Stephenson's Market Plaice in County Durham

Excellent service Great tasting fish and chips upstairs restaurant well worth a visit in the area

1st time for Denise & Me, our lass got small fish with 3rd of my chips I always have my fish SLIGHTLY DONE the lad sez wat best way to have a fish it's still got the TASTE TRY IT YOU,LL BE AMAZED. BUT WE GAVE THE FISH 10+ out of 10 same with chips 🍟 curry sauce 😋 looked like gravy but stained my shirt like curry. GOOD ONE 👍🏻 👍🏻 👍🏻 CHEERS

The best Fish and Chip shop in County Durham fab food served by fab folks

Regular customer. Highly recommend, service is quick and friendly. Food is excellent quality.

Fish was beautiful. Batter and scraps nice and crispy. The young lady serving was lovely

Absolutely love this place.prawn cocktail is divine! Fish is beautiful service always friendly and fast.would definitely recommend.

Fish how ever little it was . was absolutely disgusting .

First time sitting inside the restaurant. Took my nanna out for dinner. She had not had fish n chips for a long time and she really enjoyed it. Chunky white fish. Service was efficient and friendly. Clean and tidy dining area. Beautiful food. Would return

Legendary institute, serving the local area for decades. Classic touches and very generous portions. Highly recommended.

Consistently good fish and chips, and friendly service.

Everything is good about this place. We dined upstairs as a party of 6 on Good Friday, so it was really busy. Food came promptly, food was good (plaice and chips for me), my only regret is that I did not order onion rings. I saw some, they looked great, so a return will be needed. All washed down with a local (Allendale) bottle of ale :)

Outstanding food and friendly service. Cod and chips and sausage and chips excellent and if course the scraps tops it off. Be back next year.

I've been waiting a long time to again enjoy the lovely fish and chips from the Market Plaice. As always the fish was cooked to perfection and coated in a gorgeous golden batter. I now live in France and it is nearly 4 years since I was back here but well worth the wait. This has to be one of the best fish and chip restaurants in the North East if not the country.

Absolutely fab lunch lovely pleasant staff travelled from bowes !!

There is only one place (plaice!) for fish and chips ....Stephenson's. FANTASTIC QUALITY, brilliant price and best of all you leave feeling like your business is wanted and appreciated. Quite how the place is always immaculate is a work in itself - spotlessly spotless. In the days of 'your business is important to us please wait' it is amazing that there is a place where your business really is important to them and any wait is minimal. Super business that cannot be rated too highly - and there is always a welcome from all the staff.

Awesome quality fish and chips, stopped here whilst visiting relatives. The quality of the fish was outstanding and cooked to order as we had the haddock. Excellent value for money, superb friendly service. Can’t fault it. I’m an ex fish and chip shop owner so I know a thing or two about fish and chips.

Mu favourite fish and chip shop.

Beautiful fish a good chips, take out or go upstairs for the very nice sit in experience, even have a glass of wine as my wife did!

Been to Stephenson fish and chips crook durham again today, excellent in value, service and most of all the food Our favourite fish and chip restaurant in the Durham area

Lovely gluten free fish and chips, which is now a real treat for me! As an added bonus, the curry sauce is also gluten free!

We have eaten fish and chips from cornwall, Whitby, wales to Scotland, even rick stein in cornwall but I have to say this is by far, the best chip shop restaurant in the country, send rick stein to crook to learn how to cook fish snd chips !! Wow, we have had take away here which is always excellent, but, today we ate in the restaurant and it was absolutely outstanding, the service was warm, friendly yet very professional, the restaurant was cosy and very clean, but, and this is the jewel, the food was outstanding. I had cod, my wife haddock and my son scampi, we ate every bit even though we were full from the generous portions it was so delicious we could not waste a bite, super service throughout and fishy Fridays will now be here, also great to have a sit down fish and chips with a glass of delicious house wine too, and very reasonably priced too (paid for by our son who’s in the navy and wanted scampi before going back out to sea). Thank you for a wonderful meal and we highly recommend and will definitely continue to be regular customers.

OUTSTANDING! We visited today and were blown away in every aspect that Stephensons offer. After travelling some 23 mile to Crook to grab some of the delightful Robinson’s best pork sausage we decided to grab some fish n chips and took a punt on Stephensons. Living on the coast we are spoilt for choice with award winning offerings and make it a regular weekly meal. From entry reception and greetings to the attentive service, immaculate clean and fresh decor and super tasty food our visit could not have been more perfect. We actually thought this place was opened within weeks due to the lovely decor and such clean surroundings both in the takeaway, dining area and bathrooms. We were surprised to learn that it has actually been refurbed 6 year ago. Clearly the owners have impeccable standards maintained throughout. A wonderful experience in this family owned and run establishment. We now have another reason other than Robinsons to visit Crook. How wonderful that good family owned businesses are helping create business for each other in Crook. Very much looking forward to our return. Thank you

I'm.gluten amd dairy intolerant and was really excited to find this place. The food was delicious 😋 Food to die for! The guy who served us, was very friendly.

On the back of seeing a negative review for Stephensons’s Market Plaice, I would like to share my experience when we visit. This is hands down the best Fish Shop for miles! The food is consistently good, the Staff always go the extra mile for Customers, and it is spotlessly 🧽 clean. I recently commented on the cleanliness of the toilets to the Manager, they are immaculate, and Molton Brown products to boot! In Crook! I’m 💯 picky about where I eat, and this place is faultless!

Best fish and chips in the area , and lovely seating area upstairs . Perfect for a mid week treat . You can find me there most weeks

We were looking forward to a fish supper all week so on Friday night we queued & ordered 2 large cod and chips only for the server to say ‘can’t you just have regular size because they are ready?’ When we restated that we wanted large she gave a loud sigh and seemed annoyed - like she didn’t want our business?? Didn’t appreciate the attitude, there was no need for it. Orders 2 large cod and chips, 1 small cod & chips, 3 large sausages (2 battered) and 2 pots of mushy peas - cost £35 and were nothing to write home about so maybe they didn’t need our business after all with those prices.

Thank you so much Graham, Paula and the staff for looking after us on Saturday. The restaurant is spotless and was perfect for our party of 28. The fish and chips were absolutely delicious , best fish and chips I’ve had in a long time . We ll definitely be back

Absolutely delicious. Had a family pre wedding get together and everything was fabulous. Food was amazing, restaurant was modern and clean, not after we left though. Staff were very friendly and efficient nothing was too much trouble. Would definitely recommend.

Just been in for dinner n absolutely beautiful. Staff friendly n all my food had to be cooked to order which did not take long.

Pathetically tiny portion and I'd ordered large, it twas obviously turned down by a previous customer as it was also pre wrapped why ? I've never come across this before , the food here is of a high quality although Ive always found the measly amount of chips tendered off-putting , I refused to be served a toddlers portion size , even smaller than usual in fact I've never in my 65 years of using chip shops nationwide been given a prewrapped portion. I'll not risk using this shop again.

Crispy chips light batter chunky Cod. Really good fish and chips. I will definitely go back. Definitely some of the best I have had.

Could not ask for a better Chippy. Food is first class, service is always warm and friendly.

Spot on food worth a visit try it

Hands down the best fish and chips I've had in crook for a very long time, tried here as I was sick of getting scabby black chips from another fish shop in crook, these certainly didn't disappoint.cant wait to Try the restaurant upstairs

We went to the takeaway to be honest, and are yet to go to the restaurant. Simply the best fish and chips locally. Renovated in recent years, this fish and chip shop has been open for many years, with the same owner I believe, who is there frying every time we’ve visited. An extensive fish and chip menu, very nicely cooked. The great thing about the place is the friendly and efficient service, one of the young ladies, regularly chatted to my son about computer games, I suspected she might be a daughter of the family, but I’m not sure. And consistency. The food is consistently excellent. Well fried, chips, fish and sausage. Boiling hot mush peas, and all the usual food you would expect. And the place is immaculate, modern, and great to go in. But again, most importantly the food is very good, you can add extra batter to your order too! Delicious We’ve tried other shops locally and in Weardale and non compare. I would compare Stephensons to the food quality you would get in Barnard Castle and Middleton in Teesdale, so a bit of a hidden gem for Crook. Ample parking in the car park opposite, or around the corner in the village car park. Big queues on a Friday, and always busy. Another point in its favour is its central position, and decent opening hours. But again above all, is the great cooking, consistency and friendly service, and lovely modern decor. We’ve seen smart, happy customers leaving the restaurant upstairs, so we’d like to try that too, there are stairs to this in case you visit, but the takeaway has no steps and is very accessible.

Very pleasant service, every time. Excellent fish and chips, (better than Bells, I'd say) and spotlessly clean. A real credit to Crook.

Best fish a d chip shop in our neighbourhood

This is the greatest Fish & Chips I’ve ever had! Absolutely heaven. We were recommended by a local and it did not disappoint. Can’t wait to come back again.

Beautiful fish chips, would recommend you won't be disappointed.

I visited Crook on Friday 23rd December on business and wanted somewhere to have lunch. Walking past Stephenson's on the market square I initially thought it was just a fish and chip shop, however, on entering I found that it also had a restaurant up a short flight of stairs. The upper space was modern and super clean. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The menu was very good a little something for everyone. I ordered fish and chips and I have to say, hand on heart, they were the best fish and chips I have eaten. I would defo recommend this restaurant.

I visited Crook on Friday 23rd December on business and wanted somewhere to have lunch. Walking past Stephenson's on the market square I initially thought it was just a fish and chip shop, however, on entering I found that it also had a restaurant up a short flight of stairs. The upper space was modern and super clean. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The menu was very good a little something for everyone. I ordered fish and chips and I have to say, hand on heart, they were the best fish and chips I have eaten. I would defo recommend this restaurant.

Best fish and chips in Crook. Parking opposite the shop

Truly lovely food,never been disappointed,staff are so helpful and friendly,only place l go to for fish and chips, thanks

Lovely food, staff really friendly and helpful. Desserts are gorgeous as well as being great value

Lived in Durham for years and always went to Bells for fish and chips, they really are hard to beat, however we’ve now moved to Crook, and are miles away from Bells, visited Stephensons tonight for tea, and was expecting the quality to not be as good as Bells, I can honestly say they’re just as good, absolutely delicious, piping hot, white flaky fish with crispy batter, and perfect chips, will definitely be a regular here from now on, well done Stephensons 😊

Best fish and chips iv ever had definitely will be back 😋

Friendly happy staff and made to feel welcome. Quality of food was fantastic, great value for money. I ordered the large cod with matching chips and there was enough to feed 2 adults easy. Definitely will be back and thank you for an excellent meal experience : )

Food Fabulous Staff Excellent Restaurant Beautiful Well worth a visit for delish food from starters, halloumi and mushrooms Mains,just had to be Cod and Chips Good selection of desserts if you need something sweet Don't forget you can take away as well

Food and staff in restaurants excellent

Amazing quality, Friendly staff. The large fish is massive and always well cooked. Decent quantity of chips and not too greasy either

Taste great but such a shame the gluten free/vegetarian frier is turned off so early. 6.15pm shouldn't be too late to request the chips

chips full of small hard bits. greed even cuts the bag so small fish over done never again. Owner replied common theme my bad reviews. They bad for a reason. Don’t sell. C**P. Your not feeding dogs. However. Golden Fry Crook 48 Laurel Gardens, Crook DL15 9LW fish very fresh good portions of chips very delicious 1

Been tonight to the restaurant, beautiful food and fantastic service - would recommend 😃

Love going for a meal a bit of a treat. Food good staff look after you, well worth a visit.

My dad really enjoys the fish, cheese savoury, chips and scrapings from here.

Great friendly service, great fish and chips.

My title says it all. The fish and chips in the upstairs cafe are delicious and excellent value for money. The best cafe to go to in Crook at lunch time. The food is always freshly cooked and lovely and hot and the staff are always very efficient and friendly at all times. I would highly recommend a visit.

Absolutely amazing food as always, best plaice around by far

Fabulous fish and chip restaurant above the takeaway - and it even has an alcohol licence.

Tea was absolutely beautiful tonight, just as always, made fresh to perfection all beautiful and the homemade desserts were amazing value for money, staff very polite, friendly and very welcoming, will go over any beyond to help, very clean environment with a wide range of food & drinks choice on the menu. Great to see you also cater for Gluten Free 👍 For both takeaway and the restaurant, Thanks team Market Plaice you sure know how to keep customers happy 🍟🐟😋

Not prepared to cook anymore because it was near to closing time

Nice Fish N Chips and Staff Nice too

Every now and again I treat myself to a large gluten free cod from The Market Plaice. Last night's as always, was absolutely first rate. Huge, fresh and golden. I don't know where the couple of recently posted, and highly suspect, negative reviews come from. For a start, they seem to refer to a visit to the upstairs restaurant which has not been open during the pandemic. Be assured, food is excellent quality. You get what you pay for. I can't wait for the licenced restaurant to re-open.

absolute rubbish perhaps to gain maximum profit instead of thinking of quality .took the wife mother for lunch. never again

Best fish and chips in the Northeast.

Best fish and chips ever 😋 delish fresh fish not greasy and chips are perfection 👌

Best chip shop around. Fresh fish and best fish patty in the North East. Finally found a tasty fish shop 😊

Best fish and chips in County Durham

Fantastic Local traditional Fish shop, Presented well, immaculate, friendly well mannered and polite staff, Fantastic Food with a great choice of availability, staff will go out there way and try to give you exactly what you want, Gluten Free Range is fantastic, Freshly cooked food to the highest of standards. Restaurant is the perfect way, to sit back relax and enjoy your meal. Great customer service and amazing tasting food 😋😋🐟🐟🍟🍟

This fish and chips is so good. Fish tastes fresh, with a delicious slightly crisp batter without any greasy after taste. Then there's the chips. The chips are perfect. Mushy peas are also a sensation. Weekly treat for the taste buds.

My wife and I have eaten in the restaurant several times and the food and the friendly service has always been excellent, when things return to normal we will be back. The take away side is always excellent and the staff are also helpful and friendly.

Easily the best chip shop I’ve ever been too, luckily for me I live in the same town so get to visit regular

Stephenson's Market Plaice is a fish and chip shop in the centre of the market town of Crook. Tucked next to the market place and slotted in among other shops, it is ideally located for anyone wanting to grab a quick lunch or people (like me) commuting back from the area and want something hot to eat. I recently started working in Crook and did not know the area very well. I had wandered around on my lunch break trying to find something hot to eat that was above and beyond the normal cold sandwiches and salads I have fallen into the habit of eating. When a colleague of mine came into the office followed by the smell of hot vinegar on chips, I knew that I would be having something similar for my lunch. I found out Stephenson's Market Plaice and I am so glad I did because hands down, they cook and serve some of the best chips I have ever had. I went in for lunch one day and got some chips, with scraps and a cheese savoury which were salted and vinegared to my liking before making my way back to the office and tucking in. The chips were fresh and hot with a large enough portion for two people (or one for someone very hungry) and the cheese savoury was hot to the taste and delicious. With a generous portion of scraps (excess bits of batter that are saved from battered items), I was in my element. I have been nipping back a couple of times a week when I fancy something hot and would happily be in there every day if I was not trying to watch my weight. The shop is incredibly clean every time I have been in and the staff are all well presented, polite and efficient - even when there is a queue (which is testament to how good their food is). The food is excellent value for money and both the quality and quantity, you would be hard pushed to find similar anywhere else. It may only be a fish and chip shop (that sells other things too) but I have found myself raving about it whenever I get talking about decent chips. I would so far as say that the chips and customer services are so good that I would happily travel to Crook just to visit this chip shop because I know what I am getting. So, would I go again? Absolutely and I will continue to go even after I stop working in Crook. Should you go? Absolutely. If you want hot, fresh food that is served in an immaculately clean venue by pleasant and polite staff - and you want good quality for money that you will not get anywhere else then visit Stephenson's Market Plaice and thank Cod it exists.

Well we dined out in the restaurant at Stephenson’s Market Plaice tonight and I have to say what an absolutely fantastic meal! The twice baked cheese soufflé was the best I have ever tasted, the large cod was amazing and the reviews from the wife “king prawns were fantastic and the prawn linguini was delicious “ would thoroughly recommend 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ well done Graham & Paula 🏆 keep up the great work

Having had several meals here we can only give 100% review every time. Fish and chips are excellent and service is fabulous. I have to disagree with one of the reviews and their comments. The owner and staff converse with all customers and I personally think it creates a welcoming atmosphere all around. Don't change it, its lovely to watch and enjoy... Keep up the great work.

Just had the best fish n chips ever great service warm and friendly will be back

Excellent food at very reasonable prices. Very friendly and attentive service. Spotlessly clean. I wish we had discovered this gem sooner. Will definitely be back.

Been several times now to eat in the upstairs restaurant never been disappointed, well cooked chips, fish lovely and scampi, side salad fresh and tasty. Service is excellent staff are so pleasant many thanks for everything

Quality fish and chips served in very good setting with excellent service and friendly staff , but a piece of advice -- try to keep conversation with friends/relatives to a minimum . while were enjoying the first class food a member of staff kept up a , not loud but not quiet either ,conversation with a customer who she knew . There were louder exchanges across the restaurant to each other as they conversed about future nights out together with general gossip . Please try to see that your customers should come first -- they do not want to hear that while eating. I know it can be difficult but this was the only thing that spoilt the meal , otherwise as I said it was very good food and the service was excellent .

Fish and chip lunch in restaurant upstairs. Was absoloutely beautiful. Price was very reasonable, very clean and really good friendly service. Would definitely recommend.

Me and my husband went in here we both had cod and chips. First we were greeted by friendly smiling staff and the place was really clean. I have to say the cod was beautiful probably one of the tastiest we've had we both agreed on that. It was pure white fish with light crispy batter and not greasy at all. The chips were the same light fluffy centre with light crisp outer. Would go there again in a heartbeat if ever I was in the area again.

Try the fish pie my husband loves it.

Tremendous quality and excellent service. Eat in restaurant to get the food at its best. It is also licensed so makes for a luxury meal.

This restaurant is a surprise of the best kind. It was recommended by friends. 5 of us met for lunch. We sat upstairs near the window. The staff were happy to put tables together and bring drinks from a well chosen wine list while waited for late arrivals.The restaurant is bright and spotless- the toilets deserve their own 5 star rating.The fish came quickly and was perfectly cooked- the batter crisp and golden- no burnt or soggy bits at this restaurant. All the side dishes : salad, chips, peas were all also perfectly cooked.One of us is gluten intolerant, not only was her fish cooked with gluten free batter she was able to choose gluten free cheesecake for dessert. I enjoyed raspberry and amaretto sorbet .We aren’t locals and we would never have found this restaurant without a recommendation from a local. But it’s a fish restaurant that is worth travelling to in order to enjoy some of the nicest fish and chips we’ve ever eaten.

Staff are very friendly and the food is excellent. The batters very crispy and the chips are very good. I love it

A family of 5 of us called for a meal today. We all agreed that the fish and chips were absolutely gorgeous, the best we have tasted. The service we received was second to none. Everything about the meal was perfect. We will most certainly be back and will highly recommend.

Easily one of the best fish and chip shops in the North East .. and the restaurant is brilliant 😀

I sat in the restaurant and ordered the special that was a small cod and chips with a side and drink. Very pleasant staff with great service, got to be the best fish I've had in a while. Will definitely visit again if I'm ever in the area again

Excellent food... very welcoming

Tonight was our 4th visit to the upstairs restaurant in Stephenson's. The food is wonderful and reasonably priced for the portion sizes. I treated myself to a delightfully chilled glass of wine which was actually cheaper than my local pub in Stanhope- bargain!!Ronan and Jude taking orders and serving in the restaurant were their usual attentive selves...this place is credit to all who work here. We shall be back- many thanks for such a great evening!

Called in the cafe for fish and chips. It was our 1st time and all we can say is WOW! The service was excellent. The food was fresh and the portion size was huge!! Would recommend it and will be definitely visiting again

Fish and chip shop eat in lovely

Lovely clean shop with very fresh and tasty wares. The staff I believe are predominately family and very friendly and the prices for me reasonable.

Excellent Gluten Free experience. Food , surroundings and service always exemplary.

Popped in the other week for the first time and it will not be the last. Excellent chips and the fish was cooked exactly to our tastes. Two friendly lads waited our table...great service. Will probably pop in again this week.

Never ever disappointed here. Haddock, skinned, boned, biggest compliment I can give is that it's the closest I've come to a fish supper from East Coast of Scotland (my home patch) in the 9yrs I've been in NE England. Staff are friendly warm professional, see you again soon!!

Always come here for lunch whenever we are in the area. Fantastic fish and chips with pleasant and friendly staff.

The best fish n chips in the North East. Fresh and crispy batter and huge fish which melted in the mouth and a huge amount of freshly cooked chips which were lovely and crisp. Anyone says otherwise they’re lying!!

Fantastic food and the staff are friendly as well

Not many fish and chip shops have the facilities or inclination to provide GF food so we would usually have to travel into Durham City. I’m so happy to have discovered this local shop/restaurant which not only caters for the GF diet, but does it incredibly well and in a spotlessly clean environment. We had a take-away last night but next time we will try the restaurant upstairs. My husband who collected our order said the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about gluten contamination so we will definitely eat there again soon. Hubby said his food was delicious too. Free parking as well.