Maggie's in Hastings

We booked for 6 of us for a friend’s birthday. The fish and chips were very good as was the service.

Really good fish and chips - fish very fresh and coated in a light crispy batter and fried to perfection. The chips are the highlight - super crispy on the outside and very very fluffy on the inside with a melt in the mouth texture. Superb friendly service from the team - one to return to when in Hastings! Definitely worth the wait if there is a queue! Thank you!

If you want to eat good and tasty fish, this is a very good address

Outstanding food. The service is always hit and miss, they make you feel very unwelcome when you walk in. If you can get a table you won't be disappointed!!! I'd recommend the Calamari.

Fresh fish cooked to perfection, friendly staff and great views of the boats and sea. What more could you want.

Best fish & chips restaurant in Hastings! We are from the Netherlands and we know our fish and chips but this was absolutely fantastic! The waitress was very friendly and gave our kids drawing material. The food and beers were great and the restaurant and toilets were clean and tidy!

Maggie’s far exceeded our expectations. We were greeted by the pleasant serving team and sat at our table. We had high hopes as it was busy and felt fortunate to have a table without a reservation (especially on a Friday night). The quality of the food was far beyond what we had anticipated. The chips were by far the best we have eaten for many years, if not the best we have ever had. The fish was delicious, beautifully cooked and the batter was thin and crispy. We ordered a side of curry sauce which was not overpowering and worked really well to complement the food. Overall, I’d say it was the best fish and chips I have ever eaten and would happily go back.

A fisherman style restaurant. Let's say you are in Britain, în Hastings, and you want to satisfy your gourmet pleasures and eating something traditional. I always do that when I am visiting a foreign country. So you want your curiosity to be satisfied. What is the most traditional plate in a restaurant located in a fisherman town? Fish and chips, of course. You have the possibility to serve fish and chips in almost all restaurants in Hastings but let's say you are more pretentious. You want the fish to be fresh, just captured - in fact you want "the catch of the day - and you want to be sure that you are not served with refrigerated fish and... you want to see with your own eyes the process of kooking. There are a lot of conditions and if you want all of them to be fulfilled, people might say about you that you are not hungry, you just want to be carping. AAAND... you want to serve the meal in an old building of a fisherman house. Now, this is a challenge. Believe it or not there is such a restaurant that can fulfil all your pretentious requests and you can find it in Hastings, under the name of "Maggie's fish & chips". And guess what? It is in the same building with fishmarket, at the first floor (second floor for the yankees). Before you decide to go there, to serve a plate of fish and chips, you should know that this is a small restaurant with open kitchen - you can see how your meal is prepared - and as an inconvenient for you, is that you can smell everything is kooking in the kitchen of the restaurant. The restaurant is in an old fisherman house, at the first floor (second floor for USA citizens), it has about 8 or 9 tables inside, approximately 30 seats and there is a very narrow balcony with 4 tables for 2 persons each. The food is DELICIOUS, the taste of fish is that what suppose to be, the portions are big enough and the prices are reasonable. I recommend you to order a fish from the chapter "catch of the day". Good appetite!

This is the best fish & chip shop I have been to. Yes, we booked, & yes we had a window seat. We had cod & chips, all cooked to order. The best chips I have experienced, crispy & cooked to perfection. The cod was generous, flakey chunks with a superb crispy batter. Good service, attentive staff, overall it was a good experience. Will we return? Yes.

Great food, great service, great views. My plaice and chips (from that mornings catch) was superb. The others with cod and chips and scampi and chips were also pleased. Mushy peas also went down well. Great looking our over the fishing huts and boats to the sea. Will definitely go again

Best chips I've had in a long time. Very fresh. Lots of scampi too. Will def return when next in the area.

I really love coming to Hastings for fish and chips when visiting the south coast, and remember Maggies as one of the greatest places to sample a Great British delicacy. The restaurant has changed somewhat,in recent years, and getting a drinks licence is certainly a step forward. The service from the two ladies was very warm and friendly, and there was a good selection of specials available. The restaurant was clean and all of the staff were cheerful. I ordered Haddock and chips and a couple of Helles beers. The beer was ice cold, but the glass was hot out of the glasswasher. The Haddock had a slightly strong flavour, while not unpleasant. The batter was deliciously light and crispy, but, I personally would have skinned the fish, and perhaps seasoned the flour/batter. The chips were out of a bag, unfortunately, and again, while perfectly acceptable, in fact, quite nice, are not appropriate in a high-turnover seaside F&C establishment formerly visited by Messrs. Stein and Pantsdown, and recently vaunted by little Major P-B. Come on guys, real seaside chips please!

Lovely fish and chips but a little hidden away. With the effort to find.

Booked this restaurant from Tripadvisor reviews as we knew we would be in the area and fancied fish and chips. It was an excellent choice. Very large portions of fish, cod and haddock, very well cooked with a surprisingly light batter. Very friendly staff and a lovely outlook out to sea. Highly recommend.

Maggies was recommended to us by a friend. We booked in advance and weren't disappointed. There's a good choice of fresh sea food. We had fish and chips - why wouldn't you? The batter on the fish was light and crispy. Staff are friendly and there are views over the sea. Overall, a great place to eat in the old town.

What a fantastic place. We had cod and chips, the fish seemed extremely fresh with light batter that was wonderfully crispy. I had the hot seasonal cordial of blackcurrant and ginger which was also delicious. We couldn't resist finishing off our meal with some locally supplied sorbet ( blackcurrant and plum) both of which were really tasty. The view was beautiful and the service was great. If you get the opportunity to visit don't pass it up. We will certainly return on our next trip to Hastings

This was our first visit - it won't be our last!! The fish & chips were absolutely amazing, and the service was swift and friendly. This place is deservedly very popular, so book in advance - you won't be disappointed.

Great food and service as usual

We booked two days in advanced for a window seat.We were shown to a small table very close to a family of four already eating.My wife moved the table about a foot away,to give them and us room to sit together,and enjoy the limited view of the sea.A waitress told us in a rude voice’you can’t do that’ you’re not to move the table or a chair,as it would encroach on the table behind us,which was unoccupied.We decided that as we didn’t have our sea view,as was promised us,and being spoken to rudely by a waitress,that obviously wasn’t trained in how to speak to guests,we got up and left. We went across to the Mermaid restaurant and had a lovely meal,much better priced,and really lovely customer service.I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone,particularly if your not up to climbing lots of stairs,as there is no disabled access.There are many lovely fish restaurants in Hastings,but sadly this isn’t one of them

Lovely food. Good size portion. Always hot. Best fish & chips in Hastings

We went because it was the only fish and chip place that had a decent vegetarian option. The food was ok, apparently the fish was good but the presentation wasn't great. I've definitely had better chips in Hastings. And £3.80 for a 330ml can of apple juice?! I realise it's locally produced and is good quality, but it retails on it's own website for aI little over £1 per can. That's a hell of a mark up.... 3 cans of juice massively increased the price of a takeaway, and meant the while thing didn't feel worth it. I don't think my review will make a difference, people will still come here. Maybe they benefit from not having much good competition. Probably worth it to sit in. Not for takeaway.

Great food, unfortunately we only had take away due to lack of time. Very nice staff. Super tasty fish and chips. It's a bit hidden but the journey is worth it.

Booked a table as it’s very busy. Restaurant is up a flight of steps. Inside is small with views out to sea. I had the scampi with homemade tartare sauce, delicious! Friends had a small fish and chips equally scrumptious! Service felt a little pretentious but good attention to detail. A cut above the average fish and chip restaurant. Lovely treat for adults birthday party post crazy golf…

Yummy! Actually on the beach so get a takeaway and gaze out to sea. Divine!

I rarely give 5/5. Today was the day. Sensational cuisine. Super nice staff and atmosphere y A real insider tip for delicious fish & chips And the homemade remoulade/tartar sauce is a poem. And everything at fair prices. Super.

The tastiest gluten free fish and chips I’ve had! The prawns were also juicy and so tasty. They did those gluten free for me as well. I can’t wait to go back.

We didn't book in advance but we're lucky to get a table on the balcony which has great views. The toilet was small but clean. The staff were very friendly and reassured me about the food as I have allergies. The food was delicious, we had traditional fish and chips. Overall, really great experience.

Delicious fresh fish and friendly service by the sea

I thought the chips were amazing but others in the group didn’t like them. We didn’t order the catch of the day and perhaps that was our mistake. Overall it was expensive and disappointing. We had walked past several shops to get to this one and were underwhelmed by the whole experience. Based on the other reviews perhaps we caught them on a bad day.

Has a big reputation and largely lived up to it. We were accommodated in the small dining room with our buggy and a high chair and largely friendly staff. One waitress brought our baby a toy to play with which was nice! Nice atmosphere inside and the service is quick. The food was great (the chips were a cut above the standard seaside fare). The battered sausage and all fish were good too. The only slight downside is the limited menu - maybe being picky but a lack of saveloys, lack of large sausages and sundries such as onion rings would have been nice! Great place overall though.

We all chose skate, as the catch of the day and it was wonderful. Superb chips and great service. The ambience is second to none and we had a fantastic meal which was very good value.

Fresh fish and delicious. It's better to book a table before you go.

The best fish and chips I have tasted for a long time. Fish was very fresh, well cooked in lovely batter. Chips were exceptional, crispy and soft inside. Gorgeous meal and lovely place with nice views. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Will definitely be going again.

Just as fantastic as my Airbnb host said. So good I took home my leftover chips and got a small order of prawns to go for dinner. 💗🦐🍟🇬🇧

Took our Italian friends here yesterday lunchtime. They really enjoyed their cod and chips. I don’t eat fish but theirs looked wonderful. The weather was fabulous and we had a great view from our table by the window. The service was excellent and good value dishes with generous portions.

Best fish and chips I ever had.

Petit restaurant typique avec une belle vue. Fish & chips délicieux et personnel très serviable (On nous a trouvé une table malgré que le restaurant était presque plein).

Great food and plentiful dishes! Very fresh fish and cooked to perfection! Prices ok

Excellent food and service. Staff are super friendly and a seaview to boot.

Great food and service and wonderful views.

Delicious scampi... attentive staff

Excellent fish and chips. Great staff.

One of the best chippy teas I've ever had. Went with a large group of friends and they managed to find us a table of 14 later in the evening. Staff were friendly and fast, food was exceptional and portions generous. Atmosphere was relaxed, unpretentious and comfortable. Food was satisfying yet light and didn't leave us feeling bloated and heavy like most chippies do. Would definitely recommend and go again.

The staff were so wonderful and accommodating!

Order fish and chips (haddock) and it came out looking lovely. 1 bite into the fish and I knew something wasn’t right - the fish was soggy and smelt off. I showed the chef and he said “no it’s fresh”. I’ve had a lot of fish in my time and know what fresh fish is meant to be.

Disappointed with our experience based on the reviews others had given. The chips were good but my partner said the fish smelt and tasted off. He couldn’t eat it! When he told them and said he’d only like to pay for the chips because that’s all that were eaten they said no. £17 for terrible fish!

This is not the first time we've been to Maggie's and as usual the food was delicious, cod and chips with mushy peas. Our grandson had sausage chips and beans followed by chocolate ice cream he ate the lot, will definitely go again (very soon)

Fresh fish and delicious chips. Great tartar sauce. Price-performance is very good. Lovely again.

Surely best Fish'n Chips place in Hastings if not in the South Coast. Great location off the centre, beyond the cliffs, next to old fishing sheds. Excellent service spiced with free glass of rum.

I've been going to Maggies for 20 years. It's the best Fish and Chips restaurant in Hastings. The food is delicious, generous portions and friendly staff especially Julie. I always take my visitors there. You do need to book as it's very popular!

Simply the best Fish and Chips I've ever had! Lovely atmosphere and caring staff who was regularly checking that everything was Ok. I took the cod, my friend a catch of the day - monkfish - both were delicious and XXL. The house sauce was very good too. Would definitely go back!

I am a very frequent visitor to Hastings and have long been aware of the reputation Maggie's enjoys. We were excited to get a chance to dine at the restaurant and put it's reputation to the test. Sadly, Maggie's fell short in just about every department, although, admittedly the portions were generous, including a tasty and large piece of haddock. The most disappointing part of the meal was the chips, which we strongly suspected were frozen. We have had many meals from The Dolphin, a few minutes walk away, which we feel ticks all the classic fish and chips boxes. Maggie's I'm afraid is dining out on its reputation. Fingers crossed things improve.

We have been wanting to visit here for a while, so we finally made it mid week. The staff are lovely and welcoming Food was definitely the best I’ve had in Hastings it tasted amazing 🤩

Great fish and chip shop, personally I prefer less crispy chips.

What a total disappointment after raving reviews from Tom Parker Bowles article in paper last week. Has he actually eaten there! The service was slow. Waited 10mins for a cup of tea. The chips were aweful. They seemed like oven chips deep fried. Way too oily and crispy. The fish wasn't much better. Actually where was the fish, couldn't find it? The mushy peas had too much liquid (tinned?). Give me old fashioned fish and chips. This was nothing like the real thing and for £15 each a rip off.

Overcharged fish poor battery chips very good. Charged£30 for two take away fish and chips. Take away menu advised £8.50 plus £2.50 chips.

Excellent fish and chips, large potion. Scampi and chips best tasted in a long time and would highly recommend

Great size fish and chips really enjoyed the meal Such a lovely place, able to sit in the sun and enjoy very fresh fish. Lovely service and great wines.

Very disappointing. The chips were overcooked and hard, the pickled onions were very small and the tartar sauce was just mayo with a bit of gherkin in it. One young girl serving was very nice but there was an older lady who was rude and came across as though we were imposing. Overpriced and food just average.

Chips... I have been dreaming about the. So fluffy and crispy. Delicious. Great family dinner, eat on the beach, sea air, hiding from the seagull. The food is tasty, good portion sizes. Great value for money.

This place is truly a hidden gem. Best fish and chips in town by far. Always busy which tells its own story. Great service, great food, no soggy chips in sight. Homemade tatar sauce which is streaks ahead of nasty sachet stuff. A little bit of outdoor seating for the warmer months. I would advise booking a table...we did and it was ready and waiting when we got there 10 mins early. We'll be back for sure next time we are down. Go there, so you don't subject yourself to something inferior which is easily done by the sea. Absolutely great all in all...go there Update. For 2024...This time we asked for a takeaway to have. If its possible, it was even better than last time. Everything was so on point. Not a single soggy chip despite walking it home for 15 mins. Absolutely great. Kudos to these guys.

We had a family chippy tea and it was delicious. The chips were amazing, so crispy and fluffy.... I would drive the two hours just to have the chips on the beach. Very much enjoyed by myself and the kids

We were there with a large group and also had a reservation. When we were there, many people wanted to share the food because of the large portions. We were then sent out. The employees were unfriendly and seemed aggressive.

We came with a reservation and were thrown out of our order due to the volume. The tone was also very rude. Absolutely cheeky.

An absolute gem of a place in terms of fresh fish and chips (cod). The best F&C in Hastings by miles!!! The portions are absolutely gigantic, by the time you finish your meal, you’ll be asking yourself “why on earth didn’t I take my whole family with me so I could share l”… The only complaint, although it didn’t bother me, are the seagulls. Let’s tell you this, these birds are getting nastier and nastier by day…

Pickled onions where warm. Batter on fish was not crispy. And the fish was watery on both the haddock and cod

Best cod and chips I have ever tasted. Staff extremely helpfull and friendly

Really its one of best fish and chips

We have been several times and can not fault it

It does live up to the hype the fish was melt in the mouth and crispy fresh batter. Lovely crisp chips. If they had a decent wine they would get 5 stars. It would complement the outstanding food. White wine was pretty awful. All you need is a good Pinot Grigio. The staff are terrific. Lovely view out to the fishing boats and sea. Hope to come again.

I had the most lovely lunch at Maggie’s! Despite being busy Saturday, I was offered the cutest table for one on the balcony, with a lovely view of boats and the sea. The fish and chips were so fresh, full of flavour and just so delicious. The mushy peas and tartare sauce really were the cherry on top. The service was incredible and so kind.

We had excellent fish & chips, well priced, with a good variety of daily specials available, including some types I've never tried before. The 'Huss' I had never heard of and it seems to be a local name for a Spiny Dogfish which seems to be readily available in that area. It was a huge portion and quite 'meaty' as the server explained, but not as tasty as the Haddock that I usually prefer. The view is great of the working shipyard and harbour, and the miniature railway was running right below us. The toilets were clean and pleasant and the only thing that might be a negative was that there were long and steep stairs to access the entrance so it seems not to be accessible for those with mobility disabilities. Service was friendly but a bit brusque though attentive and peas and mushy peas plus extra tartare sauce was voluntarily supplied. It was crowded and popular so required a reservation.

Recently moved to the area and had read such great reviews about the fish and chips here, so took my fish & chips loving cousin while she was visiting! It was a Friday night and we hadn’t booked, but Kim kindly accommodated us and looked after us; so thank you Kim. Food didn’t disappoint, we had cod and chips and it was delicious; my only slight negative is I love a chunkier chip.

Very warm welcome, well-filled plates. It was really good.

My wife and I went to Maggie's for lunch. I had two sausages along with chips and beans and everything was just right from the view out the window to the lovely food. Two thumbs up to Maggie's in Hastings!

Lovely fish and chip restaurant with great staff.

I hate to write the review's, but I been really impressed with this place .So I will do!!! :) Really good quality food, simple menu friendly staff! Which is really refreshing to see !!(this days) When we come the place was really busy and tables which was left was reserved ,but they accommodate my family of 4. Keep doing what you doing :)) Will be back with my family .! Prices is really affordable for the quality of food :)

Probably some of the best fish and chips I've ever had, the freshness of the fish, the lightness of the batter, perfectly crispy. Also had a wicked locally brewed craft IPA.

We travelled from Birmingham for business and had to try Maggies after reading the reviews, I can honestly say that was over of the best first and chips I've ever had in my long 50 years. Everything was fresh and service was excellent and fast to boot. Thank you guys

Save your money, so overpriced and only a handful of chips given in the bottom of box. Standard in taste as well, could get the same anywhere and save yourself money.

1st time at Maggie's, don't know why I left it so long! Fantastic skate wing ( huge!) and really lovely salad with dill. Great service.Thank you!

I had the huss fish and chips which I cannot recommend to people; pick either cod, haddock, or monk fish. Awesome home-made tartar sauce though. Had bangers and chips which I was extremely disappointed with; sausage meat content was low and of poor quality and they charged me 9.80 GBP. Apart from the sea view, i cannot recommend this place. P.S. each person must order a main, which made it difficult for me to enjoy as much street food in Hastings as I would like to

Without doubt the best Fish & Chips I've had. Very good value as well, I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the fish. Lovely staff. Beautiful view of the seafront. Couldn't recommend it more, 100% will return.

Had the best calamari and fish and chips!!!! Very fresh, can see how cooking, also can choose from 2-3 different fish to have with chips. Strongly recommend!! Before coming call to see if have availability as very busy!

Another satisfying experience at Maggie's. Our haddock and chips was top-notch. Lucky to get a table as it is always busy. Will definitely be back for more of the same. The service was superb - friendly staff.

Absolutely beautiful the best fish and chips in my life. Well done guys please continue providing us with such a nice meal and service.

Very good quality fresh fish. Really enjoyed it! Would be my choice for lunch in Hastings. Only thing which was a bit naff, was we all agreed the tartar sauce was essentially just mayo with a tiny volume of pickle.

Access very difficult for anyone with walking problems. We'd always overcome this wtih family helping someone up and down the steps in order to have a good meal, but that's finished. Previously our aged mum (90 yrs old) who eats tiny portions, was allowed to order the children's menu but not anymore. £2 pounds was knocked off the already extortionate £15.50 for fish and chips which was effectively the 7.50 child's portion. Sort yourself out!

We were able to get a table on the little balcony overlooking the fishing boats. We ordered haddock and chips and cod and chips for my wife, together with a portion of curry sauce. First impressions were favourable. The fish was absolutely superb, white flakes and a crisp batter made it some of the freshest we have tried. This made the chips all the more of a letdown - they look nice enough but on closer inspection, and as others have alluded to, are simply frozen chips fried. The portions we were served were less than generous, I counted a total of ten on my wife's plate, to be fair I did have a few more, but both portions were a far cry from the huge portions we are used to from our local chippy. The curry sauce was served in a small jug and was perfectly acceptable. Did we enjoy the meal? absolutely and the fish is absolutely the star of the show. Could it be better, most certainly, and if the chips can be cracked then Maggie's would be worthy of the Best Fish and Chips in Hastings accolade which has already been bestowed upon it - an accolade which is a little premature based on current experience.

Pretty much an institution - if you'd like a banging fish and chips its the place to be.

We arrived late, but they never rushed us. Maggie’s Fish and Chips is undoubtedly one of the best spots in Hastings. Despite the area’s reputation for fishing and fish markets, many other places disappoint. However, Maggie’s stands out with its beautifully cooked food and pleasant sea views from the restaurant. While the chips weren’t exceptional, the quality of the fish, curry sauce, and tartar sauce more than made up for it. A solid 5-star rating from us.

Great fish. 4 different sets, all delicious, I recommend!

Really enjoyed our fish n chips at Maggie's on a return visit after a couple of years. Nice and busy - even at 3 pm- so definitely agree that you need to book, but it's well worth it, flaky cod cooked with care with well cooked chips, a nice cuppa or glass of wine and a view of the fishing fleet, past and present, on the shore !

Incredibly fresh fish, great staff and views out to the fishermen huts. A must wheb visiting Hastings!

Voted best in Hastings, nice and friendly staff, promt service and delicious fish and chips

This was our first visit and will definitely not be our last. Was the best fish and chips ever.

Best tasting fish and chips in ages. Not cheap, you only get what you pay for.

I went to Maggie's Fish & Ship to have lunch after reading about places to visit while in Hastings (it was highly recommended). The restaurant was nice and neat. Tables were clean and waitresses were fast but very nice. Food was delicious. I was under the impression it was freshly prepared. Vegetarian options in the menu. Price was great! Atmosphere was very pleasant, kids friendly. Great place to taste food from Hastings.

I last visited Maggie's a few years back and in that occasion the fish a d chips were excellent. So, finding myself in Hastings I thought I'd go back, but would check a few reviews first. Surprised to see some critical comments and suggestions that other places are better. So I had a nose round several but wasn't impressed so ended up back at Maggie's. I hadn't booked and it seemed strange that they struggled to find me a table although the place was empty. But they did, asking if they could have the table back in 40 mins and, sure enough, within half an hour there wasn't a spare place. The cod was perfect with light batter a d the chips were good and definitely not frozen! To my taste perhaps both batter and chips could have been a little crisper, but that's measuring against perfection. There was also a small mistake over my drink so I dithered between 4 and 5 stars, but as it's at least 4.8 it got 5. But this place is an institution and rightly so. You really do need to book but don't be tempted by other places. I would be very surprised if Maggie's isn't still the best.

Went here due to good reviews, but was quite disappointed. I'm happy to try new things and wanted to try their catch of the day (huss), but they had sold out. Reverted to try deep fried monkfish. Monkfish is a very meaty fish so was surprised to be served deep fried tails with very little fish. Just batter and bones!!! Also, seemed as if the plates we were served the meals on were inconsistent in size compared to some other diners. My partner had the cod which he said was good, but not outstanding. Such a shame. We were really looking forward to a good meal. The older lady who initially served us was very friendly but then became busy on the till and the young lady who took over seemed disinterested.