. It was lovely - we could enjoy the views outside, but didn't feel overlooked at all by passers by. We were served promptly by a welcoming member of staff and we didn't have to wait long at all for our food. We chose the meal deal, which included fish and chips, bread and butter (Lurpak), a pot of tea and a portion of either peas, gravy or curry sauce. Hienz ketchup was also included. We paid £13.95 for a regular meal but a small one was available for £ 12.95. We thought this was amazing value. Desserts were also available and alcoholic drinks too. We couldn't eat another thing as the fish portion was so generous, but will be back to sample the Sticky Toffee Pudding! A beautiful meal, and definitely our favourite of the fish and chip restaurants available in Seaham!

Noticed this fish & chip restaurant when we first arrived in Seaham but we were not hungry. But a good walk around the statue of the Soldier opposite and a long walk along the promenade we decided to go back for lunch. I had the special small fish meal of the day while my husband had sausage and chips. When the food came it was nicely cooked, the only problem was that my chips were cold!! I mentioned this to the young waitress and before I knew it she arrived with a plate of extremely hot chips, fantastic service. When my husband went to pay there’s signs all around the restaurant saying 10% discount on Tuesdays. Now I wasn’t expecting to have discounts on my lunch because it did stipulate no extra discounts on the special meal that I had, but when he questioned not getting the 10% off his lunch he was told it wasn’t applicable 🤷🏻‍♀️ as I’d had the special meal.

Fab food half & half is brilliant. It's worth the wait, which you do have to wait a lot of the time as someone who lives in seaham.

Went for some fish and chips and decided to go to the restaurant part in seaham do we can sit in since the weather wasn’t great. Walked in and it was empty so the employees were standing and from what i heard were talking about this electric scooter the man had with him just casually in the shop. They sat us and after 5 minutes we thought we had to get up and go to them to order but they were too busy talking before they realised and told me she would come over and take our order. This was fine till our food came an we only had one pair of cutlery in our table so my boyfriend tried getting the older woman’s attention which should have been easy considering we were the only people in the restaurant yet she continued to walk by us like she didn’t here and go talk to the other male employee about the electric scooter once again as we could here the next to the front door because we had the closest table to them. This was awful to experience and we felt like the older woman was judging us the whole time we ate. Food was alright and prices seemed a bit high for the amount your getting but i’m less concerned about that part.

Absolutely fantastic food and service. Fish chips and mushy peas( oh and curry sauce). Beautiful crisp batter, not greasy. All hot and plenty of the best chips I’ve had in a while.

We had a takeaway cod, chips and peas. We were greeted and directed upon arrival and the fish was fried to order. The service was friendly and efficient and the food (a very generous portion) was delicious.

One portion of fish and one portion of fish and chips to take out £21.80. for small portions. Overly priced. The portion size was equivalent to a pensioners special, however it was not a pensioners special. Disappointed.

Unfortunately for us, we arrived just as the seating area was closing and it was take away only… I say unfortunately, the smokie and Chip buttie that I had were just fantastic! My colleagues fish and chips were not bad either he says, we were speaking of the finest fish and chips we have ever had, and both mentioned that what we were eating there and then was well up there!!

Have to go at certain times to qualify for pensioner portions , cant go anytime, pensioners have to wait until they decide when we can eat .We dont have as much money to spare and can no longer eat an adult portion .. Yes you do discounts and smaller portions but only when you decide the time is right.. after 3 oclock is it ? Especially these dark nights Pensioners dont like to out after 4, but do enjoy a lunch.

Best fish and chips around here, I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Fish cakes are perfection. However the restaurant is a bit gloomy and I find the staff to be quite rude, and they usually get part of the order wrong which is no good when we order for takeaway.

Fabulous fish and chips restaurant. Staff are friendly and service is quick. The curry sauce is amazing. My friend and myself both had the haddock which was cooked perfectly.

This place is the place to eat Fish and chips in Seaham...had the haddock and it was amazing, cooked to perfection and really white and meaty. Ate inside, service was fast, efficient, and friendly. Highly recommended.

Gorgeous fish and chips thick white meaty cod , dry beautiful tasting chips , crisp light tasty batter !! Perfect ! Will be calling again after our ride out 😋

Lovely fish and chips, fresh and extremely tasty. I dislike putting negative comments on but found the staff particularly rude and not friendly. One female member of staff in particular was very rude to me when I asked her a question about an order her response and tone made me feel extremely uncomfortable in front of other customers. Will think twice about returning as not made to feel welcome

Service was slow. Fish fresh but totally lacking flavour. Batter was very greasy, presumably because of frying in beef dripping. Bell's batter is far better. I'll go to Bell's in future.

Wow…what a great place for fish and chips, the portions are huge (even the small size) and really good value for money. Would recommend this to anyone who wants a great fish and chip meal at the seaside.

Love this place! Friendly staff… food was delicious! Worth every penny! We’ve been here many times and will always come to Downey’s… don’t go to the one at the stack it’s not a patch on this one!

The staff were very friendly, the food was piping hot, possible not the best fish and chips I have had but pretty good, I suspect they were new potatoes so never quite as good. The portions are enormous we made the mistake of both of us having fish and chips, one piece of fish and a portion of chips would have been enough for the two of us. Some of the left over chips were eaten that evening and lunch the next day was a fish baguette with the rest of the chips so nothing was wasted!

Busy restaurant with exceptional service and even better food!! Highly recommended!! Huge portions well worth the money! Beautiful!

Went back to Downeys for lunch. Great to see waiter service again Brilliant as usual The wife had the regular sized cod and I had the large cod and a plate of chips between us. Just as well as the cods where great cooked to perfection and served by very friendly staff. What a great meal in pleasant surroundings and friendly staff

What a picture of misery the male fish fryer is.5 stars for the lovely food but I'd give 0 stars if I could for the terrible service.Roll on Bells opening because people won't put up with that man's bad manners no matter how nice the food is!!!!!

This must be one of the best fish and chip shops anywhere. Nice seating area with very efficient and friendly staff who go the extra mile. A real seaside treat.

We had takeaway fish and chips on Saturday evening. It was freshly cooked to order ,so it was lovely and hot, the batter wasn’t too thick but it wasn’t that tasty.

After a walk on the seafront we visited here on a Tuesday lunchtime. Downeys was recommended to us and it didn't disappoint. I went for the small cod and 5 langostines. Its a shame more fish and chip restaurants don't offer langostines. The dish came...

Food was great, nice atmosphere, friendly service and lovely traditional batter. It would have been nice to see fresh tartar sauce though.

Impossible to resist when you can smell beef dripping chips as you walk along the sea front. A popular and busy chip shop with the option to eat in or take away. Cooked fresh to order so there is a bit of a wait when...

NO OAP for mam who's 80yrs My mam couldn't order a child meal ( she only eats small portion). Didn't eat went to humbles. Definitely won't return

Apart from having black skin left on only Cod worth a mention Curry small tub, bread for two only 1 side plate , tea too strong , Amount of chips for £7.00 is a scandal I used to go often but will wait till Bells...

We ordered fish and chips and collected from the shop, one tea time just before Christmas 2022. the food and the service was amazing!!! the cafe was very busy but we were seen to straight away. the food was very hot and fresh, we sat...

Food nice enough but I won’t be returning due to arrogant fryer, spoke to staff member terribly. Would not let my family members work in that establishment.

A day trip from Scotland chiefly to see Tommy, and because of the rave reviews we just had to swing by Downey's and we were not disappointed. Pricey but so, so, so worth it and for sure the best fish and chips I've had in...

Visited last Thursday. Food was great, not greasy or heavy, good value. Brilliant waitress service by Jody, friendly, helpful, quick and very pleasant.

Recommended to visit by a family member and not disappointed. Fresh, hot, not very greasy and loads of bits, scraps or whatever your preferred name is. It was really very very good.

We first visited on Tuesday afternoon & then revisited on a Wednesday lunchtime with friends. The Fish, Langoustine, Chips & Peas were really nice/tasty on both days & were served 'fresh out of the fryer', so they were lovely and hot. The batter on the...

Very friendly efficient staff. Lovely cosy little eatery. I cannot recall tasting better fish & chips than what was served to our group of five. The chips were had a creamy & fluffy center, the fish perfectly cooked , flakey & not greasy. I wish...

Some of the best fish and chips I've had. Well-cooked and reasonable portions. The restaurant and servery are spotless and the staff polite and friendly. Excellent.

Delicious fish, chips and mushy peas with bread and butter but shame bout the guy/fryer who needs to learn to smile and be friendly like his staff.

Absolutely gorgeous. Lovely crispy batter. Big portions. Will defo go back if and when i visit Seaham again. We all enjoyed them.

I won't be returning here..the elder man who fries the fish is so rude everyone complains about him!!!!Puts people off going into the shop and there are only queues because your service is so slow!!!!!

Visited Downey’s today as a family, had a range of different items, all were served piping hot and were generous portions, we all left feeling very full! The waitress was friendly and efficient and kept the seating area clean and sanitised, we will be back!

Have visited Downeys several times and always enjoyed it previously, however this time was really disappointed with the portion size, price and the quality of the food. The fish was of poor quality(not really sure if it was cod) and the chips were lukewarm. My...

Downey's fish and chips are the best along this stretch at Seaham Harbour ... BUT if other restaurants along this road can provide plates, knives and forks .. WHY can't Downey's ? You have to shuffle along the Q , pick up your carton and...

Had the pleasure of a visit to Downey’s at Seaham today and having read previous reviews, it did not disappoint. Delicious food which was served up very fast by friendly staff. The Manager Gordon made us all feel very welcome and whilst the main restaurant...

Called in the other day as we saw people actually SITTING down. Pleasant staff explained that it was an attempt to take the deteriorating weather into account but also staff shortages. Wonderfully hot fish and chips BUT the lack of a pot of tea, slightly...

My wife and I have always enjoyed a visit to Downeys of Seaham when in need of a good meal . We hadn't been for quite a while due to the obvious problems that covid has brought down on us all, but having allowed what...

We went to this chip shop as the reviews were great, someone had criticised slow service but this is definitely not the case. We had 6 fish and chips and the fish was cooked to order. One of the best fish and chips we have...

Great fish lot but they need to get table service going again Shortage of staff is the reason I suppose but it definitely not the same eating out of a box withe no tea coffee proper knives and forks

Excellent fish and chips. All the fish was cooked fresh to order. Service was friendly and efficient. We went and ate them looking out at the sea. Basically it was everything you want a chip shop to be but that can seem so hard to...

Well, after a trip to Seaham and trying Downey's fish and chips, I now know why there's a long queue outside the door - the slow, slow service. In all my 50+ years I've never had such slow service in a fish and chip shop....

Wow , £4 for fresh cod & chips. Perfect portions & the fish is huge , even for a “Lite bite” Sit across the road next to “Tommy” over looking the sea.

Service was quick and friendly. Cards are accepted. Massive array of seafood available. Gorgeously crispy and tasty chips, alongside a beautifully battered fish.

The queue outside speaks for itself, the best fish and chip shop in Seaham. The only thing that detracts from excellent is the staff could be friendlier but as it’s a pick up a go place so it’s not a major issue

The atmosphere in this Seaham downeys you could cut with a knife,I will not go in when I see who is frying he is just a rude man and will lost them business please take him to another fish shop

This was recommended to us as a good place locals go to because of the monkfish on the menu and we were not disappointed . We were seen to and seated quickly. Our order was promptly taken and waiting time was perfectly acceptable. The restaurant...

Got take away chips with batter from here after walking here with my Mum, Sister and the Puppy here. So Mum went in to get us our food. Mum said it was Covid Safe. The chips with batter were nice and salty, but after a while after eating them my mouth felt really greasy. But my Mum explained to me that it was because they were fried in beef fat which I don’t eat. But we didn’t know that. But it was still nice. So I would recommend coming here again for the chips and batter.

Went today waited ages for a portion of chips...Paid £2.00 for a tray of chips. Food was good but portion size was very poor.. doubt if I will try again..

Nice food, awful staff.Having visited several times we always find the same issue. food is lovely however staff are rude. Today I got ‘eye rolled’ for ordering fish! This is not the 1st time and is such a shame as just no need. It puts us off coming back. All staff can have an ‘off day’ but it’s been too regular an occurrence.Shame the owner / manager can’t teach his staff a better level of customer service!

Used to love this place but since covid 19 hit, the service level has dropped.dramtically. came to support it, several times when able and travelled here today too. Only to be greater with attitude, when I asked about dine in sitting. Was informed that they where waiting on restrictions being lifted, so I mentioned those around dining in have been. However the arrogant and rude manager, took an argumentative tone to explain that it's not fianncially viable to let people sit down. This should have been said from the start, to give customers more transparent and honest informstion. Instead of confusing mixed messaging around restrictions.The lady who served us was nice, but the gentleman manager was condescending and arrogant.Better places to spend your money.

Me and my husband just had cod and chips and scampi, absolutely superb. Really hot, not greasy and the batter was lovely. We’ve been in the area for a week and it’s the best we’ve had!!! Highly recommend 😋

Food can not be faulted cooked freshly to order but the staff need to learn some manners the man was abrupt and rude when he spoke to another member of staff about someone’s order atmosphere tense

Got some chips here whilst here in Seaham and very nice and decent price,place wasn’t busy but good covid measurements but like other review some staff could smile more.

Very good fish and chips and best we’ve had in Seaham by far although lost a star as the staff are a little oddly miserable I thought but maybe just the masks so we will see when I next visit

Sticking to Covid rules a friend and myself met at Seaham for a walk. We decided to have Fish and Chips , they were delicious.The light bite menu is great value.One major disappointment is that three male customers came into the shop separately NONE were wearing masks. The staff, myself, my friend and another Male customer were ALL wearing masks. I was appalled that they were allowed to wait in the shop for their orders.

Go nearly every week for fish and chips and they ate the best fish and chips in seaham but I have to say the staff are not very friendly and not a very good attitude towards people

Love the food but staff rude. Ill still go back for the food and recommend that but dont expect smiles and pleasantries. Ive not marked it down too much as the foods great but itd have got 5 if the staff were better.

Best fish & chips I’ve had all year. Unfortunately unable to eat in at the moment but got fish, chips & mushy peas and sat by ‘Tommy’ to eat them in the sunshine.Potions are huge, maybe a little expensive but so tasty. Fish was delicious & chips perfect & cooked in beef dripping. Would recommend

Terrible attitude by older guy.Never smiles does he realise his customers pay his wages??Talks terribly to his staff.Press on 1 star reviews and you will see the majority aren't calling the food it's the staff attitude that doesn't go down well.There are plenty other decent fish shops in Seaham.Will be going to East Shore in future!!!

Very busy with good reason. Everything cooked to order apart from the usual items. The haddock in batter was wonderful and the chips great. A proper chippy with real mushy peas. All Covid 19 precautions adhered too and it was very clean and tidy. Highly recommended.

Great fish and chips. Best chips I’ve ever had. Nice batter on fish. All fried in beef fat so a no go for vegetarians.

Came to Seaham for an afternoon collecting sea glass and walking along the coastal path. Fancied fish and chips so picked the one with the queue and wasn't disappointed. Small cod and chips is £4.50 & large £7.10 but well worth the money.The fish melts in your mouth and the batter is perfect. We'll definitely go again when we're in the area

We travelled to Downeys specifically last week to enjoy fish and chips on the seafront. However the greeting from the staff was colder than the wind blowing off the North Sea. Come on Downeys encourage your staff to be more polite and engaging.

The Langoustine (Downey’s own battered scampi) was delicious. The chips and haddock were great too. Would definitely recommend.

Excellent fish and chips. Had to queue for a bit more than 5 mins, but was worth it. Onion rings and chicken nuggets also good. I don’t understand the recent negative comments about the food. It was really good

We are a regular here at least once per week. But the fish and chips on saturday 25 July were hopeless. A new fryer and all new staff, chips were white, floppy and uncooked. The fish was uncooked the batter next to the fish was wet and soggy. Very poor

Firstly fish and chips were superb and the two girls serving were really welcoming and helpful.Only down side was the guy frying which I presume was the owner made you feel it a chore your visiting the shop and putting him out.I would go back as the food was delicious just think he needs to be more customer service aware and smile

Delicious cod and haddock. The chips were perfect. Worth queuing for. We’ll be back next time we’re in Seaham

Sadly despite the fact that the fish and chips were good,the service was sullen,disinterested and verging on the unpleasant.A thoroughly unnecessary 30 minute queue-try asking people what they would like and get on with cooking it instead of waiting till they have got to the front of the queue-was a prelude to being served by 2 people to whom our presence appeared to be a total inconvenience.Maybe a little competition might sharpen these characters up-it is a strange world where you serve nice food,but you treat your customers with such disdain that that is virtually all they remember.

We had fish and chips to takeaway yesterday. Both the fish and chips had just come out of the fryer so both we really hot and still hot when we got to the beach to eat them. Lovely white fish and crispy chips. We will definitely go there again when in the area.

I have been to Downey’s before but never had a takeaway. We waited in a queue but it was only five minutes and the staff were polite. The counter was clean and you can clearly see the food is properly cooked. I had a great experience and l can’t wait to go back!

this was our 1st trip to seaham as we had wanted to see the statue of tommy for some time.we went and saw tommy which we realy liked then decided it was time to eat.checking out food options on trip advisor i saw downys we found the place easily and joined the social distacing que.i,m glad we did.would we go back again if near by yes we would.i had fish and chips the fish was a generous size and in light crispy batter and a decent amount of nicely cooked chips my husband had sausage and chips and enjoyed his as well.worth a visit

Food was amazing think the staff are doing really well with what is going on with the virus they have took good safety measures with only delivery’s and pick ups they also have a table where you pick your food up and carnt access the shop this is really good way of keeping people safe and still have good food

Given the current situation with covid 19 and the current lockdown this place is taking absolutely no notice. The current guidelines state that you should stay at least 2 m apart. Today the place was absolutely packed with a queue of people back to back through the shop and up the street. This is totally irresponsible and it should be closed down if that is the attitude of the management. Are you for real? Start thinking about others instead of the cash.

There was nothing particularly great about my experience here, but nothing terrible. The staff were friendly and polite, but not the most proactive or efficient (we asked them to fry our fish when joining the queue, they had to assemble boxes when our food was ready).Food-wise, my fish tasted quite fresh and was well cooked, but the chips were slightly gritty in texture, and I ended up with a combination of hot and lukewarm chips. Portion size was good, the price was reasonable. I’d be happy to eat here again, but wouldn’t rush back.

Visited here today with friend's and was well worth it 3 of us had cod chips and curry sauce and 1 fish cake chips curry sauce food was delicious staff couldnt do enough for us would definitely recommend and will visit again when in the area 4 happy customers. thank you.

Best fish & chips ever. Drove from Durham well worth it so fresh. Very hot and delicious fish & chips, portion very generous.

One of the nicest fish and chip shops I have visited. A nice thick piece of fish cooked in a perfectly crispy batter

Came to Downey’s again as we where in the area. This time just had take away, great food:) proper chunky fish one is enough for two and we are big eaters;) will be back again and recommend the fish bites too;)

Ok fish and chips, fairly priced however we wouldn’t return due to very poor and unfriendly service. The girl behind the counter looked bored then irritated by having to take our order. Not the service o expect as a paying customer. Try elsewhere!

I probably visit Downeys twice a month for a treat. Everything tends to be cooked to order so be prepared to wait (all good things come to those who wait!)

Fish and chips are excellent, all freshly cooked, good size portions, good service when eating in, good menu with good variety.

We've both just had the half and half meal and they were amazing. Best fish I've had in a long while. Definitely coming back when I'm up here again.

The service and hospitality is always pretty shocking (you wonder if they actually want your money) but if you can put it with that there is no arguing that it is damn good fish and chips, presented well

Very clean, hot food, huge portions and welcoming to all. We sat down an had a set fish meal and a portion of chips and tea. Very quick to serve us and the food was piping hot, and delicious. Would go back again in a minute.

My chum and I were out for a ride and needed lunch. We parked up and this was the first place we saw. It looks like a proper fish and chip shop with some added tables at both front and rear of the chippy.

Called in as I could get the aroma when walking by, Ordered a large fish with chips. Fish cooked to order, when it arrived it was actually two good sized fillets, they cooked to perfection, white chunky cod, very light crispy batter, chips were hot and crispy with soft inners. Plus they give batter bits. Great meal, (the only snag was, my light snack filled me for the whole day

Proper fish and chips at the seaside and a nice cuppa tea. What more can you want.Very nice, yum yum.