Tollingtons in Islington

Food was superb and really good value for what you get - fish is expensive so it will never be the cheapest meal around! We were absolutely stuffed and the plates came out nicely paced. Drinks also great value. My only criticism is that it’s a little cramped and uncomfy seats, but I already can’t wait to go back and eat there again!

I had a terrific experience on a Sunday afternoon and was desperate to go back. Maybe it was my luck that a critic was in the house - because this Wednesday evening was really poor quality food. The chips were the overfried husks, the cod was negligible within the batter, there was not a hint of truffle on the scallops and the most enjoyable thing to eat was a piece of cheddar. I wouldn’t leave a review if I didn’t think it might help the restaurant identify what’s up. Really disappointed.

Such nice laid back atmosphere, delish food, only took one photo Estrella Truffle omelette Mussels Tomato salad Potted shrimp 🦐

Good food but at least twice the price it should be. We had 6 plates between three, left hungry and it was £95. Ridiculous. Service slow. Uncomfortable stools being bashed by the server every time they went past. Save your money and go elsewhere. I felt mugged!

Had monkfish with girgoles and chicken sauce. Everything was truly excellent.

Tollington's Fish Bar is a new restaurant. From the outside, it looks more like a British fish & chips shop, but as soon as you step inside, you feel as if you're in a tapas bar that's been open since the 1940s in Barcelona, like Bar la Plata. Yellow walls, terracotta tiles on the floor, wooden shelves, folk art pieces on the walls, and some abstract artwork – these elements create a rustic Spanish tapas bar ambiance. And of course, there's the team working like bees in the open kitchen and staff kindly taking orders, all of which create a warm, inviting atmosphere that instantly draws you in—especially if you're hungry. I had a tomato salad with onions, patatas bravas, grilled dory, and monkfish with girolles mushrooms. Everything was flawless. The dory was cooked just right, remaining juicy inside, and the patatas bravas were even better than some tapas bars in Spain. In the monkfish with girolles mushrooms, the ingredients were used in perfect balance, making the dish harmonious and delicious. Btw I paired the dishes with Cava, which complemented them beautifully. This is definitely a place I'll be going to whenever I have the chance, and I can't wait to try the other dishes.

Great food, staff and vibes. Epitome of what modern London eating is about, doing something in an excellent way whilst being friendly and unpretentious.

Food was all seafood and fish, with a few carb exceptions. Vermouth and tap and heaving atmosphere. The kitchen is fully open and waiting staff really on the ball

The Fish and Chips tasted amazing. I heard through a friend about this place and I want disappointed.

Really enjoyed our meal at Tollingtons. Loved the selection of small plates and the vermouth and wines. Like everywhere else in London, portions are tiny and pricey. You’ll need at least 3-4 plates per person.

Excellent meal at Tollingtons. We tried most items on the menu with a number of drinks. Was a brilliant evening and lively atmosphere. Keen for the next visit!

Last week I visited Tollingtons as a walk-in late on a Saturday. I was excited to try this place after seeing great views, living local and being a Plimsoll / Four Legs fans. There were no tables inside so we sat outside and asked if there was a table to let us know. No one let us know but half way through we asked and were successful to find seats in side. The venue is very cool, however, it is small the bar away to eat. For me it added to atmosphere and was fine for a casual meal. The food was tasty, some a bit pricy. We had a pork loin, cod collar, chorizo and crisp, sea bass crudo and patatas bravas. This is most definitely a small plates restaurant. I’d come back just for the patatas bravas and a glass of wine. Not sure id come for a full dinner service, but enjoyed for light casual dinner.

Over priced, very small portions, very oily food but maybe I made a bad menu choice? On the whole I was disappointed with the experience and won’t be returning.

Great concept, excellent food and the beer was perfectly chilled! Having seen some reviews I was a little concerned but people must have had a completely different experience to us. Ours was excellent and felt like we were in a Spanish town. Loved the Chips Bravas and amongst other dishes we loved the Piri Piri John Dory. Highly recommend!!

Come here if you are looking for some of the best small plates you can eat in London in a busy, lively space in Finsbury. Yes it’s crowded but I’m not sure what the bad reviewers were expecting - it’s clearly a small space that looks to bring some Spanish atmosphere to north London. The food is simply excellent - the cod collar, sea bass, red prawns and chips were all outstanding. For the quality, the prices are very reasonable - we spent £110 for two (service and 5 drinks included) and were stuffed. For those complaining, look up the price of fresh Spanish red prawns per kg and you’ll see it’s great value here. Can’t wait to go back.

Nice and hip place, but prices are definitely exaggerated. To mention but one: £16 for 4 mini prawns. High prices for rather small portions! That's a pity for such a cozy place

They’ve crammed tables into what’s meant to be a takeaway to maximise profit and it shows. The kitchen can’t cope. Some dishes arrived undercooked, others arrived cold.

Finally nabbed a 6pm table here. So the hype about the chips is real and justified. We were "out the back" and I'm sure if we'd been in the front part we'd have given it 5 stars for atmosphere One or two of the dishes were a bit heavy on the salt. Not enough to send back but not far off. Even the apple cake had a hint of salt.

Way too expensive, portions tiny. 60% hype, and it’ll probably work for them because there’s a lot of fools out there willing to part with their dad’s cash.

Wow wow wow 👌 The fantastic mega family of friends strikes again (if u dont know check out The Plimsol). Next level food and flavours, eye for mega design and detail, super soundtracks but also best of all the team and owners digging deep into the community. Big respect. Lots of love. MFP massive xx

Decent food but this is a review to reflect the fetishism of hyped restaurants. Let’s all just calm down please.

One of the best meals I’ve had. Food, service, vibe - everything. £110 for two, inc service and drinks. Great value for what you’re getting, would’ve paid double for those chips. All these negative on the cost need to get a price list from a decent fishmonger. Good seafood ain’t cheap anymore, I’m afraid.

Please can I order two of everything multiplied by ten + 1… paid well over a ton for a three man and definitely could or eaten the whole meal in 21 seconds. One of my mates actually thought he was coming to eat cod and chips. Then, to his relief, realised it was European style small plates. No one wants to be slotting a full fish and chip at 9pm on a Thursday when you have to operate on Friday. But in hindsight we could have done with a little side battered sausage for le tabla. Honestly Pinchy the crab would feel hard done by with these pinchos. First item on the menu is called ‘extra baguette’ and costs £6. We didn’t even recieved the initial baguette until after the main food had come. Kind waiter provided us with three whole extra slices of baguette for our troubles. Caneca Estrella were delicious… jugs too. Even had the rubbish little napkins on the table. Felt like holiday. Rice pudding for dessert with a crème brûlée crackly top and some hidden raspberries down low. But.. I am sitting at home writing this with a Twix Xtra in my hand. Romeo

Probably the best meal I've had in London.. every dish was outstanding. Cheap drinks, reasonably priced food, great service and atmosphere.

Amazing place to live good transport Link.. freshly parks not to much crime love to live there .

We had a wonderful time at Tollingtons, our server Stephen and his team were so kind and welcoming; they looked to care for any needs of ours and had a comprehensive understanding of the dishes and their components. Despite it being a busy day (Hozier at Finsbury Park), the staff took their time to talk to us, make us feel welcome and comfortable, all the while getting food out in good time. The drinks are affordable and delicious, I could not recommend it enough! A massive thank you to Stephen, you were fabulous!

Over priced to such small potion. We could tell the bread for pan con tomate wasn't good quality... Also everything was burnt but somehow not cooked inside in not a good way.

Food was excellent. The space is quite tight but when we were there several groups with prams and babies were accommodated in the back room. Staff were friendly. Serving sizes are on the smaller side, which is the only reason for 4 rather than 5 stars

I had heard the hype, and being a local and lover of fish n' chips, I finally got to dine in Tollingtons. Though the restaurant is actually a London take on Spanish tapas. The food was very tasty, with the Bravas and Beetroot and Eel real highlights, but boy is it expensive. E.g. £10 for a small plate of tomatoes and onion. It's not really worth it. The staff were great and friendly, though the guests were what you would expect in a posh dark room. So, no atmosphere. The high expense and the lack of atmosphere means this was a once off for myself and my partner.

Fun little fish&chips meets tapas. Got drinks order wrong twice but we're quick to rectify. Food is delicious though I thought the veggies were the best, which isn't ideal for a fish-focused place. Really loud, wish they've invested in sound-proofing.

Don’t get me wrong their food is cooked perfectly well and just simple cooking but overpriced. Price list vs the portions on the pics and I’ll let you be the judge. £16 for 4 prawns. £16 for the octopus 🤣🤣🤣.

Warm, friendly, knowledgeable service. Interesting menu. Pretty good food, with the eel salad and the cod cheeks being highlights... but we just couldn't get over the cost to quantity ratio. Small plates for large prices are nothing new in London but this tested the limits, particularly the fatty tuna - two thin slices for £10. After spending over £30 per head excluding drinks, we left hungry. No wonder the server had recommended we get some chips to share. Good advice... but they were £7.

The best fish and chippy in the area *Edit* The old chippy has since shut down and is now some poncy affair. Maps listing has been hijacked and any reviews after April 2024 are of the new place...

We went there on a Friday evening. It was very busy and adorably lively. There are not a lot of tables for two people, unless you don't want to freeze outside, so we accepted two stools and a narrow countertop. It was charming but not the best experience one can wish for. We got a bottle of Cava for 30 quid which can be considered acceptable if compared to the 45 pounds asked for the Txakoli (in a restaurant in San Sebastian in Spain a bottle would set you back around 15 euros). The good: the scallops were good, the padron peppers with Beauvale (a very good British blue cheese) were genius and the patatas bravas were very nice with a rich sauce that remembered me the ones I eat every time I go to Logrono in La Rioja. The bad: the John Dory was small and bony but, more worryingly, it tasted off like badly frozen or badly kept, like one of those cheap salt fish that each of us has tried at least once. The monkfish was a few days over, it was tough like a steak that one forgets in the fridge after removing the packaging, all the magical taste and texture was gone together with the freshness and my hopes. The brill wasn't fresh either but was the least concerning. Now let's face it, this is not Madrid nor Milan nor Paris, quality of food is not the name of the game in London (and in all of the country really) so overall it was not a bad experience and given that seafood is a taboo on these isles (ridiculous, right?) and places like this are oases in the desert I'm going to even stretch it and say: I'll be back!

We had a good craic time there. They kept traditional English fish and chips shop and add new Spanish tapas food, nice combination. food was more than we expected. Very friendly staff and the owner were top man. Defo come back again.

Best meal I've had in London in a long time. Made me feel like I was in Madrid or San Sebastian.

An update - this is no longer a chippy, and instead serves fancy seafood dishes at silly prices. Noone round here asked for this. For Tollingtons chippy: An oasis of normality in a desert of soggy chicken shops and kebab shops serving fries. A proper chippy, reasonably priced, friendly service, what more could you want?

Overrated and Overpriced! Sizes of the plates too small (kid size) price to expensive. Do not go there hungry as you will leave hungry. Thank God for Nando's down the Road. Have they paid for the 5 star review??? Most Definitely. Not worthy! Trust me

Worth the hype, great food, incredible produce, cooked simply but to perfection.

Hands down best fish bar in london. Just imagine what goes into these seemingly unassuming dishes… while in fact with such precision. Every dish is packed with skills and cares. Get the flan. You’ll keep going back for more.

Such a treat for a Friday night. Our server Lizzie was an angel. She gave us great recommendations and was a smiley delight from start to finish. The pickled anchovies and chip bravas were divine. All washed down with some sweet a delicious vermouth. A London hot spot worth checking out for sure.

San Sebastián wanna be for hipster Londoners. Service disorganized. Welcome and waiting list disorganized. Some dishes were really good (eg. octopus) some were average (eg. pickled sardines) Paid 100£ for 2 people, not sure if we are full or not. Definitely an insta hype. Mixed feelings

Pretentious and overpriced. Tasteless fish. Noticeably stingy and ungenerous portions. Came away hungry and unimpressed after spending decent money and being excited to try.

I really wanted to love this place, but sadly, it felt fairly disorganised, overpriced, and not a particularly comfortable or joyful eating experience. I could put poor service down to teething problems, but at the moment, I simply couldn’t justify the price and am amazed anyone can in this day and age. The produce on the whole is good, so most dishes tasted as expected. But it was decidedly average. Unfortunately, the food came out one by one so slowly that it made for a very disjointed lunch and laborious to eat. For instance, I don’t really want to eat a plate of tomatoes and then wait 15mins for another dish to come out. The bread then arrives by itself with nothing. I guess that’s the nature of tapas but the dishes didn’t seem strong enough by themselves and all felt like side dishes without much satisfaction or heartiness. It’s not quite a bar but not quite a restaurant either, so it provides a fairly frustrating dining & drinking experience - I don’t really know what this place is trying to be. I’d like to say if you were in a big group it may be better for a casual hangout, but there are no tables. It’s all ledges attached to the wall so it’s actually not a particularly social layout either. It’s also incredibly hot as you’re basically sitting in the kitchen. We also had to keep reminding staff for water and food. I really recommend diners at least get served a jug of tap water on arrival, especially as the food and drinks trickle out so slowly. Having to grab a waitress to refill a little cup every 10-15mins is annoying. Errors were made on our order and it was rectified by the other waiter, but the dish we actually ordered was remade and took a very long time. So long in fact, that we thought they forgot it and we tried to settle the bill. We were given a complimentary drink for this though, which was very much appreciated. The prices are exorbitant and I understand fish is expensive, but £10 for a small plate of tomatoes? £18 for a small slice of turbot? The bread looked good on the counter and was a couple quid, but on arrival, it was a few small slices of a supermarket style French stick, plonked down with no butter or oil, and the quality of the bread didn’t justify it. It was dry. What we thought would be a nice relaxing light lunch ended up being a slow, expensive, uncomfortable, disorganised, very loud and hot outing. It was kind of a relief to leave to be honest and unfortunately we were hungry within an hour, which at those prices is insane. The queuing is staggering for such a place, and the slight pretentiousness and hype of it all made it all the more disappointing. I respect them honouring the original interior of the former chippy but it honestly made me just want a chippy rather than over priced, fussy tapas. Unfortunately - despite its promise - overall, Tollingtons seems more of an aesthetic place; another ‘instagrammable’ establishment which has adopted a faux-humble facade for well-to-do twenty-somethings to cosplay working class culture in an old British chippy. Tapas also has working class roots and even today is usually cheap or even complimentary in Spain. So I find it almost soul sucking to pay £18 for a couple mouthfuls of food.

It’s very deceiving as it used to be my favourite chippy shop ran by Asians and they’ve changed it for high end trash.Remove all the past reviews,geotag and menu thanks.

Cramped and uncomfortable. Bottle of cava was warm. Portions are small, thin slice of skate wing. Chips bravas were delicious. Service was good, friendly, but could have done with them shifting the other people down as was a fight for space. Too expensive for the experience, San Sebastián can get away with it because it’s cheap but this was Stroud Green and was too pricey and we weren’t full. Had to go get more food elsewhere afterwards.

Such a great addition to the neighborhood- great food and such a cool laid back vibe ! Been 3 times already .

Having been to the plimsoll I knew what to expect from this new venture. Take an old aesthetic, add in some uncomfortable seating, eliminate standing options, confused waiting service, booking gatekeeper forcing you to wait by the door, and tiny portions at high prices. Sadly I was right. Pintxos works because in Europe those places are a hub of standing tables, standing people, and groups enjoying canas and a quick bite. Doing that is impossible here so you get weird small hushed groups in the first room huddled around the shelf/table areas and louder shouting groups in the back. It's a very strange mix in spite of what grace dent may say about the place. This could have been great but it's just another modern British small plates joint where you come away feeling like you've been robbed and still hungry.

Went a few weeks ago with friends and still thinking about it. Dunno why I'm posting this I should be gatekeeping it

Nice food bad service small tables small plates high prices cheap booze

Actually a pretty horrifying joke if you think of the price. Tiny serves, Sainsbury's french stick pretending to be "baguette". God help me if I ever pay £5 a mouthful anywhere ever again. I'm conflicted, because bits and pieces were actually very tasty, but it's 40% too expensive for what you get, the service was scattered, and the vibes weren't great regardless. Also, it's a moral wrong to change an address so entirely and still inherit their historical Google reviews. It'd be two stars if they hadn't done that nonsense. Also, 12.5% service charge is added but not mentioned on the menu anywhere. Dodgy.

Loved Four legs, love the Plimsoll, but definitely not that place. Full disclaimer: we didn’t stay despite having a booking and left without trying the food. Please don’t take bookings for the bar area, there is no bloody space. There was no room to sit next to each other at the bar. The staff is too cool to be nice or have any politeness basics. I have never lefts a bar / restaurant after 5 min in. Love a hype, love a trend, not this one though!

Gorgeous and relaxed spot, lovely service and delicious authentic tapas. Banging!

Bit overhyped, price to food quality ratio a bit off! Big fan of plimsoll burger and local so thought we’d stop by. You are better off going here for drinks and 1-3 plates not dinner is my thoughts. Had over 10 dishes - full details below. The good: chips bravas, devilled crab, scallops and chistorra. The bad: octopus overdone, john dory more bones than fish. The okay: prawns, hale pili, salad

So sad. Once a traditional chippy run by a lovely Asian couple only not that long ago, for some cheap and really good classic fish and chips. Now turned into a wanky fish bar that serves tiny portions of pretentious yet mid food for outrageous prices, that surely only the gentrifiers will go to. I'm starting not to recognise my city anymore. We've got so few humble places left. Don't be fooled by Google maps telling you this is still a chippy. It isn't. Somehow they've kept the same geotag.

Overpriced for miniature portions for, what can only be described as, average food. Genuinely can’t tell if the whole thing is a joke or not. We got a prawns dish, that came with 4 unprepared prawns for £16. By the time you remove the shells, you get a sniff of a prawn. Then we had the sausage and green beans. One single small sausage, not as good as a Taste the Difference sausage from Sainsbury’s, with a small handful of green beans and some tomato sauce on top. That was £12 (or £14). The chips Bravas was nice, but again, it’s chip shop chips, but 20% the size of a normal portion with some aioli for £7. Decor is cool, old fish and chip shop and they’ve kept as original. “Tables” would be better described as small ledge, and you’ll be closer than you prepared for with your dinner partner, and not to mention back rubbing with the people next to you in a continually apologising way that just gets weary. Bread had to be asked for. They dropped out as it arrived. No oil, until requested (the olive oil was good). Same with cutlery. And water. Nice concept, poor execution. Someone should was sniffing glue when setting the prices.

As a longtime fan of Four Legs since their Compton Arms days, I was very excited to try Tollington's, and it did not disappoint. The food was fantastic, slightly smaller portions, but overall it was well worth it. The drinks are also quite affordable. Highly recommend!

Banging!! We’re big fans of these guys in general but we were pleased to see their new spot has the usual take on no mess no fuss just bloody delicious food. What they’ve done with the old chippy is also super clever and unique, a mash up of English and Basque cultures. Well done !

Fab new opening, beautiful food and super staff. Also very good value

Don’t need to say much, Great food, perfect staff and exellent drink.

Lived in the area for years but hadn’t yet tried. Went last night and it was fantastic. They fried the fish for us to order and by the time I opened the paper at home, the fish was still crispy and salty and hot. The scampi was particularly good - sweet and fresh. Chips were well-seasoned. Would recommend this place to anyone and everyone!

Best fish and chips in the area.

Lovely fish and chip shop, such nice and friendly people running it. Always a pleasure. The prices are probably among the lowest in London. It’s the best value.

Professional and fast service, huge portions at an affordable price. The fish is exceptionally tasty.

Visited this place to taste traditional fish & chips and couldn't be more lucky! Delicious and satisfying meal, great service, and proper chuffed customers.

Had a lovely battered sausage and a generous portion of chips. Friendly staff, too.

Best tasting fish and chips I have had in a long time! Not to be missed 😋 good fair prices too 10/10

I really appreciate the fact that you can call and then have your fish prepared freshly just before you arrive. It's ten out of ten 🤩🤩

Have been using this place for years great food great prices

Very disappointed. The fish they served me was so old, greasy and dried out there is no way they should be giving selling that to people. Will not be going back.

Just ordered fish and chips and when I went to pay with a Scottish £10 note he refused to serve me. I insisted it’s illegal not to accept it and he said “call the police then” terrible attitude….

Best fish and chips! We have been coming here for over 20 years

Best fish and chip shop in the area, nothing beats them and nothing ever will. I just wish they delivered!!

The only fish and chip place we go to locally. Friendly and fresh.

delicious fish and chips, very friendly staff! Excited to make this a regular spot.

I've lived in the area for 14 years and this is the best chip shop around. The food is always really good and the staff are friendly and remember locals. I'm in a wheelchair and stop outside the door. They take my order and bring my food out to me, they are always friendly and helpful and I wouldn't go anywhere else.

Worst fish and chip shop ever poor hygiene called about it but I was laughed at over the phone poor customer service.

TAKE WAY FISH AND CHIPS PICKED UP TO GO WORK TO SEE THERE NO TISSUE OR FORK HOW AM I MENT TO EAT NO HYGINE

Best fish and chips in the area, maybe in London. Lovely staff, not expensive.

Amazing place to eat fish and chips...probably the best one in London’s. Fresh fish but very crunchy...and chips just amazing. If you come to London and want to taste fish and chips you can not miss it.

The door says they open at 12, the door will be unlocked, but it takes them another 30 ish minutes to produce any food. Quality wise the food is good enough for the price. God save princess Megan Markel! Thank you for hosting me London, it's great to be here.

Was my favourite fish and chip shop in north London till I had to move!

Outstanding fish and chips staff all very friendly well worth a visit

Regular as staff are always friendly and prices are reasonable, best in the area.

One of the best place for fish and chips in North London. They now accept cards but anything under £8.

Pretty much exactly what you would want from a chip shop, fast service, nice staff and delicious food. There are a few tables and chairs the chips are nice and the fish tastes fresh. Much better than the other chip shop in Finsbury Park

The staff are really welcoming and the food is always prepared freshly.

Great food ......fantastic service! !!!!

Fish and chips the way it should be .....

MY FAT WIFE LAURA ATE ALL THE FISH!!

Excellent fish and chips! Must try!

Friendly staff and service with a smile

Very friendly staff, willing to accommodate requests. Very welcoming. Nice seating area with spacious tables and chairs. Good variety of fish and other food. Usually very good quality but occasionally slightly dried out if it's stayed out in the heated counter for a while. Generous portions. More than reasonable prices: a fish and chips supper with drink for under £10.

Had the quarter roast chicken it was delicious

First time I tried this place.. the fish was fresh, fried to perfection,sausages were fresh and the chips were "proper" good little shop..

Best cod and chips I've had! And I've had a lot of cod and chips!

Love the food here - it's always freshly cooked, big portions and the staff are very friendly. Highly recommend visiting, you won't be disappointed! :)

Sweet cod. Tasty, crisp batter. First time here - but will return.

Not bad at all. Generous portions (I ate too much), clean, friendly enough service, swift service too. Worthy.

Great tasting fresh food, good value, big portions, friendly service