Shoal in Winchester

Well we never got in. We called the day before to book 6 people for Wednesday but the guy said they only take bookings for 8 + people! That's a party!! Otherwise we just show up. So we did go there and we were asked how many people and when we said 6 they said we have to be 8 or more. Ridiculous! We took our business elsewhere.

Popped in for lunch today. Lunchtime special was £17. For that you get a beautifully cooked piece of cod, haddock or hake, unlimited chips, YES, unlimited, choice of peas, tartar sauce or other condiments and a huge puffy home made soft brioche roll and butter, complimentary still or sparkling water and a drink , soft, tea or coffee for an amazing £17.00!!!! The staff were outstanding, the quality of fish and chips, peas, tartar and roll faultless. Get there early as it was full very quickly. Gutted I missed Lenny Carr Roberts by 5 mins. Sir coming southend on sea and having tasted a lot of fish and chips in my time, this was The Best. Thank you and all the staff.

Excellent food, good value for money, lovely staff, really looked after us well. Food came really quickly hot and well presented. First time going and will be back!!

I noticed Shoal when exploring Winchester's medieval streets for the first time. A smartly done up interior, nice lighting, and taps with draft beer caught my attention. The welcome was very warm and genuine – I can't remember the last time I had such an experience in a UK restaurant – and the friendly waitress seated me in a nice corner of the restaurant. On inspecting the menu more closely, I noticed that one's choice of fish comes with UNLIMITED chips! What's not to love about that – generosity at a restaurant in an age of small portions and stinginess. The food was superb, exactly as good fish and chips should be. A local bitter complemented things well. More than anything though, the good spirit and humour with which the waiting staff conducted proceedings was particularly cheering and left me in good spirits as I headed out into the cold, dark November evening. I would thoroughly recommend, and will visit again when next in the area.

Excellent service from friendly and helpful staff. Food was spot on! Good value for money and will definitely go again.

We were a party of five. Tara took great care of us, great service. Thank you! The food was fabulous. If you are not hungry, order a child’s plate. It made a great lunch. We will be back!

The food is always amazing, I usually have the hake, it’s never disappointed. Staff are friendly and professional and they cater for children very well. We are lucky we are local and can visit multiple times

We had an amazing meal last time we ate here so I was very disappointed with this evenings offering. While the gluten free fish was lovely and crisp the gluten fish was really greasy and not at all crispy. I would also warn people that order on Deliveroo that when your food is made it is put on the counter next to the door (not kept on the warming ovens) so may well be cold. While I was there the Deliveroo order was on the side for 6 minutes - and I left at this point so no idea how long it was there in total.

We walked our way through the castle at Winchester to find this place that served some amazing fish and chips. Good food and nice beer.

Amazing fish and chips! I knew I like mushy peas, but theirs are the best I have had. It was so easy to eat there with gluten allergies, I felt safe that I would have no issues. They offered great suggestions and the fish was flaky fresh and pipping hot. It was quick and delicious. The staff was great and had excellent suggestions on food as well as what to check out locally.

An excellent meal in comfortable surroundings, we loved the idea of choosing our fish then eating as many chips as we wanted - a great idea. Great service. We really enjoyed it.

Shoal has the wisdom to concentrate on cooking one type of dish, and doing it as well as possible. I tried the homemade fish cakes, and they were absolutely delicious. My parents said theirs was the best haddock they have ever tasted (and they are quite particular about their fish and chips!) The venue is conveniently dead central Winchester, the staff endlessly helpful, and the chips literally endless. What more could one want from a fish and chip restaurant?

The line caught haddock was delicious, very fresh and lovely flavour, the service was faultless and very friendly, we enjoyed the unlimited chips. Others had beef pie which was very good. A good location and you can get take away if you prefer

Lovely restaurant, staff very welcoming had the lunchtime special served Tuesday to Saturday. Two adults Lovely fresh cooked fish and chips with mushy peas ( or fresh peas) and a roll and butter and a drink under twenty quid each. Well worth the money it made his birthday lunch. Water on the table as you arrived was quite busy inside and out. Menu not extensive but does offer a vegan version. Good food reasonable price

This was the sixth time we went to Shoal for the lunchtime fixed-price Fish and Chips menu. the quality of the Fish and Chips is very good, on every visit. However, the cost has recently increased and the quantity/size of the portion of fish has gone down, to such an extent I had to ask if I was being served a child-size plate! I was informed that all fish sizes are weighed by the owner himself, which I doubt very much, but that may be the narrative to the customers. We finished our meal and were given the bill. I was asked if everything was OK? I stated no, I wasn't happy with the fish portion size, and once again I was told each portion is weighed. I guess Increased prices and size mean selling more for less gain for the customer and satisfaction, as we have experienced previously on five separate occasions had a greater fish size portion each other time we visited the restaurant. I can only talk from our previous experiences, I can inform you that child-size fish portions are to be expected on the fixed lunchtime menu at this establishment from now on. We will probably go again to Shoal, as we have also been to the other venues "The Bugle and "The Fox" The quality is also very good at these venues. Perhaps it's time to look at a new venue and take the kitchen scales when we go out!

What a fantastic place! We both agreed some of the best fish & chips we have had anywhere! The fish was white & flavoursome, batter crispy, mushy peas perfect! The gelato was a lovely palette cleanser after the meal. The staff were attentive great to see chefs in the kitchen area, lovely buzz about the place! We will be back.

The quality of the fish could not be faulted. A regular sized portion was more than enough. The chips were a good helping with extra if wanted. Negatives... the top end of the price scale. Everything else..veg,sauce, beans etc is charged for. Worth a treat on a visit to the area.

We went for a meal here with our family whom we were visiting. They recommended both the food and the service and each exceeded our expectations. The fish was fresh and tasty, the chips were just the right crispness, the ice cream is really fruity and we think the the pork and haggis scotch egg is a real star turn. Our granddaughter was equally please with the veggie fish. The real star of the show is the staff. Amber and the rest of the team were all really friendly and absolutely professional.

We vusited today with our autistic daughter. We had to wait for a table but went to the nearby park. The highlight of this place is the staff, they were so lovely and attentive. When my daughter went into meltdown our server dis not bat an eye and was so kind. The kids packs are fabulous and helped keep our daughter entertained. The gluten free options were superb and having extra chips pleased everyone. The lunchtime deal was great. If I was being picky I would request they serve savaloys, just from my eldest child! We will be back as it was great value for monwy and we all left very satisfied.

We were both really looking forward to trying Shoal as it looked good from the outside and the menu appealing. Just very disappointing all round, particularly the food which was pretty awful. Click and collect specified a time, but was about 20 mins over. Staff polite enough and apologised. Piece of plastic film in the pie liquor, missing spicy tomato sauce from the fried halloumi. Mushy peas tasted eggy, almost off, just wrong. Tartare sauce had no flavour, large hake was small, particularly for £12. Bread rolls small and sweet, almost brioche like, just didn’t work for a chip butty! - zero beer ordered (brew dog) wasn’t stocked so replaced with a cheap alternative. Alcohol free beer ordered wasn’t in stock, so replaced with poor alternative. Staff efficient and friendly enough but would not go back ever based on the poor quality food at the price. Avoid.

Excellent lunch and service. It was extremely busy and there was a delay on our order which was rectified and dealt with in a very professional manner by Amber who kept us up to date and apologised for the delay. Thank you we know you were short staffed and you all coped very well.

Fantastic food and fantastic family-friendly service from Amber and the team. Great evening in a lovely and busy setting!

Lovely my traditional fish and chips done well - great options for veggies and vegans with unlimited chips as a massive bonus

I had the fish cakes and they were delicious! The beer was fairly priced and the staff very attentive. Will definitely be coming back for more!

Really tasty fish and chips plus unlimited chips which is nice. This spot is really good for a casual night out and will leave you with a full belly

Great for large groups. Been multiple times. Amazing fish and chips and the pie is also a good choice! Great service, friendly and accommodating.

The food was amazing and the service was quick. Would highly recommend the Haddock as well as all other fish varieties. Good for a quick meal with family and friends

How brilliant to find a restaurant catering so well for customers with a gluten intolerance. Our waiter, David, couldn’t have been more helpful and cheerful. We shall definitely return.

I went last Friday with my partner to Shoal. This is the second time we have lunch here. Their fish and chips is one of the best ones we have ever had. The service is very good and all the staff very dedicated to provide a good experience at the restaurant. Although it was Friday on half term, and it was quite busy, the lady at the front desk managed the queue very well, I think her name was Amber. She was very friendly and professional. David, our waiter, was also checking that everything was ok and offered a personalised service. 100% recommended!

Arrived at 1220, got seated about 1pm. Very busy - lots of people turned away. Staff were very friendly and gave really good quality service. We ordered one pie and chips, two fish and chips, one sausage and chips, 2 bread rolls. The rolls came out about 10mins ahead of the main course, so became a starter. Ice enough, although the butter was too cold to spread. Then one meal came out, followed about 5mins later by the others. Portions were VERY SMALL, there was no difference in the size of the fish off the kids menu to fish ordered off the adult menu. You needed to ask for extra chips as soon as the meal arrived. Pie was very nice. Fish was cooked just right, but had NO TASTE. The chips were the same, well cooked, but no taste to them whatsoever. We kept adding sauce, salt, vinegar - we tried everything to get some taste from them, but to no avail. We finished with gelato which was lovely. Really odd that for a fish & chip restaurant that their fish & chips are so poor. You could get better from any local chippy. Some other tables did complain, we didn’t. The young staff were excellent, really well organised amongst themselves, quick and smiley, it’s just a shame they don’t get to serve better food!

A packed restaurant is usually a good sign and indeed that is largely my experience of Shoal. I visited at lunchtime and was seated immediately and offered my choice of still or spring water. I selected the lunchtime special and chose cod. There was about...

Just great fish & chips and a decent bread cake not a limp tea cake.Ice cream looked good but didn't try.Haddock was best I've tasted in a long time ! .So all in all well done Shoal.Enjoy !.No soggy batter just couldn't fault it.

The service was very kind and friendly with all of us. The quality of the food is magnificent, especially the fish. The homemade ice cream are so rich in flavour and so tasty. We will be back soon. Thanks for everything

Amazing food and amazing kind service. Dimi was so friendly to not only me but everyone who walked in, despite the Friday fish and chip rush!

We have eaten here twice now, both times faultless. The first in Summer 2023 and two of our group had a pie, don't be put off by the 15 minute wait it's really worth it ! The second was January 2024 and we all went...

Heard about thus the other week, first visit. Best fish and chips in town by far! Excellent service. Thanks to Damien and team we will be back! Well done to all. Mark and hilary

Best Fish and Chips Lovely restaurant and very friendly staff. Food was so tasty, fresh, and cooked to order. It's probably the best fish and chips I ever had. Can't wait to come back again soon and try your pies.

Lovely gluten free fish and chips and fiance said rotisserie chicken was delicious. Friendly knowledgeable staff with regards to the gluten free

Fabulous Fish and Chips washed down with a lovely IPA. Great service as well. We look forward to returning.

4 friends, 4 different menu choices. Everyone happy. Only managed 1 addition helping of fries - but they were sooo good. Really good chips. Can recommend 1/2 chicken, scampi, fish pie & haddock. Children’s portion very generous. Could only manage a scoop of ice cream...

Great service in attractive surroundings. Tasty fish and chips too! Went for an early evening meal and had a really good experience.

Warm welcome from front of house and delicious scampi for my partner and gluten free cod and chips for me. Thank you for providing so many gluten free options. Really recommend this good value restaurant and its high quality food.

Although it was almost closing time, they accommodated 7 of us for which we were really grateful. We had a fantastic meal served by very friendly staff. We will certainly return on our next visit to Winchester. Thank you. 😊

Plenty of space for an early evening meal without booking. Free sparkling water. The best hake and chips I have had for years. Batter is light and crisp and bottomless chips are crisp and grease free. A melt in my mouth e

Came here as a group of four on a busy Saturday evening without a reservation. We were seated within five minutes. We all fish and chips, large portion of cod. It was really excellent. Probably the freshest fish I have ever tasted in a fish...

Dropped in off the cuff, had heard the foot was good but didnt expect it to be this good. Lovely food great service. Amber S was a super star. We will be back.

A simple but absolutely delicious lunch in a clean, convivial restaurant with great service. It was a tricky choice but we both had delicious home made pies (and they were definitely home made), with generous fillings and melt in the mouth pastry. The chips were...

Ha great quality food but a bit expensive but worth it. You can also see the title of the review behind the bar counter. 😃👍

After a good ol' Zumba session, my friend and I were on the hunt for a tasty meal and boy did Shoal supply this demand. Not only was our Cod and Scampi tasty, non greasy and a steal for the price the service was outstanding....

My friend and I went to Shoal for lunch on Friday 17th November. It was my first visit and I was not disappointed! They were extremely busy but found us somewhere to relax while we waited for a table and we were happy to do...

Amazing place and the food was great! One of our new favourite restaurants in Winchester. Strongly recommend for a day out with the family.

Here I received a warm welcome as a single man who was tired and in need of a treat. Tea is unlimited and free. This is a fish and chips restaurant with a modern decor. Plenty of space but also quite places to have an...

Great haddock and chips, service perfect and lovely atmosphere. Will definitely be back and recommend to friends.

We found Shoal on our first day in Winchester and treated ourselves to a fish supper. The whole experience was outstanding! The food, the service, the staff the ambiance and the price. Worth every penny and we would highly recommend this place and will be...

Incredible food and service within a lovely setting. Can’t recommend enough! Fish was super fresh. Will definitely be coming back.

Fantastic food tried the hake and scampi and ordered curry sauce and bread and butter. Batter was light and fluffy, fish was fresh. Great service very friendly staff and warm welcome. Beautiful relaxing ambience.

Excellent food and service. Get there early as this place is very popular. We had the hake regular which was a good sized portion. The fish, the batter and chips were amazing! Mushy peas as a side completed the meal. Definitely recommend.

Being new to Winchester, I did not have a clue of the better places to find a meal. After walking along the High Street and discounting the pubs and other restaurants, I decided that this one would do. Instead of the usual choice of Cod,...

Wow, This place is just brilliant I went back the day after. The staff are incredible, the venue is warm and inviting, but the food is simply amazing. Every bite, every flake of fish, literally is the best chippy I've been to. I was told...

My wife and I visited this wonderful venue last Saturday 29/10/23 lunchtime on the spur of the moment and were warmly welcomed at the door. Although busy a table was found immediately. Good food was served very quickly, fresh and hot. Table staff were all...

Went for the gluten free fish & chips . The fish was supposed to be large £12 with chips and peas £17 takeaway ! . The batter was very poor chips were not cooked enough . Very poor for a lot of money . The...

Excellent atmosphere, excellent food, and great service from Amber C. After wanting to visit for a while, we were not disappointed.

Always great food, whether eat-in or take out. Varied menu with wide range of GF options, including vegan GF 'fish' & chips, and unlimited chips with several meal choices. Happy to allow me to pick several sides and create my own eat-in meal - bubble...

Great food, great staff, and pleasant sit-down service for couples, families, and singles. Hadn't initially planned on going in but the queue at the door before it'd even opened for the evening was a good sign!

Whoever said they don’t do gravy down south clearly hasn’t heard of this place! After a long dreary coach trip from East Lancashire we stopped off in Winchester en route to the Vitality Stadium. A wander around the farmers market and its various cuisines was...

Ordered take away but they had overcommitted and the order was more than 20 minutes late. Had not even started preparing it when I arrived to collect. Walks in got theirs faster !

What a wonderful experience. Great selection of options to accompany the best fish ever. Particularly liked the little gem Caesar salad side. Portions are generous but it would have been rude not to have fitted in one of your fabulous ice creams. Lovely team and...

Can honestly say that this is the best quality fish and chips we have ever had. Never greasy and beautifully delicious fish every time. Chips are perfection and come with an endless promise - so if you need more, you just ask and another steaming...

I came in for dinner at shoal. I wanted to write this review about the service I received when I came in. One of the workers Amber she was amazing. She explained everything on the menu and asked if any of us had an allergies....

My boyfriend and I visited Shoal last Friday and had a great time together! The food was amazing especially the unlimited chips which were so nice! It was great service we sat at the bar and the chefs were really chatty, thanks so much to...

Having been in the area for work for a few days having eaten Italian, Indian etc I wanted some 'normal food' so settled on chips. Quick look through Google maps and checked out Shoal and decided given it was a damp day I would prefer...

Spectacular grub at what can only be described as the best Fish & Chips in this neck of the woods. I’d like to give an extra big hand to our server Amber who looked after us from start to finish with great style. Lunch time...

We had another sensational night at Shoal, with some dear friends visiting from Switzerland. The food was totally brilliant as usual, the freshest of fish, beautifully cooked, with wonderful chips and the legendary mushy peas. Teenage boy very much enjoyed the unlimited chips and sparkling...

Probably the best fish and chips in Winchester ! Maybe in GB !!!! Fantastique moment et super accueil ! Merci ! 🇨🇭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Wonderful gluten free fish and chips in Shoal today. Amber was brilliant as our waitress, just the right amount of attention and care and a bright and bubbly personality, a real credit to the restaurant. Thank you, and a huge thanks for reliably having gluten...

Excellent food and service, home made Tartare was sublime, surroundings and background music spot on.....great work keep it up team...🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Excellent quality and really tasty food, reasonable prices and brilliant staff. Amber is absolutely outstanding. Would come again and again if we could. It’s a 6 stars from me.

Visited Shoal to eat in for the first time, having only had takeaways before. They were busy with people waiting, food was excellent with extra chips and sauces bought on request and everything piping hot and freshly cooked with the GF option taken seriously making...

Lovely meal with excellent food and gelato. Staff were lovely with my 5 year old and her friend. Special shout out to Amber who spoiled them the whole evening!

Visited Shoal for the first time this evening with my work mates and I was not disappointed. Best fish and chips I’ve had in ages and loved the bowls of bottomless chips ! It was a very busy evening but the staff were friendly and...

Absolutely lovely place to eat , food is excellent ,all staff very friendly ,but I must name one ,yulia, hope l have spelt name correctly , Yulia goes way and beyond , each time my friend and l go in for lunch ,she always seems...

Excellent and friendly service. Three of us, who were school friends, went yesterday and sat at the Bar. Lenny gave us a free bowl of chips whilst our meal was being cooked. We also had a free refill of our pot of tea for three....

Attentive and friendly- charming staff- very enjoyable lunch - and food cooked and served perfectly

I dined here with friends prior to going to the theatre. We were happily greeted and looked after by Damien who was so attentive. We all had haddock and chips which were cooked to perfection followed by an indulgent lemon meringue ice cream sundae. What...

Excellent lunch between tours. Attentive and quick service with extra top up chips offered. Good value.

Atmosphere and good was great. Amber provided fantastic service! Sorry we stayed late past your closing time!

We were a big group of 11 celebrating a friends success. I’m sure we were a challenge but Amber looked after us superbly. She was friendly, took care of us, made sure we never short of food or drinks and most importantly ensured we had...

What a great meal out, amazing food and service. Thank you Amber for making it so memorable, even if we couldn't order 2 quarter chickens! 😂

First time at this place. Very impressed. Service was excellent - our waitress Amber was first-class and dealt with us in a friendly, knowledgeable and helpful manner. Food was good and better than many other fish restaurants that we have been to. Will definitely go...

The place is perfect and the waiter Damien is excellent A pleasure to be here and eat your wonderful fish and chips Thank you so much

Such a shame to give this restaurant just 3 stars. The food was great - I had hake which was fresh and delicious followed by an amazing lemon meringue sundae but this really shouldn’t have taken 21/2 hours. Fortunately we were not in a hurry,...

Massive thank you to Amber and her team for the excellent night out at your Winchester “Posh” Fish ‘n’ Chip restaurant. The venue is centrally appointed in the historic City, mixing an elegant decor with the vibrant buzz of the chef’s eagerly beavering away in...

My mum and I visited for lunch yesterday. It was absolutely superb! The food was delicious and cooked perfectly. The fish was lovely and flaky. The batter was crispy and not a drop of grease to be seen. The chips were fluffy. Quite possibly the...

Amazing fish and chips and the most delicious home made icecream! And important, very friendly staff

Fish and chips were nicely cooked and good value (we had the lunch time special) Restaurant was clean and staff very attentive, special thanks to Demi

Great food and very friendly staff, we really enjoyed our lunch. We went with our 3 year old and baby and the food arrived very efficiently and was delicious.

I was surprisingly impressed. The menu is basic but did not disappoint. They clearly perfected what they do. The food was fantastic! The restaurant is clean and tidy with a good atmosphere. The staff were friendly and efficient. Amber and Isabel were particularly helpful and...

After a super lunch last year we decided to go out of our way again to Shoal in Winchester on a trip to Portsmouth and are so pleased we did. The set lunch is amazing value, service spot on and the quality of all the...

Delicious meal and great service. The Lemon Meringue ice cream sundae was delicious. The restaurant is in a lovely part of Winchester.

Went here for lunch when visiting Winchester, first week of Sept. All their food is cooked fresh to order, but did not wait too long. Cracking chips and really crunchy batter on fish, some of the best we have had. Lunch Special was really good...