Stein's Fish & Chips in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

Dry, Luke warm chips with a tiny piece of fish. Ordered a roll and butter on the side which was very stale. Later observed a member of staff remove the entire display of bread rolls after we complained. Clearly no Checks taking place to prevent this. Cup of tea very nice.

During my visit to Rick Stein’s Fish and Chip shop in Padstow, I was impressed by the entire experience. The service was fast, friendly, and efficient; my order of cod and chips arrived quickly, perfectly hot, and ready to enjoy. The cod was exceptionally fresh, with a smooth, delicate flavor that paired well with crispy, golden chips. The mushy peas and tartar sauce had a unique, delightful twist that added to the meal’s appeal. The cleanliness of the restaurant was also noteworthy. Everything was spotless, from the tables to the menus—no sticky fingerprints or smudges anywhere, which added to the overall impression of quality and care. For dessert, I had a chocolate brownie. Although it appeared quite simple on the plate, the taste was outstanding—rich and satisfying. In my opinion, this was great value for money, and I would highly recommend Rick Stein’s Fish and Chip shop to anyone visiting Padstow.

Upon arriving at Rick Stein's in Newquay, I was greeted by a beautiful location right beside a stunning beach. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed that day, so I quickly made my way to Rick Stein's in Padstow instead. Although the setting there wasn’t quite as scenic, it did offer ample Pay and Display parking near the harbour. The shop was impeccably clean and tidy, and the staff were pleasant and polite. While the food was certainly on the pricey side, which I expected, it was well-presented with high-quality ingredients, as I also expected from an establishment owned by such a celebrated chef. The cod and chips came in a fairly average portion size; a few extra chips would have been welcome. The cod itself was fresh and thick, and the beef dripping batter added a noticeable depth of flavour to what was otherwise slightly bland cod. I found the chipati to be well overpriced for what it offered. The fish burger, on the other hand, was delicious, served in a fresh brioche bun with a crisp salad. The mushy peas and tartare sauce were both very tasty. In summary, although the food was high quality and well presented, I felt it didn’t entirely justify the premium price. However, I’d gladly return anytime for the delicious, super-crunchy, non-greasy scraps! Cooking in: Beef Dripping Hygiene Rating: 5 Cash or Card Fish Reviewed: Cod See the full video review on The Chippy Tour YouTube channel:

Very disappointing, fish was very tasty fresh and white but batter was hard and overcooked and the tartar sauce bland and tasteless. Not at all what I expected. Our local fish and chip shop is far superior.

Very disappointed, while the cod was excellent, white and really fresh and tasty the batter was overcooked and hard, the chips just ok, and the tartar sauce was very very bland, yellow in colour and tastless. Service was ok quick to take our order and bring our food but they didn't bring us cutlery so my husband had to take some from a table laid in the window. In addition a service charge was already added to the bill, given we had to get our own cutlery not totally happy. Another couple sharing our table also made similar comments, saying not as good as when they previously visited and the mushy peas he ordered were a very insipid pale green colour. Our local chip shop would knock spots off Steins very disappointing.

Fish and chips are consistently excellent and worth the extra. Perfect after cycling the Camel Trail!

Not the best fish and chips or service. Black spots, under cooked frozen chips. Soft batter on the fish and a bit tastes less

Good fish and chips. But you don't get may chips with your fish

for the price it was not good at all. the chips were raw and could of got much better from the chippy not great

Fantastic fish and chips - and more - good menu with hake, cod, haddock, sea bass, etc. Your choice of grilled or battered fish. Really nice beef dripping chips. Great value for money - no more expensive (and possibly a bit cheaper) than fish and chips in other Padstow locations. Be prepared to queue when busy- but definitely worth the wait! Great staff.

Lovely food but a 40 minute wait for two portions of fish and chips off season in the middle of the week was unexpected.

My other half wanted to go to his restaurant, we didn't because I couldn't justify the cost of item's on the menu, so went to his chippy instead, I liked the location but that was all, are you paying for quality food or his name above the door ? You decide when you visit...

Very average quality food and expensive. £17 for scampi (7 pieces) and a handful of floury chips. Tartar sauce was basically just mayonnaise. Plenty of better chippys.

Amazing food as always. They managed to find tables for us, we were a big group. The fish was outstanding!

Very popular place lots of people waiting for fish and chips so a little wait. Batter was absolutely gorgeous as was the fish and chips were chips. Obviously a local delicacy for the seagulls as they were trying to peck through the window to get them, so be warned they are nasy things there. Other than that, Padstow is a lovely place to visit also

Didn't eat in very nice fish and chips decent value for the money

Lovely food, not a bad price either.

The restaurant is in demand. There were lots of customers waiting in a queue and all are very excited! This restaurant must be famous! However, I find it expensive for a fish and chips worth 15pounds. But I don't regret it because the fish is lovely and the scenery is nice.

Been here before the experience was 5 star, this time well under par. Staff looked tired, on phone, no queue . Chips were average and fish very oily, batter was burnt. Such a shame , don't mind paying for good food , but this was nothing special so either lower prices or raise your game.

Very disappointed. I had waited a long time to visit one of Rick Stein's restaurants. Ambience nil, food nil, toilets, nil. The batter on the fish was very oily and slightly overcooked, the fish within was very slight. The chips, were absolutely disgusting, undercooked, soggy and tasteless. I then visited the toilets, not wonderful, and no toilet paper in them. The staff seemed as though they didn't want us to be there but they were happy to take our money. I told them that the chips were disgusting and they removed the price of the chips from our bill. We will not be back.

Fairly standard fish and chips. Really suffered from complete lack of seasoning. No salt or vinegar added.

We had lunch in the sit in Rick Stein's Chip shop in Padstow Both had fish and chips my fish was lovely but very small, so small I thought it was a kids portion. It come to the table on a flat (something used in a kitchen) not a plate . My wife and I have eaten here quite a few times but we will not be back. When you are paying top prices you expect everything to be very good ,but it wasn't .

Smallest piece of fish I've ever seen. The fish was fairly average, but at the end of the day cost me an absolute Fortune. 11 quid for record, 11 quid for Scampi. Chips are four quid was 32 quid for my mail in total.. Look touristy, sure avoid just avoid this place going to town and buy something there.

Prawns were awful looked like they had been fished out of a bin or something half black and looked awful. Fish was small oily and not very nice especially for price chips average peas was clumpy and looked anemic nothing was nice

The fish was fresh and tasty and the batter was thin and crispy. However, the chips let the dish down - dry and probably stood around for a while. Lovely homemade tartar sauce. Service was quick and the staff were helpful.

Reasonably expensive, but good fish and chips and plenty of salt and vinegar available. They don't ration it!! Sat on the quayside in Padstow in the evening sun. Very nice indeed

Really like omg Really.... you actually get charged for salt and vinegar 🤣🤣

Crab sandwich overpriced and very disappointing. Sandwich was dry, not much crab and the whole taste experience overwhelmed by the large amount of rocket which meant I couldn't taste what little crab I got for £14!! Rip off.

Hake was delicious and thank you for offering Gluten free. I’m just wondering how Rick makes his tartar sauce, mayonnaise and mushy peas if these aren’t suitable for coeliacs? Bit disappointed...

Dead easy to get a table food very good with wine 🍷 30 a bottle nice light atmosphere Padstow cute for a dander and a drink, lovely range of chutney etc in the shop adjacent to the fish restaurant and reasonable prices.

Nice fresh fish and chips in sunny Padstow

We got take away, the food was tasty and good, but not worth paying extra for the Stien name. It seemed expensive, but I'm not sure what the going rate is in a tourist town like Padstow. The shop is not in a picturesque part of the harbour and not really anywhere good to sit there, we took ours further into town where there is a pretty bit of the harbour. Overall it was good food, OK service and expensive.

Good fish & chips if a bit expensive

I was looking forward to this and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Very tasty.

I came to steins f and c in Padstow quite a few years ago, It was absolutly divine then, I was a wee bit disappointed this time, the chips were a little soggy but tasty and the beautiful Hake, my favourite fish was slightly overcooked. I'm sure it had been an extremely busy bank holiday weekend, and we were just in time for last orders to eat in. So I expect the staff were done in. It won't put me off coming again. Still worth it and tasty. 😍

Purchased in September 2024. Ordered the Hake and small chips plus the onion rings. Hake was overcooked and dry. The chips were horrible. Cold soggy and no flavour. Onion rings were excellent. Came 25,000 km to fulfill a bucket list wish and left bitterly disappointed.

Arrived straight off bus from Port isaac via Wadebride and only had to queue 15 minutes for excellent fish & chips in well managed restaurant. Would have liked to take water jug home so perhaps restaurant could sell these to order !

Wanted to come here for a long time, on holiday so opportunity. Had haddock and chips and a glass of wine, quite expensive but very nice. Service was very good, meal very nice and wine delicious. Box ticked! .

My husband and I visited the shop in Padstow. It was the best gluten-free fish and chips I have ever had. I even had my own little pot of vinegar. The staff were very clued up about GF and were very friendly.

The staff are very friendly. From the time our order was placed to it's arrival was a short wait The food was nice and hot and although the plate looked on the small side it certainly wasn't, plenty of fish and chip without being over loaded

On our final day in Cornwall we decided to go here for fish and chips (one of my kids had scampi). Being blunt I have to say we were very disappointed and felt ripped off. The fish was very small with really thick and greasy batter. As for the scampi - I'm pretty sure it was frozen scampi that they'd just cooked and served up (6 pieces for £10.95!! - an utter piss take in all honesty). Would avoid this place at all costs and just go elsewhere. Worst fish and chips I've ever eaten!

Good food . The ladies looked after us .

Excellent fish and chips. The fish was huge, the batter was crisp and the fish itself was white and flaked beautifully. We sat inside to eat and the service was fast and friendly.

Fish soggy chips, soggy mushy peas, lukewarm, it wasn't even busy Not good for money , had better at my local chippy

Stopped in Padstow harbour for a lunch as keen Rick Stein food adventures' followers. Tried lobster and salt and pepper prawns with delicious battered cod and chips. Good meal slightly on more expensive side but great way to explore local fish produce.

Had to wait maybe 20-25 minutes for a table but was worth it as I was rewarded with my first real fish & chips in many years thanks to this place's gluten free batter! Happy to say it was delicious, as was the fish itself and the chips. My family really enjoyed their (gluten containing) meals too, particularly the sole goujons. Only slight disappointment was the gravy which compared to the rest of the meal was a bit bland but it did not detract from the meal at all as it was all so tasty. Service was efficient given how busy they were and the drinks selection was good too.

£34.40 for two people taking away. Expensive but was paying it expecting to get decent food in return - unfortunately not. Everything about it was bad. Had much better Fish & Chips elsewhere for half the price - better off going elsewhere in Padstow.

Fish was very very good (as you’d expect) but the chips were very mediocre. Had they been any good we’d have probably cashed in our free portion offer on the bottom of the box. Also I know there’s an area inside but outside there’s no where to sit and eat. Padstow is really missing a trick keeping the area infront of one of its main attractions as a car park. There were people sat on steps and planters as everything else was parking. What a waste of what could be a tremendous area of public open space. Shame on you padstow town council.

I have looked forward to returning to Stein’s Fish and Chips for 14 years. I thought the fish and chips we had then ranked amongst the best we had ever eaten. However at our recent visit in June 2024 we were sorely disappointed. We ordered 3 fish and chips and 1 serving of onion rings to share amongst 4 people. With soft drinks this cost £62. On the positive side this was too much, and we had leftovers to take home. And the onion rings were excellent. On the negative side the chips were stale and unappetising and two of the three fish were overcooked. We ordered cod, hake and haddock. The haddock was very good but the cod and hake were overcooked and tough. We were there at the start of the service at which point you’d expect the food to be freshest. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, but overall I much prefer our local chippie, which is also way less expensive.

When we visited they fried the fish in vegetable oil and without beer in batter. It was a really good place to get pescatarian friendly fish and chips because many places fry in animal fat or with meat products. So good! Always worth a visit when we’re down from London.

Rick stein! I've watched his TV programms, I've listen to my family who are all chefs talk and make his recipes. I was super excited to go and have some take away chips. So unbelievably disappointed. The chips weren't cook to a nice golden crisp, lots of green chips. No wedge of lemon to go with the fish. I was tempted to walk back into the town and buy from another company. I think Rick needs to come and quality control.

Very good fish and chips but quite pricey.

super lovely and accommodating staff, we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table but was well worth the wait , good choice on the menu and delicious fish and chips , woukd definitely recomend trying some free scraps ! they were delicious and i completely recomend steins

Very busy place. Staff super friendly but the fish & chips are nothing special.

Oh dear my second bad Stein food expensive experience in one day, disappointing tempura scallops soggy & oily, chips pale and flabby. Flavourless tartare sauce. We were so looking forward to this on our holiday. That’s it we will not be back.

We visited on the 22/8/24. We were lucky enough to walk straight in and get a table at around 5pm. The food was perfect. We had fish and chips and my teenage daughters had a halloumi burger and a po’boy. My daughters enjoyed theirs and our fish and chips were delicious. The fish was fresh, the batter perfectly crispy, the chips fresh and crisp and the tartare sauce was amazing. The fish was also served with lemon and it was very nice. We then had a browse around the produce next door and it’s a large collection of the finest produce you can get, it all looked amazing

Meh. Expensive and just about mediocre. We waited outside at the 'wait here to be seated' sign. No-one came to see us so we basically let ourselves in and sat at an empty table. Not really a problem, but not a great start. The toilet was awful. An absolute mess. A lady did come to clean it up, but when there's only one for everyone to share you need to keep on top of it so we always have somewhere to wash our hands with the kids. One of us had the lobster and said it was okay, which was disappointing as it was the main reason we came. I had the Chilli Fish Burger which was too small, the kids got a bigger portion of fish on their meal. And the veggie option was rubbish; a chickpea curry cooked in the microwave. Drinks and sauces were forgotten. Oh, and the free WiFi listed on the menus didn't work either. All in all it's not worth the visit. If you're in town and still want chips I'd simply aim for a good ol' regular chippy and sit out on the quayside.

Great quality, it's not cheap but you get what you pay for and this was excellent

It was ok. I've had better from my local chippy in Grove. Over-priced/hyped.

The food was nice but very overpriced for what it was. The staff were lovely though

Very average fish and chips. Service was not good. Complicated in-app ordering process.

Overpriced. Fish itself is nice. Chips undercooked. There are better fish and chips around the location. Two stars only. I have only been there twice in case it was an off day, but I was very disappointed both times.

Fantastic fresh fish - melted in the mouth. Great value considering this is Rick Stein's joint!

We have been eating here every year for years now, sadly noticed that every year the food standard goes down… this year we ate in…the fish was tiny, hardly any chips…. Very disappointing for the price we paid!

Really bad fish and chips, super oily , literally drenched in so much oil, I feel sick 🤢

Underwhelming and a very long wait...

Visited last week for takeaway fish and chips and was left fuming (after 20 mins wait) with a tiny gluten free piece of cod, it was 1/4 of the size of the other piece of non gf cod (same price) so had to walk back and argue for a normal sized piece of fish, eventually got another piece after being patronised by the staff that it was a different cut of fish and weighed the same as the other piece 🙄(it was clearly less than half the size and weight) A Word of advice for this and other food outlets, being Gluten free does not mean we are on a diet and need baby portions, it means you use gf flour to make the batter for the fish, we still eat the same amount of food that others eat.

Having previously eaten in the restaurant here we thought we would grab a takeaway fish and chips for our bike ride home, having the kids with us we were keen to not hang around so I double checked the wait time and I was told 10 minutes, "great" I said and ordered a couple of kids portions and one adult one. We than waited outside for over 30 minutes and when my wife questioned this she was met with a somewhat "chippy" attitude (no pun intended) finally the food arrives and we head to the slate piles. When we get there it's safe to say the portions were a little disappointing and not exactly made with love and care (although it tasted decent enough). All said and done I suspect the staff had already had a full day and could do without the hassle but it's not the cheapest and that price point comes with certain expectations. My advice is head to Johns in Wadebridge and save yourself the disappointment. Fish and chips watching the sun go down however...5 stars.

Nice enough but how can a fish and chip shop run out of Tartare and curry sauce and napkins within 1.5 hours of opening?

Got takeaway fish and chips with friends. I had the lemon sole in gluten free batter with chips. Best gluten free version I've had in years- really light crispy batter and delicious fish. I don't understand why the overall rating for this place is not higher!!!

Fish and Chips are excellent but very pricey. The deli next door is superb and well worth a visit. Quality and range of products is super.

Food quality goes down every year while the prices go up.

The worst sausage and chips ever experienced. The chips were white, soggy and greasy. The sausage was over cooked, hard and the batter was thin and hard. Also the most expensive! For two battered sausages, one portion of cheesy chips, and two cans of pop it came to over 20 quid!! Both my husband and I were extremely disappointed and threw the majority in the bin sadly 😪

Absolutely shocking. The portions are tiny. When I mean tiny I mean kids size for a large. Dread to see the regular size. The curry sauce was same size as a teabag. The chips were pale. No colour at all. The fish was not only small but wasn't in 1 piece. Like it's been dropped on the floor. The battered sausage was cold and hard. No way will we be returning..!

The worst fish and chips of our holiday! Chips undercooked, pale and soggy, fish OK, breading but not good. What we didn't know: you have to order every sauce (including tartare sauce) separately. Tourist rip-off, you only pay for the name. Never again!!!!

We had a takeaway of fish chips and mushy peas and went for the option of them not being cooked in beef fat, it was great to be offered this option. Ate them by the harbour, lovely atmosphere and great fish and chips. The fish was so fresh and flaky but then you would expect that for £39 . Ticked off the bucket list ‘Rick Stein’s fish and chips!’

Really disappointed in the fish for the price 😩

Very good experience. Small queue, we arrived for 12 noon. Last to be served although second in the queue, however food arrived quickly. Chips were nice, I had sea bass which was very good, piping hot and fresh batter. Kids portion of scampi was excellent and commented that this was the best scampi he had ever had. I'm not going to lie, it isn't cheap, but it is an experience and for that I recommend unreservedly.

Best Fish and Chips in Padstow. Gluten-free not a issue. Food was fast and of a perfect portion. Kids food also Gluten-free and they didn't leave a crumb. The fish was chunky and moist, absolutely delicious!

Used to love the fish and chips from here, but they’ve become mediocre. The chips tonight were actually tasteless and the fish fell apart. Only + was the curry sauce. Won’t be bothering again…

By far the best chippy ever. You pay for what you get. Amazing sauce, perfectly cooked fish and proper chips. What more could you ask for!

We had a takeaway. Expensive, not as good as many. Not worth the bother.

Very nice definitely worth a visit. Local catch out the day... 👍🏼

Decent fish but very poor chips. Seemed quite expensive too. Would have given 3 stars, but there was way too much paper wastage. There were 7 of us and we each received a huge paper bag to carry our box when we could have had 2 paper bags in total. 2 stars.

Good job he has a TV serise and lots of fans and Visitors to the area as I would be suprised if anyone went back twice! I certainly wont. Not good quality and silly expensive. Crazy as his Resteraunt in Sanbanks I live local too and use regually as its great value and quality.

The food is fine, though certainly not special enough to justify the inflated costs.

It was a real delight to be able to order my son a Gluten Free fish and chip, something back in Northern Ireland is a little hard to do. He loved it. Everything well labeled and server very clued in. Thanks so much for this incredible experience.(Photo is our non GF version)

One of the best fish ever in any restaurants. Not cheap but worth of money. I enjoy this experience. I will coming back.

Probably the only disappointment in a lovely holiday to Cornwall. I'd wondered why a load of the Stein places were quiet. He seems like a great guy. Very much a two star experience. Batter thick and oily. Fish just flakes apart, rather than staying together. Didn't seem fresh. Chips were okay. Gravy was granules. Service brusque. **Update. Used the Stein website to pass feedback on directly. Never responded.

Excellent fish and chips, and were ready when they said they would be. 👌

If you’re coeliac or gluten free, BEWARE! I asked before purchasing if the chips were gluten free and was given a response of almost like ‘duh’ - ‘yeah our chips are gluten free’!!! So gladly paid for 2 large chips. £11 later and a very poorly night I realised I’d been gluten’d. I’m still not right almost 2 weeks later. The chips weren’t even that nice. Tried to get a response out of them but keep being blocked so yeah - don’t bother!!!

This wasn’t a bad meal. The fish was fresh, and no grease. However with the name above the door you do expect a bit more. Particularly with the advertising blurb telling you how it’s the best fish & chips. Chips were soft, not crisp. The fish did taste nice and was definitely fresh. The batter however was soft , no crunch and in some areas tasted a bit flourly Not a bad meal at all, but by no means the best. My local chip shop is better. Altogether a bit average

Great service, amazing fish & chips, just sadly quite a bit of waiting around even for takeaway options and having to use the small counter for salt and vinegar for your order created it's own bottle neck and issues in itself especially as many people are collecting big orders to take home! Waited nearly 45 mins on an average Sunday evening where there were maybe 6 or 7 others waiting when we ordered, (no queue for ordering at the time). The fish & chip restaurant was busy, the staff were extremely polite and amazing to everyone but the bottlenecks and delays in them being able to deliver the orders for everyone to then try and fight for a space to salt and or vinegar orders while still hot and fresh was the main issue. Yes prices are not cheap but it's Rick Steins so it's going to be a more premium price and still definitely amazing food you have to try. Just can imagine it being even more of a nightmare on a busy day!

I can't believe that some people are giving 5 stars, I've just had cod and chips and it was bloody awful! The fish, the batter and the chips were completely tasteless and absolutely running with grease. Threw half the chips in the bin! 16 quid!! Haven't been here for years, they used to be absolutely superb. What's happened?!

Our visit last week was a huge disappointment. We’ve been going there once or twice a year since it first opened. We (there’s usually 6 to 8 of us in the family) regard it a treat- some of the best fish and chips we’ve ever had, interesting specials fair prices, great service all round 5 Stars- without fail. I can’t tell how disappointed we were. The service was slow, disinterested and disengaged, not rude, just fairly useless- although to be fair the manageress tried to remedy matters at the end of the bill by taking the service charge off the bill. Drinks didn’t arrive for ages. The menu looks on the face of it the same as before- the prices have gone up we can accept that as a fact of life, The first oddity was that tartare sauce was served with the fish dishes whether it was ordered or not- that shouldn’t be an issue as I loved the Rick Steins tartare sauce, rich, full of flavour pieces of dill pickle and capers- delicious- sadly the new recipe was thin, tasteless with flecks of green- think cash and carry in stead of Fortnum and Masons. If you didn’t want it but preferred another sauce it had to be paid for- even though it was the same price on the menu. When the food arrived the fried fish, normally a triumph, was just about OK, nothing special the chips had clearly been cooked sometime before and were tepid and yet again, disappointing. My summary- maybe a bad day, maybe replacement staff, maybe cost cutting to boost profits- I don’t know, but if a lot of other people have a similar experience it’ll devalue the whole brand, which in my experience after eating at five or six of Rick Steins restaurants and pub over the years has always been exemplary.

Some of the best fish and chips I've had and easily the best tartre sauce. Great quality and equally good value for money. Would strongly recommend.

We have just eaten take away cod chips and mushy peas. It was great and just as it should be. Chips were really cooked in beef fat (veggies look away, there are veggie options too) and tasted like it. Cod perfectly cooked, lovely flakes and a crispy batter. There seem to be some reviews rather more negative. I’m not sure they were of the same place as we have had fish and chips many times from here and not been disappointed

The fish and chips are overpriced and did not rock my world. The fish was good, but the chips have been dry each time we've been, despite being cooked in dripping (I think that's what they cook them in). The staff are lively and everyone is happy there. The curry sauce was not at all for me.

The cod here is fresh and white, served with a generous portion of chips without being too oily. The staff were friendly and the bill was a reasonable price. It’s up there with some of the best fish and chips I've had. If you're in Padstow, it's definitely worth a visit. The only downside was the cleanliness of the toilet, which didn't meet the standard you'd expect at a Rick Stein establishment. It could definitely use some attention.

Expensive fish and chips but quite nice.