Smithson's Fish & Chips in Bournemouth

Great fish, as usual, but the chips were as tough as old boots and as hard as bits of slate. At £3 > £4 per bag - I will expect much better quality. Suspect poor quality cooking oil. Please do better Smithsons. Thanks.

Best chippy in BCP!! Honestly, the best chips I’ve ever had. Massive portions too, you can easily share a regular chips between two! Definitely recommend

We were staying in Bournemouth from Saturday 23rd March-Monday 25th March 2024. This excellent fish and chip is five minutes drive from our friend's flat. We had the haddock and fish in breadcrumbs,very good!

Had jumbo sausage and large chips. Big mistake chips dry and mostly little bits. Cheapest sausage with zero flavour Would not go again. Only bonus, they only take cash which is a win, win for me because we don’t want a cashless society.

Recommended by a friend.? Had fish chips really good . Pea fritters was terrible do not have ??? Had pineapple fritters fantastic. Also no small fish on med large.

Second time we have visited this fish & chip shop based on local recommendations. We thought the first time we simply got unlucky with our food order (soggy fish), so, we gave it another go based on reviews. It was a mistake. The person serving was miserable and the food is expensive. Once the food is ready and wrapped you have to then open it again to apply your own salt & vingar in front of the counter. This causes heat to escape from your takeaway. The worse part was the fish being really soggy again! Most of the batter was wet & stuck to the paper. The fish was inedible. Very disappointing! I wish we had taken a photo. We will not be returning here.

The cod does not seem right to me. A standard cod is £7.30. Two bits of fish make up the stadard cod. To me it seems that it has been frozen and is very mush with not much taste. I have been going their for years and it is not very good any more. Plus the downbeat attitude of the servers gets on my nerves.

Amazing as always the food Is great quality and the portions are large for what you pay for. Alwahs my go to fish and chip shop

We've been customers for many many years. Great F & C in the past, but think the overall quality of the fried food is suffering from the lack of quality cooking oil - the chips ( portion seemed very much reduced) were cooked well enough but oh so hard and tough on the outside. Fish was delicious , beautifully battered and generous in portion. BUT - the extremely high cost of a take away meal is now making our traditional F & C supper an absolute luxury. I understand that this is not all down to the fault of the Owners.

Missed this place so much during the pandemic. Tried chippy who delivered but no comparison! Ow able to drive and collect and they are as delicious as they used to be. Prices have risen but standards are still good. Love this chip shop.

The fish and chips were easily the best my wife and I have ever eaten (over quite a few years). Very generous fresh cod, perfectly cooked with excellent chips that could not be bettered. The service was very friendly and superb, the staff went out of their way to satisfy us. Just brilliant. By comparisons to the much vaunted Harry Ramsden this was so so much better.

We were staying locally for the weekend, so pot luck, very pleasantly surprised! Fabulous fish, batter was so tasty, not greasy! We give 5 stars!

Absolutely outstanding , they delivered to my place of work whilst kitchen having a refurb and all enjoy immensely!! I personally have eaten twice now and food piping hot, chips fab, fish to die for can’t wait for the next visit.👍👍

Thank you for another delicious fish and chip lunch. The cod was white and chunky with the most amazing chips as always. Constantly brilliant, that is why I drive from Southampton.

Consistently excellent quality fish and chips and friendly service. Parking can take a little patience but well worth it!

This has to be the best fish and chip shop around , the fish is the size of moby dick and is beautiful the chips are just as good , would not go anywhere else

Hi Don't know if it's just us but recently the chips have been like plastic.. Totally disappointed as for us this was the best chippy in Dorset for many many years ! We came here about 2 weeks ago and when we got home and tried then OMG couldn't even chew one properly. Waste of money and time as we live 3 miles away at least.. Thought we would give it another go last night ( incase it was a one off ) but nope the same happened again . We now won't go there again now which to us is such a shame 😔 Not sure what's happened with the potatoes or something else but for future customers please find a cure soon as like I say you was the best around !! Leon

I was looking for somewhere for take away fish and chips on the way to Tuckton for a walk. Found Smithson’s on Tripadvisor and took their advice! Good quality haddock and chips well cooked. Lovely to sit by the river with our take away!

During lockdown I've found Smithson great, they only allow 4 people inside at a time so when busy there are 2 queues outside 1 to order and or Pay and the 2nd waiting to pick up completed order. They only accept cash and you pay at time of order and then wait outside till your called to collect.On average the quality it very good occasionally the batter is undercooked but it is the exception not the norm despite the comments on this site.

I have been treating myself and my brother to the same chippy every year. You can't go wrong, excellent quality, and value for money. Mark & I look forward to them. The quality remains the same, superb! Well done Smithson's. Holly and Barnaby love them too.

The best chips we've tasted in Bournemouth, good quality cod with large really meaning large and a genuinely tasty veggie burger. A real find and we have been going back week after week since discovering it.

Been a great chippy but soggy batter on the cod and chips that are rubbery. Could have had an off day but if happens again won’t go there as it’s a pet hate.

My goto fish and chip shop for the last 10 years. Fish freshly cooked to order. Great tasting, and good value for money.

We have used this shop for many years as it was always consistently good. We then had a couple of ‘not so good meals’ ’ but returned again last week and it was very poor. I had my usual haddock and chips, but the batter was soggy and undercooked. However, the fish was greatly over-cooked and horrible. I really couldn’t recognise it as haddock at all. I can only guess that the fat was perhaps not hot enough? Sorry Smithsons, but we won’t be returning again in the near future.

Llamado para realizar un pedido. Llegué y entré para hacerles saber que estaba allí y esperaré afuera para que me llamen (debido a covid). Comencé a hablar con la mujer que estaba en el mostrador solo para ser interrumpida por ella levantándome la mano (estilo "hablar con la mano") y le dije "No me hables mientras estoy sirviendo", ella no estaba hablando. a un cliente pero preparando los pedidos / envolviendo las patatas fritas, etc. Nunca volveré allí.

I'll keep it simple; large chips will feed a family of 4. Large cod will easily feed 2 adults. You can feed your family of 4 for as little as £12. Unbelievable value for money. Excellent quality too. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

😋 Excellent!! Generous portions all food good! Gets busy so be prepared to wait! Kids fish bites&chips decent enough portion for adults - bargain at £3.50 def recommend

An institution. Forever busy and whatever the queue, worth the wait. Those who say they’ve had better embarrass themselves. Enough said.

Very efficient and one of the best fish and chips I have tasted! Lovely and fresh without all the grease! 100% worth the visit. 10/10

We had large haddock and chips yesterday. They were absolutely delicious! Crispy light batter and perfectly cooked fish.

Es lo mejor, espere hacer cola, no se burlan de todas las demás tiendas de pescado y papas fritas, aparte de las papas fritas y las de Sainsbury's en pokesdown son una mierda, puedo decirles, Smithson solo usa aceite fresco, espera grandeza, precios decentes pero espera esperar, vale la pena, aplastan a todos los competidores Probé Ashley's, son charlatanes, no se molesten

Discovered some years ago. Drive from Southampton for fish and chips as they are the best. Beautiful white chunky fish, crispy batter and delicious chips all cooked to order. Looking forward to my next visit.

This chippy looks like a throwback, feels like a throwback and serves the most amazing fish and chips in the area. On many evenings there is a the line literally out of the door which tells you everything you need to know about this understated place. - do yourself a favour and get our fish and chips here!

Ok, vas a leer esto y pensar, sí, sí, pero cada palabra es cierta. Soy local, he sido Smithsons durante años y nada ha cambiado, está cocinado excelente. La misma familia lo ha cocinado por años. No como papas fritas mucho porque me resulta difícil encontrar una buena papilla, pero este lugar siempre es bueno. Acabamos de ir allí y compramos 2 bocados de bacalao para niños 2: 50 y una bebida. 2 frituras de queso y cebolla (caseras) y me alimentaron los abusos de un niño de 9 años y un niño de 4 años. Las porciones son enormes y todavía nos quedaban chips. Si estás aquí fuera de la ciudad, deberías ir aquí. Las áreas lo suficientemente caras si tienes niños. No solo hacen picaduras de bacalao para los niños, sino que hacen otras opciones, sino que la comida de picadura de bacalao para niños alimentará fácilmente a un adulto. A nivel local, la gente sigue hablando de Chez Fred si le das carne a un local y te dicen que no les gusta el pescado y las papas fritas. Lo único que diría es que está muy ocupado, por lo que a veces tienes que esperar un tiempo. Si eres inteligente, llamarás por adelantado

He estado viniendo aquí durante 18 meses después de mudarme a Southbourne. Me lo recomendó un amigo. Hasta este sábado no me ha decepcionado. Sin embargo, el pescado y las patatas fritas de esta noche fue una decepción. Para empezar, estaban muy ocupados. Cuando la gente vino detrás de mí y se fue antes que yo, liberé que habían olvidado mi pedido. Demasiados pedidos telefónicos no ayudan y aumentan la confusión. También deberían colocar un gran cartel que diga 'solo efectivo'. Como toman tantas órdenes a la vez, los peces pueden sentarse durante siglos como lo hizo el mío. La masa estaba empapada y se cayó del pescado cuando llegué a casa. El pescado en sí era bueno, pero necesitan resolver la masa.

This is not our most local chippie but when we do have fish and chips we always go here to get them. Its always very busy so we do a phone order in advance. Always freshly cooked and tasty.

No one has told this chippy it is the 21st century. They don't take credit cards although called the No 1 chippy on Bournemouth. However chips ok of the fish is a bit dry.

No frills just excellent freshly cooked fish and chips. Polite service and chairs to sit in for the wait.

Just popped in to this take away which is local to me and not my usual choice. My advice would be don’t bother. Both the cod and the chips were greasy and not worth the money.

If you’re a weirdo vegan or any other variation of a non- omnivore or you are cursed with any food allergies then cook at home and stop expecting that you have to be catered for. Leave our fish and chip shop alone you snowflakes.

Great local fish & chips. There is a short wait as food cooked fresh to order, large portions we always end up with left overs & children's menu is good value for money. Great that it's not too far to drive to the beach to eat with a sea view on a summer evening

I went to order a family meal for 4 people. One person in the party is vegan, but discarding the cross contamination issue, ordered chips and mushy peas.

Top quality fish and chips. We went on a Monday and very happy to find OAP fish and chips for £4.30 but we would have been very happy to pay the full price as it was very reasonable for a big portion.

Food was lovely but the shop was very busy. Recommend driving to the nearby sea front to eat. There's a car park by the beach which is not expensive

After searching trip advisor for local Fush and chip shops we found this one that had 5 stars. Staying in Southbourne for a long weekend you want to make sure you have fish a chips one night while staying by the coast! Smithsons wasn’t very busy when we arrived which was great as we expected the ques to be out of the door. The fish ( we had 4 Cod ) was beautiful, meaty and pure white, the batter was soft and crispy all in the right amounts. The chips we fantastic so tasty and clearly using clean oil makes the difference. Service was fast and efficient. A great little chip shop on a world where this food is still king.

Delicious fish & chips. Sizes are enormous. The children’s box is more than enough to feed an adult. The cheese & onion fry-it is a really good option for the vegetarians. Will be going again before we head home.

Always busy but consistently good fish and magic chips. If you are waiting it’s because the demand is high ......well worth the wait though. Have never waited more than 15 minutes. Telephone orders can be made although I have never use the facility.

Best fish and chip shop for miles. I have tried other fish and chips nearer to home but they are never as good as Smithsons so always go back. Best cheese and onion fritter also.

This is probably the best fish and chip shop in town. The fish and chips are freshly cooked here and cooked really well. Staff are efficient and friendly. The price for a portion is very reasonable. You can add as much salt and vinegar as you like, as you can help yourself to that.

Been going here for well over a year now. Every time me and my Mum have been here we have had an amazing meal. Have had loads of things from the menu, fish, sausage, battered sausage, curry sauce, mushy peas, everything has been brilliant. Portion sizes are very generous. Really impressed with the service and quality of the food.

Visited during our stay after seeing the tripadvisor reviews. We were not disappointed, friendly service. Cod and Rock (something not available in Cardiff) and the chips were tasty and cooked to perfection. Not surprised that it is so busy and has such good reviews.

Beautifully cooked fish and chips, all fresh. More expensive than it used to be, but still very good value.

I have used this fish and chip shop for over 5 years. And I have sampled most things on there menu. I have never been disappointed the standard and portion size is excellent. You can sit and wait for your fresh dinner while reading a complimentary copy of the days morning paper which is a nice touch. Phone orders are taken so if your in a hurry phone first.

We enjoyed the fish & chips so much we returned a second time during our stay in Southbourne. We telephoned our order through each time as recommended. We had no problem parking near the shop but could see that at busy times parking might be a problem. Highly recommended.

Wouldn't go anywhere else locally for our fish and chips. Always cooked fresh and huge portions! Queues out the door.

Great value for money - great portions of delicious, freshly fried fish and very efficient staff. Chips are of the highest quality and you actually get a full bag of chips instead of a triangular cup! Plenty of additional products - pies, curry, sauces, drinks etc. Always a cheery "Hello" from the owner!

Honesty is the best policy. I do not want anyone else to know how good this fish and chip shop is because the queues are already too long! The fish is fresh and tasty. The chips are cooked to perfection. The portion sizes are incredible. The staff are always friendly. Just a real success. Now go away and find your own piece of heaven because this one is mine.

Great value, great service, great food. Worth driving too if you live too far away. Childrens' meals are huge. Always phone order through and it takes only a short time. Take away only.

Have been using smithsons for a fair while Now, and the simple reason is the quality and service is excellent. Never walked out unhappy and would happily recommend to anyone.

Whenever I visirt Southbourne I alwaes ask for a meal of Smithsons fish and chips. . It is always cooked to order therefore you might have to wait in the queue but it is worth it,.They also sell meat pies as wel.l

I have been going here for over 20 years and the food is always good. It is fresh & hot & served with a smile. Best chip shop

Super fish made to order. Hugely popular with the locals with queues out the door most evenings. Homemade fishcakes should be tried and the chip portions are HUGE even the kids portion is enough to share between two. They also knock out frozen fish trimmings for the cat

The fish and chips here are lovely, beautiful fresh pieces of fish cooked in light tasty batter. The menu is offering many types of fish, burgers, baked potatoes and chicken plus many more. Very generous portions are given, a half portion of chips is enough for two. The staff are friendly. It does get busy but you can phone ahead for your order if you wish.

We now always go to Smithsons if we have fish and chips. Good always very good. Fish cooked well - never dry or overlooked. Chips also always just right. Prices very fair and portions generous.

A proper old fashioned chippy and a very good one. Always seems to have a queue and having tried the goods I'm not surprised. Will pay it another visit very soon.

Good clean chippy, always great food ( I think it's the best in local )Be prepared to wait, not long but because it's popular it can get very busy. You won't be disappointed , we've never been in all the years. They also take telephone orders.

We come here often but avoid Friday as its so Busy Lovely staff, chips are fantastic & codes good Hard to park close by but don't let that put you off

This is a fish and chip shop and is simply one of the best in the area. Everything cooked fresh to order. Extremely busy around 6pm every night. Very close to Pokesdown railway station. I have at least 4 other fish & chip shops closer to me than this one, but none of them compare.

I have been going here for the past 28 years and it will never disappoint. Not the cheapest but you pay for quality. I have always recommended this fish and chip shop. ( but long queues at the weekend!)

Call me a traditionalist - but Fridays is a must here!

Every time we visit not disappointed , it must be the best chip shop around. The fish is always fresh and the chips are plentiful and crispy.

This place has been selling the best fish and chips in the area for a long time the Fish is always fresh and very good.The place is always so busy so there is never any food cooked waiting for customers and therefore everything is cooked to order.Only negative is that you have to wait a long time sometimes especially on a Friday when you have to wait at least 30 minutes plus

Visiting my daughter down in Boscombe, I suggested we had fish and chips for supper. Having agreed that plan, I looked online to find a nearby fish and chip shop; three came up nearby: one good, one bad and one - though a little more distant - that looked to be really worth a look. Thus, I found Smithson's - and, boy, am I glad that I did!