Fish Central in Islington

A local hidden gem of a restaurant with really good portions for a great value. The staff are also very attentive. One of the desserts was served cold when it was supposed to be served hot. But once we notified the waiter, he was quick to change the dessert for a hot one with no fuss. Can't wait to come back here.

Have been coming here for years, haven’t been for a while, so not sure what to expect as many other local places either closed down or gone down hill. However Fish Central is an exception, it’s even better than before (very good before too), some new dishes were really good, aswell as what’s always on the menu like fish n chips really good fish too. Service excellent as usual.

Great place to eat. Food was amazing, service was brilliant, absolutely top notch. I will definitely be returning

Very special place with excellent service and amazing seafood.

Fabulous fish restaurant, good choice of fish, cooked as you like it. Wide range of specials over the weekend. Reasonably priced wine. Friendly, informed service. Great value all round.

This is a local gem. Service is impeccable, without being overbearing. The food is perfectly cooked, tasty and comes in generous portions. If you want a genuine and tasty fish dinner in a non pretentious atmosphere and with quality and impeccable service, definitely visit. Great chef and team.

Best fish & chips, excellent service and good prices. Highly recommend.

Went there for fish and chips and got what I wanted (had the special): tasty, not greasy like it can sometimes be. Staff was very nice too.

We booked a table for dinner at Fish Central. Two of my guests had never visited before so it was great to get their feedback. This is one of my favourite restaurants in London as they offer not only wonderful food but also deliver a great level of service. If you enjoy fish and seafood along with a wonderful level of service delivered by a team of experienced, mature, knowledgeable and engaging waiting staff then this is a place not to be missed. They specialise in fish and seafood and mainly British produce. They have an A La Carte menu but also offer a daily specials board too. The food is great, cooked well and tasty and served simply without fuss. The portions are ample and the prices very reasonable. It is hard to choose my favourite dish as they are all so good. The Grilled Dover Sole and whole Lemon Sole are great but so too is the Cod(number 18). Fish Central is a bit of a throw back to when family run restaurants were the norm and staff were well trained and accommodating and your bill was hand written on a receipt. This is a great place to visit with friends and family or even for a solo lunch or dinner.

In activity since the late 60s, this fish restaurant is an old-fashioned dining experience in the best possible way. The food is good, the service is attentive and friendly, the decor is simple and elegant. There's a celebratory atmosphere, with punters chatting, drinking, and enjoying their food. Had a great time there with a friend who is a regular and I will certainly return. Definitely one to recommend!

I have been here more than 10 times and never thought of writing a review because it's just the place to go when I want an excellent meal with waiters who are basically friends at this point, where I never have to make a reservation and there are always people from the neighborhood there. What can I say? This place is a not to hidden gem - just ask any taxi driver!

Great food and friendly service. Waiter very professional and recommended Hake as fresher than the cod. Fish was delicious and onion rings even better. Fry was like the best tempura I've ever had. Not busy on a Monday night late, but don't be scared by lack of crowd. This place is a gem. Has a separate wheelchair accessible restroom, and no steps to enter.

One of the top three fish and chips in London.

Definitely off the beaten track. Strong local fish place.

just lovely to be welcomed back . . fish is as good as ever. we will be back SOON.

Top notch local fish restaurant, much more than fish & chips. Highly recommended. Been again tonight after a couple of months away, as good as ever

Gorgeous seafood restaurant with its own charm - feels authentic like what I imagine it was like when it first opened. The fish, lobster and oysters are the freshest I’ve tasted in London. Truly unbeatable quality. The waiters are lovely and chatty and attentive. Deserts 10/10. Couldn’t fault it and I’ll be back. If you love seafood this isn’t one to miss

Both me and my partner got food poisoning from this place and they ignored our request for a refund. Shame as the service, atmosphere and food was decent, at least until we got home and were sick all night. We both had to miss work the following day so felt a refund would’ve been fair, I’m assuming they thought we were lying, we weren’t.

Thank you for an excellent lunch today The food was great, the banter even better ! See you again

a pleasant place, the prices are good, the dishes are beautifully decorated

Family run fish restaurant that serves fresh fish straight from the market. A place frequented by local residents and is about as nontouristy as you can find in London. Fish gets an A as does the service.

Lovely place they own the bakers right by excellent everything tried their apple straddle yesterday outstanding £2.35 👌

Very tasty and seemed very authentic to me as a layperson (we ordered fish & chips). There was also a salmon cake on the house with the actual starter (shrimp cocktail and grilled octopus with vegetables). Service was friendly and helpful. The furnishings were rather functional and simple, but that isn't a problem in itself (you can also see in from the street, so you know what you're getting into. If you're looking for something stylish, you'll unfortunately have to turn around).

The food and service was outstanding. Such a diamond in the city ✨️ we will be back for sure!!! Thanks for letting us in with the dog

It's absolutely delicious. They're friendly. Highly recommended

I return to London often during the year and every time I try to stop at Fish Central where courtesy, excellent food, the best Fish And chips in London, cleanliness and a peaceful environment reign. The prices are more than fair in relation to the excellent service, managed by super Italian waiters, throughout. An example of excellence. Well done, really good. Francis of Sassari.

De l’accueil, en passant par la qualité du service jusqu’aux produits servis dans l’assiette, ce restaurant est exceptionnel ! Pour des prix absolument raisonnables ! Nous étions en vacances sur Londres pendant 8 jours, nous résidions à côté et nous avons mangé au Fish Central 3 fois!!! Nous avons fait le tour des restaurants environnants et aucun n’égale celui ci. Nous recommandons vivement d’aller vous régaler au Fish Central et vous passerez un moment calme avec des produits très bien cuisinés et une équipe au petits soins ! Une belle découverte pour notre famille, merci à l’équipe du Fish Central!

Plats juste exquis, (bien demandé les spécialités du jour), service juste incroyable, je recommande à 100% FONCEZ!!!

Excellent food! Super fresh. Great staff. Our favorite treat in town x

What a fabulous experience at Fish Central... Not sure where to start: staff was fantastic (including but limited to professional, knowledgeable (on the various fishes), friendly but not intrusive, caring, efficient). The food was excellent (starters, fish, dessert) and came in good portion. And the cherry on the cake: I dont think you can find better value for money in London!!!

Amazing as ever ! Still the best fish restaurant in London.

The staff is SUPER KIND! And the food is good quality

Brilliant seafood restaurant with excellent quality of seafood and fish, and excellent service and advice. There was 6 of us for an early supper and all enjoyed the great food and good quality wine to boot and all at very reasonable prices.

Visited for a dinner with friends. The restaurant is spread over two floors with a ground floor dining room and an upper floors dining room with terrace. This is a family run restaurant which specialies in fish and seafood. The menu includes a variety of fish including Cod, Haddock, Skate, Plaice, Hake and Salmon. The service is very good as they have a number of mature and experienced waiting staff. They made our dining experience and excellent one. The food was excellent and also ample and was very reasonably priced. The owner George came round and introduced himself to us and ensure that we had enjoyed our meal. I had a great chat with him as he narrated the history of his restaurant. This was a nice touch. We had a great time and will certainly revisit again and again.

Visited for a dinner with friends. The restaurant is spread over two floors with a ground floor dining room and an upper floors dining room with terrace. This is a family run restaurant which specialies in fish and seafood. The menu includes a variety of fish including Cod, Haddock, Skate, Plaice, Hake and Salmon. The service is very good as they have a number of mature and experienced waiting staff. They made our dining experience and excellent one. The food was excellent and also ample and was very reasonably priced. The owner George came round and introduced himself to us and ensure that we had enjoyed our meal. I had a great chat with him as he narrated the history of his restaurant. This was a nice touch. We had a great time and will certainly revisit again and again.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Fish Central! From the moment I walked through the door, the lovely ambience of the place set the tone for what would be a delightful meal. The decor was charming and cozy. The highlight of my visit was undoubtedly the freshness of the fish. The fish was cooked to perfection, enveloped in a light, crispy batter and the tender, fish inside was absolutely divine. In addition to the outstanding food, the service was exemplary. The staff were friendly and attentive. Fish Central exceeded all my expectations. The combination of the freshest fish, impeccable cooking, and the lovely, inviting ambience made for an unforgettable dining experience. I highly recommend this gem to anyone looking for fish and chips in London. Five stars, without a doubt!

This place really values their customers - it feels like stepping back in time when things were done well, with care and quality ingredients. It’s a time capsule of a golden era … Of course I would add THE BEST FISH & CHIPS I KNOW OF IN LONDON gets served here

Another visit to Fish Central … Nice prawn cocktail Nice grilled fish, both cod and haddock. Always great food Nice service Can get noisy though when busy, which is always the case as this is a popular restaurant ££

This was our second visit as we were happy with the food and service. The location is a bit far from tube stations but it is worth the walk. We had lobster, salmon, chips, salad, bread and butter, cranberry juice and a bottle of sparkling water, all under £83 for 2 people. My lobster was excellent, it came with all the trimmings and sauces. The garlic butter made all the difference! Only mild criticism - the cracker used for the lobster was old fashioned, flat and hard to grip. Other restaurants provide modern tools with better grips to help you open the lobster. Not a dealbreaker, but Fish Central should consider investing in new tools.

Lovely fish. Chips not greasy. Good tartare sauce. Chatty service. Good fun. Great to go back after 6 years.

It has been 15 years that I have been visiting and eating at this restaurant when I'm in London I always try to make a stop in fish central. This restaurant still maintains the standards of delivering.... great food, great service and value for money. Their specials on the board offering of seafood is the one to look for!!!

A white tablecloth fish restaurant serving market fresh fish, and doing it really well.

I came for dinner based on the high rating on Google Map. It was worthy of this rating. Delicious and wonderful fish. The ambiance of the restaurant was beautiful. Our host Sergio was very nice and gave us great recommendations. I recommend visiting the restaurant

Great place. Friendly, fantastic service and really good fish. Despite that, it is unpretentious and affordable. And we even met some new friends. Truly, the place has a good vibe and knows what they are doing.

Food and service was top notch!

Very good fish restaurant. Very friendly service. Big portions. Good atmosphere.

Lovely service, very friendly. Excellent food. Definitely a great call for an evening meal!

Fish is fresh and delicious, however, service was slow even though the restaurant was less than half full when we arrived. Chips and mushy peas were only average. Wanted to love this place, but it needs to up its game in some areas.

Best Cod & chips in London and prices are comparable with lesser chippies.

The fish is not too fatty and the fries are excellent. Friendly and pleasant atmosphere.

amazing place! what a lovely hidden gem. great staff too !!!

Hands down the best fish and chips in the south of England if not the whole British Isles. Fresh fish from the market every day and wonderful real chips. All fried to perfection and not greasy at all and all very reasonably priced too. I'm off there again in a few days and will be back again soon after!

A modest, unpretentious family run restaurant. Very happy to support in a climate where chains are monopolising everything. Wonderful find.

Did a whole European trip for our honeymoon and our last stop was in London. I looked up the best places to go for fish and chips and Fish Central was highly recommend. Our waiter was very friendly and gave us some recommendations since it was our first time having fish and chips. We got the cod and the haddock version, both were just amazing and the chips were crisp. We got complimentary fish cakes as well which was a very nice surprise. We got the crème brûlée and chocolate fudge cake for dessert and both were delicious. Our waiter at the end gave us a brief history on the restaurant. He explained how the fish batter is done for every dish before it’s cooked and never premade, you can really tell in the freshness of the fish. I would definitely come back to this location on my next trip to London.

Very nice place, price range good, food ok.

Wow!! Fantastic food, beautiful restaurant with immaculate white table cloths, superb service and friendly warm hospitality from the staff. Voted as one of the best fish and chips in the UK and the best in London by the Observer. They were kind enough to serve us with complimentary starters of hummus and taramasalata dips and fish cakes while waiting for our fresh, crunchy fish and chips. Will return, a new favourite restaurant! Thank you Fish Central!

I really liked this local joint. Friendly staff and what you would want as a local restaurant. Fish and chips were excellent and lobsters were fresh. I really liked the raw oysters. Excellent desserts and complimentary fish cakes made us very happy. Would definitely like to come back here.

Since 1968?! Are you kidding me! Amazing and charming with a great steak! Yes, I said steak even though this is Fish Central. Had the filet (M), fresh vegetables, creamed (mashed for us Americans) potatoes, and onion rings. OMG, quality amd freshness were top notch and cooking/grilling was done to perfection. I hope everyone gets as good a meal when they visit!

Such a cute place. Great food with some old school service makes a perfect combo. Will be back 👌

Wonderful experience, fish cooked to perfection and staff was very very nice and attentive. Special hake fish and chips was the best fish and chips I’ve had so far 🎣💗

You can immediately feel the freshness of the fish! Perfect and professional place for fish and chips. 100% recommended!!!Also the service is very good!!!

Great quality fish and chips! Amazing, friendly service! More than fair prices! Can't ask for more, really.

I still haven't finished my meal, I'm at dessert and even the dessert is excellent! Very good address, friendly, top service. Nothing more to say.

Lovely service and a wonderful meal!!

Best fish and chips in london. Very crispy but moist inside. All staff were lovely

4.5! Wonderful Restaurant. I was really pleased with my dish and the service and the experience overall was perfect.

Excellent food and service. Particularly liked the grilled skate, with butter & capers. Will definitely be going back.

We were told about Fish Central by our taxi driver, he drops off not realizing the restaurant was closed. The waiter, Diego, was fantastic, he talked to the owner, Nouzar, who agreed to let 2 sisters from the US into his lovely restaurant. He proceeded to prepare the most delicious fish and chips with cod and haddock. It was wonderful and the kindness and generosity of those 2 made these 1st time visitors to London feel very special.

The grilled salmon is tasty. The cooking method is not beyond a normal kitchen level, but the fish texture was bouncy and juicy, so different from what i can get from Waitrose. The home made apple tart is also recommended. The sugar did not overshadow the flavor of apple, so you would not feel like eating a sugar plate. It is a lovely community restaurant, full of local residents nearby coming here to celebrate a Friday night. I would love to come back trying other dishes.

Great food, fab atmosphere and only a short walk from the city

I have been an infrequent visitor over many years. Both the food and staff are outstanding. Not pricy either. Fish as fresh as could be and cooked to perfection. Highly recommend. My favourite restaurant when I have the chance to dine out. My go to place for buying fish and chips to take away.

A nice seafood restaurant in Islington, London. The service and food were very nice. I definitely recommend it 👌

We live in London SW and went to Fish Central for a meal despite the distance, as it came highly recommended. It was a LOVELY meal. Very good food- batter was crisp, fish was fresh, generous serving, good pricing. The grilled calamari was very tender. The homemade lemon curd was tart n delicious. The service was exceptional- they are friendly n have very good recommendations. A great place to go with family and friends. Visit their bakery two doors down. Well worth the visit!

I've never had fish and chips. I know. This is my first trip to London. I was most excited for the legendary dish. I googled closest fish and chips near me and this one came up. I didn't look for quality, star rating, or anything complicated. Just "near me." I walked about 10 minutes. I rounded the corner and saw half the restaurant was full of folks dressed very well. In response, I instantly became bashful. I was about to walk home hungry. Thank goodness I spotted the takeaway option next door. All the staff were incredibly nice. The speed was impressive! I waited less than 5 minutes. The man who helped check me out was shocked it would be my first time trying fish and chips. He was honored I chose their restaurant. Very heartwarming. The suspense was more than worth it. I walked home. Everyone could smell my bag as I walked by. One person asked if he could have some, to which I declined politely while chuckling. The heat came down just right. The fish was still hot enough to have to blow on it first. The "chips" were still crispy. Never in America! Unbelievable. I can't recommend this place enough. Hospitality, quality, speed, affordability, convenience, tourist-friendly... Perfection. Understandably, I have nothing to compare them to. I'm pretty confident no one will live up to them though.

Amazing value for fresh fish (~£12 for haddock or cod or plaice!) ; generous portions as well. Prepared grilled or fried. Desserts are hit or miss - I had a great panna cotta before but the crème brûlée wasn’t great today. You go for the fresh and well-priced seafood. Will be back!

Great fish and amazing value. Highly recommended. Been there many times pre covid; prices increased a bit but still very reasonable.

The quality of the food is excellent Very generous portions Waiter (Italian) super friendly and helpful

One of my most favorite dining experiences every time I come to London! Appetizers: I highly recommend the shrimp. It’s so fresh. The roasted goat cheese is incredible as well. Meal: the fish and chips are the best I have. The cod is my fav but the haddock is also lovely. Dessert. Sticky pudding, tiramisu, and their cake are delicious!

Oh my time was excellent. It was scrumptious food the service was exquisite

A hidden jam. Worth a travel. Try Skate wing if you haven't before.

We went to London for a day trip so we decided to return here for lunch as we hadn’t been to London for a while. Last time we had dinner, this time we had lunch. As before the food and service were exceptional so it was well worth it. We walked there from Barbican station and found it much closer to the city than when we had previously walked from old street station. We had prawns and squid to start, then turbot with chips and peas. All the food was so fresh, tasty and piping hot. The chips were real traditional potato chips that are not served everywhere and there are not many fish places around so it was all really lovely. Thanks so much. We have got a bank holiday weekend to London planned later this year so we are looking forward to be able to visit more than once on that occasion.

Great place, lovely food, good service and buzzing atmosphere.

Everything was excellent. Delicious food and desserts, charming ambience and outstanding service! Many thank to our beautiful waiter Mr. Sergio.

The quality of the fish is incredible, so fresh and flavourful. I went with some friends and it is a complete good value for money restaurant. Moreover the service was excellent and the waiters very caring and kind, I’ll definitely go back ☺️

Good food and good value Service great and with a smile Atmosphere excellent with real table cloths and real flowers in a minimalist style restaurant

This is our go-to place for fish when we fancy a plain no-fuss English style seafood meal. I have been there 4-5 times, each time the fish is always satisfying, apart from the first time when the chips were a bit soggy. This time both my friend & I had monkfish which was succulent & superbly cooked. Desserts were outstanding too. Excellent & personable service, rare these days. Love the fact that food is served on tables with white linen. Deco, on the other hand, is on the plain side.

Really excellent food, such fresh fish, chose from the specials board for well blended flavours. Meat eaters are also catered for with quality steaks etc. the staff are lovely. Fresh flowers on the tables, crisp linen table cloths. Lunch times can be quiet, Wednesday evenings often have live music. Highly recommended.

Excellent food, impeccable service!! Steeped in authenticity and quality. Totally worth coming out of your way for. A delight to dine here, will return again.

This restaurant is all about seafood. Food and service was very good.

had the halibut, it was superb, reasonably priced and good size portion. staff really friendly and helpful. well worth a visit to this rather out of the way location.

This local fish restaurant is a little-known gem. It serves up delicious, fresh fish and seafood dishes, followed by homemade desserts. The service is excellent and very friendly. A lovely experience!

Definitely a hidden gem in the area! The fish is so fresh and affordable. Service is attentive and polite and the price performance ratio is so high. We enjoyed our grilled fish dishes and will definitely come back for the lobster salad next time!

The best fish restaurant in town

Best Irish coffee ever!!! Service was second to none and the fish is great too!!

in addition to all the above stars, the Irish coffee was absolutely amazing. But most of all the Roast Cod was to die for. Best fish restaurant in London Service is (tanya say was) out of this world x

We wanted a light late lunch after travelling down from York so decided to go fishy. Did some research and found Fish Central. Liked the menu , reasonably priced so booked. What a great find. We had all 3 of the special board starters - smoked fish platter with beetroot and avocado, crab Mayo with toast and jellied eels. All very tasty. We then had a grilled fish each (plaice and rock salmon) with shared chips and peas. Again all good and red hot. Couple of nice house white wines - again very reasonable prices for London. Diego looked after us very well. Highly recommended

The food is cooked perfectly and the staff are so friendly. The "specials of the day" are superb and that includes the beef steaks- surprising as it is a fish restaurant. Recommended whole heartedly!

I had a takeaway fried cod. Simple but easy to get wrong. That never happened here, absolutely perfect, flaky and cooked to perfection cod meat. And, a crunchy crisp batter. The size was generous. I've been using this takeaway on and off for 30 years, I hope to use it for another 30!

A lovely first visit to Fish Central. Service was fantastic, food was lovely, with big portion sizes, and very reasonably priced. A hidden gem, thank you! We will be back :)

Absolutely the best fish&Chips Food is delicious fresh crispy batter, Staff are friendly polite,