The Ilfracombe Fryer in North Devon

Fabulous service and food. The best fish and chips we have had. Freshly cooked haddock and chips, delicious and a good price.

We visited on a blustery, showery day. The eat in area was deserted. Our order was taken grudgingly by an unfriendly assistant. The eating area entrance was blocked by a sign, we asked to enter and eventually let in. The assistant then said we needed to reorder as there was a different price for eating in. This is standard I know, but we were not given an option prior to paying. A separate price list was not displayed which would have given us a clue. The fish and chips were really good but the experience felt uncomfortable as the staff were so unhelpful. No wonder the eat in area was deserted even on a rainy day.

Not nice, given it’s prime location you would hope for good quality - the batter was horrible, chips average and portions way to large such a waste of profit. Could definitely do with a major menu overhaul. We ate it, staff were good.

i know it was carnival and it was busy but the kids cod strips that we purchased were awful the batter was not cooked enough very soft and chewy and although the chips were nice and hot the cod strips were luke warm hence they went in the bin

I Think these are the best ive had in a long time Lovely big piece of fish and LOADS of delicious chips

Family of 4 veggies. The curry sauce isn’t veggie (as with a lot of chip shops) so we settled for chips and mushy peas. Food was great although I’d like to know if the chips were definitely veggie (they taste like they might be cooked in animal fat although I’m not sure).

From start to finish the food and service were spot on we definitely would recommend this place thanks for everything 👏👏😎

The best meal we had during out 4 day stay in Ifracombe. A huge portion of fish and chips served by very happy members of staff, what more could you want? Oh yes, and it was half price during eat out to help out.

First visit here today (4/5/22) Hubby ordered fish,chips and mushy peas and cup of coffee, the fish was massive! he could not fault the whole meal! I had roe,chips, mushy peas and pot of tea, couldn't fault it! Staff were friendly and attentive, would definitely visit again.

Lovely little find we stopped for the classic fish and chips wow it was amazing. The curry sauce was lush friendly staff we took our dog in the waitress even put water outside for here she was so friendly amazing chipshop

Yesterday 09 10 2021, we were in Ilfracombe, and we had a very good meal here, the waitress with the black and orange hair was very good,, all the social distancing systems were working, and yes she made us feel safe and valued, the food was excellent and l was very impressed with her and her attention to detail,, so please,, if you are in the area,, give them a go

Delicious chips, possibly the best I’ve ever had. They were all so crispy and yet fluffy in the middle. Clearly freshly cooked. The fish was also delicious, crisp batter and tasted fish. Finally the chicken nuggets were amazing, chicken breast with a delicious batter, perfectly crispy. Highly recommend.

My wife and I stopped in to have some fish and chips, wow the fish was massive. We both had the fisherman's special. Cod, chips, mushy peas and a pot of tea. The fish was amazing, really tasty.

Visited here after reading and hearing from friends who have visited Devon about how amazing it was, and they’re not wrong! Chips were absolutely amazing, and the fish was so fresh (as pointed out by my fisherman partner)! With perfectly crispy batter, also ordered a battered Mars bar because we were intrigued and wow! They were so good. Hoping to visit again for one before we leave! Really recommend the ilfracombe fryer.

Managed to get a table because there were a few booked I don’t know why they do this it’s best to have walk in for this sort of establishment. Food was excellent and service was great highly recommended

Went here and managed to get a table. Friendly staff who made you feel welcome. The cod and chips were very good and good portion size. The seafood combo was small and seemed less quality to the cod. The kids meals also seemed to be...

Lovely fish and chips located in a great place in Ilfracombe. Service was quite slow on the takeaway side (I imagine it's difficult juggling both the restaurant and takeaway) but the food was good. Chips were spot on and the sausages we had were pretty...

Was really lucky to get a table as it’s always busy. We both had fish, chips and peas, food was delicious. Will be going again before leaving for home.

A nice family, run fish and chip shop. A good variety of meals on offer for families. Fantastic quality. They were very helpful in reserving tables for us as our family party was greater than 6.

Wouldn't normally write a review for a takeaway, but thought this one was called for! Called in for a takeaway on 14 Aug. Didn't want a big meal so ordered a 'cod dog' (cod goujons, salad and mayo in a fresh sub roll) and my...

Terrible Staff had hair down, carrying fish in hands, no gloves, staff no no idea of what was in stock queued for 45 mins only to find out at the front that no fish left Very dirty counter

Lightly battered freshly caught cod and chips well made. Rounded off with a side portion of mushy peas. Couldn't ask for more

The food was very good and reasonably priced, service friendly and efficient. One of the girls dealt very politely and effectively with a rude, obnoxious covid-denier and earned the gratitude of everyone in the restaurant.

My wife and I enjoyed our fish and chip meals, cod for her, haddock for me.Sizeable portions, but a touch greasy. The service wasn't bad when the young staff bothered to notice us, a better welcome would have earned them a 5. Even so, pop...

Excellent friendly staff provided freshly cooked cod, haddock and chips. Good sized portions and tasted great.

We ate in and had the fisherman's special of cod, chips, mushy peas and a pot of tea, which for under £10 was great value. The portions were large and the food tasted great. The kids fish and chips were just as good and the...

The fish was absolutely incredible! A massive piece of fish, yummy chips and mushy peas! We ate in and had a cider to wash it all down! Good prices, really helpful and happy staff!

We were so impressed, from the moment we walked in the door. The waitress was so welcoming friendly and helpful, with a lovely lighthearted way about her. Immaculately clean restaurant and wonderful fish and chips, batter so light and crunchy. We will return !

Friendly welcome and very accommodating of two noisy demanding toddlers! Fish and chips was delicious, very flaky fresh fish and light and crispy batter. Would definitely recommend

Shown to the table, and service was quick, me and my wife had the fisherman special with a pot of tea, what was fish and chips with a small pot of mushy peas. In minutes we were served our meal, when others was still waiting....

Had heard fab things about this place so on a recent visit to Illfracombe, popped in for lunch. We were not disappointed. Friendly staff and lovely owner and his wife. Social distancing in place and spotlessly clean. The food is amazing ... huge portions, great value for money. Definitely recommend and we will visit again... can’t wait!

Absolutely delicious!!! The batter on my cod was the best i've eaten in a long time,staff were fantastic a lovely end to a smashing mini break to ilfracombe .

We got fish & chips on our first night of our Ilfracombe getaway, we had 3 fish shops right near our air bnb but after reading the reviews for the Fryer, we otpted to walk the extra 1 0minutes and go for it! We did not regret it. The portion for the cost is just perfect, the fish was fresh and had a crispy light batter, chips were delish, battered mars bar OMG was amazing. I wish I could of took away some ice cream for it! Curry sauce was also delish, the lady that served us was very welcoming and lovely.

Visited Ilfracombe today, took a punt on The Ilfracombe Fryer and delighted with the fayre, as good a fish and chips we have had, good portion size, very tasty, not greasy.

We took a tour down to Ilfracombe for the day and decided to have lunch, not being a big fish and chip eater myself it was decided to visit the Ilfracombe Fryer.This was more than a pleasant surprise as it was agreed that it was the best fish and chips we have had for years, now this is something to say as we live in Weston super Mare and Fish and chip shops are in abundance here.The fish and chips was so tasty, the chips were perfect and the fish just fell as it was so tender.Well don guys, also excellent service.

I've just eaten in the Fryer and it was lovely. Extremely large portion of plaice with lovely batter and chips. Staff were lovely and the service was quick with all covid protections in place. My partner had the scampi and also really enjoyed it.

Pre booked a table over a week ago only to turn up and its closed! The girl took my name, telephone number and booking but now its winter hours! Nothing on website or this page! What a complete waste of time!!

Having visited this place every time we go to Ilfracombe for a seafood mixed special, this time not so. The people cooking could not have been more helpful once you were allowed to speak to them if the oldest women serving let you. Her personal hygiene left something to be desired also. I walked out of the shop as she was so rude, I left before I said something I would regret. Do yourself a favour and go to Admiral Collingwood where the staff were amazing.

We really enjoyed our fish & chip lunch in here today. Great fish, chips & mushy peas that arrived quickly & piping hot, not greasy & thin batter. The staff were super friendly & professional. So glad we avoided the queues everywhere else & found this place - highly recommend.

Omg the most amazing fish and chips, the staff were very professional, and the boss and his wife were so obliging ,we will be back,seriously awesome experience 🤩

We really enjoyed our visit here today. Great fish and chips, not greasy and no skins which is a bonus. The staff were super friendly. There were sensible covid measures in place that made us feel safe but didn't spoil the experience. Would recommend.

Great service, great food, great atmosphere, really recommended this place if you're in town. Lovely food.

The staff were nice and friendly and the portion size was good value. We had 1 haddock and 1 cod and the fish was cooked well.

We were lucky to be able to get a table on a wet August evening, but it was all a bit depressing. Staff tried hard but it was difficult to catch their eye. But the food was at best average with dry cod and too much batter.

i never leave reviews but i had to because this food was unreal, i cant believe how nice it was. perfect food and perfect service. couldn't recommend this place more

Just wanted to say had a lovely meal at the ilfracombe Fryer . The batter on the fish was so light it tasted delicious. The resturant is very clean and even though they were extremely busy , Dawn and her team couldn't do enough for us. Thanks guys .

Excellent quality and value for money. The batter was crispy the cod was flacky and v fresh. Highly recommended 👌

This was the best meal we had during our 4 day stay in Ifracombe. A huge portion of fish and chips served by happy smiley staff. 5 stars all round.

We visited at shirt notice expecting to be told all the tables were booked up but we got lucky. Service and fopd were brilliant!

So you're by the seaside and you're obviously going to have fish and chips. I've eaten in a few 'chippies' in Ilfracombe but never the Fryer and I'm happy to add this is the best I've had yet.The portion was excellent, the prices very good (even without the Eat out to help out) and the service was absolutely fantastic. nothing was too much trouble and I know I can be a pain constantly requiring more ketchup for both myself and my son as well as salt, which since COVID seems a precious commodity. I went for the standard cod and chips and it was delicious, the batter was outstanding and I couldn't praise the chef enough.I visit Ilfracombe every year and I will definitely be visiting the Ilfracombe Fryer again.

Popped in here today with 4 adults, 2 kids. Outstanding Haddock and chips. Mrs M who was there to humour me said it was the best Fish and Chips she had ever tasted. The Haddock was beautifully cooked in a golden cage of perfectly crisp batter. Staff delightful, food excellent. Toptip, pop in an hour before you want to eat and ask for a table. For an industry battered by Covid, these people have responded brilliantly with good service and tasty food. Deep fried Mars bars available too!

After several pubs and restaurants were fully booked we enquired at the very busy Ilfracombe fryer about our chances of getting a table and they couldn’t have been more helpful. Dawn was brilliant she told us it would be around 20 minutes for a table, took my phone number and rang me when it was ready so we didn’t have to stand around waiting and could enjoy a stroll along the seafront until it was readyGreat service and great food - these are difficult times for staff and customers with new ways of working and new rules to observe but these guys were brilliant .... thanks to Dawn and the team

Excellent food, good prices, great service...!! Eat in or takeaway. We visited two nights running. 😁

Best fish and chips in the area!When at the seaside, I expect fish and chips to be good. So, when this place exceeded my expectations, I was very happy. So much so, that I don’t see the point in ever going anywhere else (when in town).The staff are very friendly and make you feel welcome. The fish is unbelievably fresh (as you would expect), the chips are made from locally sourced potatoes (I asked).The Ilfracombe Fryer provides the quintessential seaside fish and chips experience.

We had a great chip supper here, helped by the govt’s 50% of scheme which made the meal a real snip! Lovely family business - special shout out to Sam who really looked after us during a busy evening and was unfailingly cheerful and polite.

We visited the fish and chip shop by chance during the first week of our holiday and we loved it so much, it was the first place on our list to revisit in our second week. The food is fabulous, the service fantastic and the staff are really friendly. Our first visit we were served by Charlotte and the second by Sam and a lovely lady (I didn’t get her name) proudly wearing a sunflower lanyard. This gave us the perfect time to explain to our 5 year old twins what the sunflower lanyard means and why some people wear them. Highly recommend a trip to The Ilfracombe Fryer, I’m just disappointed that we live so far away from it!

We are a family of 4 and chose to eat here as it is participating in the government eat out to help out scheme Monday’s to Wednesdays - it was very clean and the track and trace was v efficient - Sam our waiter was lovely, very polite and friendly and also patient with our tired and hungry children ! Both drinks and food were served very quickly and the food was nicely presented - kids loved the icecream after and my husband trues the battered mars bar which was delicious - salad was a little disappointing but we only pays 22.75 for 4 meals including puddings for my husband and the kids, 6 slices of bread and butter and all our drinks ! You can’t grumble are bad and having such good service really makes a difference to a meal. Thank you!

Thanks to Sam and the others for a wonderful meal this evening. We had faggots/chips/mushy peas, scampi and chips, and battered sausage and chips. They were all delicious and the service was brilliant, so friendly and professional. Six out of five! Absolutely beautiful views towards Capstone Hill from our table. We will visit again when we're next in Ilfracombe!

Myself and my daughter visited yesterday for the first time for lunch and were served by both Sam and Charlotte,the tables were thoroughly cleaned by Charlotte before us being seated to a high standard & the track & trace system was fully explained,nothing was too much trouble,they saved us money by suggesting a smaller portion as was only two of us( so appreciated) and checked that we were ok and happy with everything,excellent customer service, restaurant was full yet they remained calm, professional and even made time for the younger diners to play/ engage with them,5** to these two!!! Will definitely return,thank you for a lovely lunch,Suzie and Jenna

Nice fish and chips but burgers served without salad and basically dry. Not a lot space inside so have to wait outside for food - no problem if not raining.

Well this is the 3rd year we have visited this gorgeous place. Staff very friendly and helpful. The biggest portion of plaice and chips i have had. Fish was amazing and super fresh. We will be back. Thankyou folks x

Superb Fish and Chips. Tough trading conditions under covid but expertly handled. The fish was so fresh and melted in the mouth. Perfect chips. Really hard to imagine how this could be better. Bottles of ketchup vs twenty sticky sachets! That won me over. Takeaway Served in cardboard boxes. If owner reads this: Would like to have seen wooden forks and not single-use plastic. Good luck for the rest of the season.

On a visit to Ilfracombe we had to have some chips and chose the 'Fryer' to have them. We waited whilst they were freshly fried and they were just lovely. Staff were very pleasant and there was certainly plenty room to sit and enjoy.

Popped in on a very wet and windy Sunday only because son needed the toilet and they allowed dogs in the sit in cafe. Really pleased we did. The staff were friendly and it was really clean. We were the only ones in as it was quite early so the food was very freshly cooked. I had the cod dog and son had the kids chicken nuggets and they were both good quality and well cooked. The chicken nuggets you could tell was chicken breast and not mushed up shaped chicken and the batter on the fish was crispy and light. The chips were crispy and fluffy just how I like them. A spur of the moment visit but will go again and recommend them

We stumbled upon this just before 4pm and we were welcomed with smiles by all the gents behind the till. The lovely young lad that served us was polite and helpful. My son is autistic and only eats specific foods and he asked for a battered sausage on his child's meal which wasn't on the menu(these types of requests have been rejected by many restaurants in the past which causes me so much hasssle that I end up leaving) but they were more than accommodating and did him one. The food was really reasonably priced especially considering its seafront location and it was really lovely food. The chips were the best chips iv had in a long time! They were obviously due to close soon/ should have closed, but did not rush us or make us feel unwelcome at any point. We were sad to see we were the only people dining in there but put it down to the season as it was delicious! Thanks for a lovely meal... The only thing we enjoyed about Ilfracombe!

Our first trip to Illfracombe,,, after a walk along the coast we came across The Illfracombe Fryer. We were asked if we wanted to eat in and to choose a table. The young lad that served us was polite. We ordered two specials at £9.00 (cod, chips, mushy peas and a pot of tea) and 4 slices of bread and butter (£1.60 !). We didn't have to wait long but we were the only diners. Fish was lovely and light, chips were adequate, the meal overall was average size. The service was what was expected, although the waiter was polite and courteous he could have had a more friendly approach but this would not stop us visiting again.

Popped in as they were closing for a fish supper take away. Staff were very accommodating, our food was cooked fresh to order. Excellent flakey cod, chips crispy on the outside, soft in the middle. Couldn't fault it

Lunch time visit. Restaurant was quiet but it was late and out of season. Cod and chips were both cooked beautifully, not greasy and batter was light and crisp.The main thing for me was the young man serving, he was so polite and nothing was too much trouble. Definitely a place to go

We have just returned from a long weekend in ilfracombe and ear here twice. We chose to eat in and have to say on both occasion the food was lovely. We all had something different and found it well cooked. Lovely service. Would recommend

Had take away food hot when I reached home. Chips nice and dry and crisp.. Fish nice batter good Fish fresh and white

The most amazing Fish & Chips ever! The Fish was as light as possible, there was no oily heaviness, as for the chips I could not stop eating them, so light and yet well cooked, I hardly ever eat my chips but i most certainly enjoyed these with curry sauce of course! Just to top this - the dogs are allowed in as long as they are on their leads. Wonderful lunch !!!

I ordered to meals for my wife and I. I waited until 12pm for the restaurant to open, which it did on time. Not wanting to go in straight away, I gave it a couple of minutes so they could lay out the A board signs etc. A young chap did so and I asked him if it was ok to come in. He replied, ‘yes, in just a minute, if that’s ok?’... to which I replied, ‘yes of course’. But then he followed it up with, ‘Patience is a virtue, my friend’. This off -the cuff, cocky reply got under my skin. Firstly, I, a 42 year-old self -employed father of two, doesn’t need to be ‘advised’ by the virtue of ‘patience’ by a cocky teenager who’s most probably still living at home and has no clue (until he becomes a father) of what true patience really is.After I made my order to another member of the staff. I observe as he exercised his cocky, go-with-the-flow approach with his colleagues..... their poker-face reactions said it all. Anyway, if I was the proprietor of this business, I’d be having ‘a quiet word’ in his ear. There’s a fine line between confidence and cockiness, punctuality and punk. Aside from this. Great food, very pleasant other staff and a very good price.n

Called in as it was lashing with rain and the welcome dryness and warmth of a fish and chip restaurant swayed us. Prices were OK £9.00 for the special seems fair, if that is the food was any good. The cod was dry inside and overcooked, the batter still claggy inside and under cooked. The chips were underdone and the bread was sour. Smelled like feet after walking around for a week with the same socks on. The sausage my daughter got was awful, more meat content in broccoli than that and it also had the colour and texture of play doh. Absolutely awful. Honestly, the worst I've ever had. Staff were friendly though.

We decided to try The Ilfracombe Fryer for our evening family meal The food was cooked very well and was delicious All the family liked the food and we would certainly go here again

Food was okay but the staff were awful. Rude and unpleasant, guy behind the counter was effing and blinding about god knows what! Waitresses were to busy talking amongst themselves and wasn’t paying attention to anything! Will probably try maddys next time.

The fish was lovely, and the batter was crisp and tasty. Also, quite a few veggie options on the menu which is great as often only chips available! However, we thought the chips were a bit anaemic and greasy so much so that none of us could actually finish them. A little disappointing as chips on the seafront is a holiday staple.

Having grown up around freshly caught fish and knowing what fresh not frozen cod tastes like. Most fish we buy nowadays is frozen, can’t escape it really as it’s frozen at sea.

whist smelling good from outside , we ventured in to view menu.

Food soggy with grease, undercooked, very small over priced adult portions the piece of tomato was bigger than the actual chicken burger 10 meals returned it was that bad, poor service with a very rude and obnoxious waitress, very dirty tables.

Every time we visit Devon we always call in as we've always been impressed with the food and service. We visitied last week and it was still amazing. The service was extemely quick and the food was to an high standard. We all agree that they are the best chip shop chips we've had.

Service was fantastic, and food was great. Owner really looked after us. Location is great and well priced.

VERY,VERY,VERY GREASY.... Hardly any potato in chips... hardly any Haddock in the fish... REGRET going there.... Should have tried DOLPHIN ...NEAR BY

This restaurant/chip shop looked very nice. Sat down at 6.45 order taken at 6.50 still waiting for food 7.30. Was told our order hadnt gone through . The 1st waitress said she would chase it up and did nothing. 2nd waitress apologised and said she would ask if we could have our order for free.finaly food arrived (fish and chips btw as it was a fish and chip restaurant) have to say food was very tasty. But left a bit of an old oil taste a while later. We were not offered a full apology much less a discount of any kind...1 to miss unless you have all day to wait. Just couldn't cope with a busy restaurant and chip shop at the Same time.

Sat in the restaurant, ordered haddock, chips, mushy peas and a mug of coffee. (All for £9.00) Arrived in 5 mins, crispy batter on the haddock, freshly cooked chips and nice mushy peas. Young staff were friendly and polite. Would eat here again.

Nice fish freshly cooked a bit pricey for four large fish and chips But worth the money...friendly staff

Lovely, kind waitresses served us and was very prompt, therefore we wasn’t left waiting very long. They were very polite would definitely recommend

Lovely fish and chips to eat in or take away. Very easy to find on the front at Ilfracombe. Sit and eat looking at the most fabulous views and afterwards, walk up the hill!!

We all had fish and chips which were great. Staff really friendly. Highly recommended and would go again

Had fish and chips. It was lovely the batter on the fish crispy. Chips yum. Good service food came out quickly. Will definitely re visit.

This place is absolutely shocking!

Looked nice and clean but the chips were awful as in very hard and crunchy and more like fries. Member of staff behind counter was discussing politics and said ‘s..t’ - hardly suitable language in a family restaurant/ take away. No one asked if the meal was ok till I went to pay. I don’t usually leave bad reviews but I was so looking forward to freshly cooked battered cod and chips in a seaside town

Popped in here for fish and chips in the restaurant. Portions huge and staff friendly and made you feel at home and we had the dog, so an overall excellent occasion. would highly recommend.

Great staff. On the hottest day ever. The staff were excellent. The food was served within 3 mins. It was fresh fish in non-greasy batter. The premises was very clean and busy. Lovely sea views. The pice was under ten pounds per head including a pot of tea.

Food was lovely and staff are great with your children. Prices are a bit expensive but would say the food is well worth the value.

Popped in here for a quick bite on our way to a boat trip. £8 for a cheeseburger and large sausage and chips so not too bad. The burger was fully loaded and huge! Husband really enjoyed it. My daughter and I shared the sausage and chips. We didn't sit inside as we sat over the road enjoying the sun. Friendly staff and quick service for freshly cooked food.

We had fish chips And mushy peas today. My wife had the cod which was well cooked and the fish was nice and moist with Lovely crispy batter. I had the haddock which was gorgeous. The staff where very friendly and courteous.

I visited this restaurant on the end of a business trip as someone was visiting Ilfracombe, I enjoyed a large battered sausage and chips and forgot to get a receipt, later on about 45 minutes I went back to get a receipt and although it was a little difficult the guy sorted me out. thanks for being great staff and giving excellent Customer service. I will come again when I next visit. Ps sorry for messing up your till but thanks so much for your understanding.

Well cooked fish and chips, crispy batter and ample cod and haddock fillets at a very reasonable price served by a very chipper young man. The place evidently has a huge turnover and we were very pleased with the quality of their product. Good honest f x c!

After a great morning walking around the beach, a lunch time visit to The Ilfracombe Fryer did not disappoint!

We had take away fish and chips and they were ok but nothing special. We usually go to Maddies but thought we would try this one for a change but it’s back to Maddies next time we want fish and chips!