Trawlers in Lewes

Best fish and chips in the South

the delivery was quick and the food was still hot I will be order from them again at some point.

Good fish and chips, reasonable price, quick and friendly service. There was a senior option for me because I like a small portion. The regular cod looked huge and plenty of chips as well. My friends had grill fish and they said they were nice as well. Thank you for the generous portions and service.

Popped in to grab something to eat on my lunch break and I’m so pleased I did. Best chips I’ve had in a long time. Sausage batter was spot on. Service was excellent and the prices were very reasonable. I couldn’t really rate the atmosphere as I was only in for a takeaway. I’ll definitely be back next time I’m over this way.

Great fish and chips here! Grilled and battered! Nice to have a healthier option! Delicious homemade dessert too to follow, pie and custard. The waitress was so lovely who served us! Will be back for sure next time I'm visiting Seaford!

Friendly staff and excellent food.

Called in for dinner. Good food, friendly service and average prices

Food is always nice I really like that I can have grilled fish and chips here which is very nice. Staff always very friendly.

Excellent food , very tasty and generous. Fish was fresh. Fries were greatly sized. Smashed green peas were surprisingly good. I enjoyed all of it and recommend it

Everything was prepared quickly and the fish and chips were delicious.

I have eaten here once or twice a year for ever.... but sadly not again. The good points are the service was really excellent, a jug of iced tap water as soon as we asked and very attentive throughout the meal. Plus the chips were excellent as piping hot and newly cooked. BUT the fish was really poor. I had cod and it was just really poor quality. I buy cod loins from Tesco most weeks and Tesco's cod cooks as thick white tasty chunks. Trawlers was just rubbish and also the batter was thin and tasteless. My husband had the haddock and same issues. Also very noticeable that the restaurant was really quiet, so the locals have learnt not to go. Sorry Trawlers but a fish and chip shop needs decent fish.

Brilliant fish and chips, tasted good, server very attentive and good value

Amazing portion and service Thank,

Great restaurant and lovely fish and chips. Great addition to Seaford and will be coming back this is one of the best fish and chips I’ve had! Thanks guys!

This has become my dad's favourite fish& chips shop. The food is always good I even like the mushy peas. Fish is always crispy and chips not soggy. After my toddler dropped his plate the waiter was very patient. Will bring a plastic plate for our next visit.

Friendly staff. However curry sauce was missing from order & fish was slightly soggy & didn’t taste/look like haddock.

Late lunch (after 4pm) after 6 mile-ramble over the cliffs from Cuckmere Haven. Trawlers had been recommended by the ramble organiser. We arrived in Seaford very hungry. With the increasing trend in cafes not doing much after 4 apart from cake and drinks, and going for a train afterwards, Trawlers was not only proudly open (until 8pm) but so convenient for the station too. Pleasant young staff took our orders and served our food - which was delicious. Anything missing (e.g. bread, mushy peas) was quickly put right. Prices reasonably good too. Highly recommended.

Lovely fish and chips definitely coming back!

Had very nice fish and chips here for lunch. Good value on the set meal. Very attentive service. Happy to recommend

Back again to trawlers today the cod and chips and the haddock and chips are delicious. I’ve had many meal here and I still think they are the best fish and chips around even from Hampshire area where I come from. I’ve been having trollers fish and chips since I was a child and they still are the best. Keep going. See you soon.

Superb cod and chips, takeaway. Fish was skinless, generous portion and delicious light batter. Lovely tasty chips too. Best fish and chips I can remember having from a takeaway.

Our first visit since it changed ownership. Managed to park outside, which is unusual. Had cod and chips takeaway. The food was excellent with lovely chrispy batter and chips that weren't soggy. Couldn't fault the service, which was cordial and efficient. We will definitely return in the near future.

It's not like it was before new owners.

A fantastic fish and chip restaurant. The waitresses were welcoming, polite and efficient. Nel and Honey looked after the child in the party and the food was bought out quickly, hot and freshly cooked. Will definitely go back

Bring some cash as they can't accept tips by card!

Oil is overused so it had a negative impact on the quality of the food served

The food was delish especially the jumbo battered sausage. The size of the calamari was massive and yummy. Great services with lovely servers. Definitely would go again and would recommend to friends.

My order was missing the large portion of chips. Is it possible to refund this please to my card? Thank you

Nice ambience, quick service, and friendly helpful waitress. We both had fish and chips which were generous in portion. The food was hot and well presented, with a slice of lemon and quite good quality tartare sauce as a compliment. However... * The glasses for our drinks were 'smeary' - as if not washed properly. * The crisp brown batter disappointed because of lack of seasoning - bland. * And the fish within?...'wet and pappy' suggesting frozen. Shame on you! This is the seaside and everyone expects, and deserves, FRESH fish. Get it right or don't do it. We would not recommend this place at present.

Arrived 45 minutes before closing time (as listed on the door and on Google profile) for a takeaway to be greeted with a shout of 'we're closed'. Very Disappointing. People still inside being served. Should update the opening hours for sure as the place has been closed very early a few times before...

The manager went above and beyond after my partner became extremely overheated on a very hot day whilst inside Trawlers and we had to step outside as she was feeling faint, the food was just as good as the amazing staff!

Efficient, polite and fast service 2 huss and 2 haddock, well cooked, good portions, plenty of chips Would recommend Jacquie Seaford

Ordered 3 large Cod and 2 large portions of chips. The two gentlemen were very friendly and polite and told me it would take 10 minutes. I've waited much longer in certain so called "fast food" burger joints. The food indeed was ready in 10 minutes, freshly cooked to order and abso-blooming-lutely delicious. We drive from Haywards Heath for fish and chips at Trawlers in Seaford because it's simply the best!!! Thank you Trawlers, don't change a thing.

Best fish and chip shop in the south , we live 50 miles away and quite often travel down just to get our fish and chips and sit on the sea front

Our Table wasn’t cleaned after previous customers, new cutlery just placed down for us. I ordered grilled cod and chips, plate was stone cold with the hot food on. The fish was full of bones one in every mouthful and was undercooked. so I didn’t eat it. When I told the waitress she looked very annoyed and gave a cursory ‘ sorry I’ll tell them in the kitchen’. Nothing more was said until we asked for the bill then I was told I wouldn’t be charged for the orange juice I’d had. The waitress was very sour faced and clearly annoyed , why I am not sure as I complained very politely. We did not leave a tip as it was not deserved for such rude customer service. I am not sure I will bother going back again.

We came here for lunch, I didn’t fancy fish so had a mushroom omelette instead that came with chips, I was expecting a light fluffy omelette with juicy mushrooms but what I received wasn’t like this at all and was very disappointing. My partner had fish and chips and said that it wasn’t half as good as when we last ate here, and the tartare sauce was cheap and nasty. Such a shame, unfortunately based on both our meals, we wouldn’t rush back here any time soon.

Lovely food, healthy portions and great service :)

Best chippy in the town!! Amazing service and fantastic food. 100%. Would recommend

Decided to try this place for seaside town fish and chips and was warmly greeted by Lacey. She offered us the opportunity to sit anywhere we wanted so we picked a window seat for sunshine and people watching ;) We ordered Cod and chips and Calamari. The food arrived promptly and was very hot. Portions were generous too. the batter was crispy and seasoned well, and the calamari was tender and flavoursome. The chips were nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy inside - just how we like it! The service was fab and Lacey was the perfect host, being polite and attentive. The restaurant was filling up quickly and we can see why it is popular among the locals. Overall, a pleasant experience, and a special mention to Lacey for being the consummate host. Note: the restaurant is not set up to accept any tips on their card machine, so best thing is to bring some spare change if you want to leave gratuity for the staff, which in our case was Lacey who has a lovely attitude toward customers and is a credit to the business!

We tried to get away from the Brighton madness, so we travelled to Seaford to enjoy the less busy beach. We tried this place and we now have two reasons to come back and visit Seaford! Fresh food, friendly service and overall great experience.

Picked up a takeaway on the way home from the beach, I have to say I think there are better places near by. The chips are very disappointing tasted like dirty oil and we didn’t eat them the fish was a good size but I won’t be rushing back anytime soon unfortunately

Not as good as last time. Chips wasn't as nice, no salad dressing on the salad, no lemon for the calamari. Disappointed as we travel from London to eat there

Best fish and chips I had in 45 years of trying. Had both haddock and rock, both fried perfectly. Batter thin and crispy and left barely a trace of oil on the plate. Chips similarly perfect. Honestly better than Geales at Notting Hill Gate.

I’ve had better fish and chips. The fish had a bland taste and didn’t taste fresh. The texture was mealy.

Good fish and chips with nice indoor seating. Decent prices (£10 for dine in cod and chips). Excellent service - very attentive waitress working on the evening of Saturday 13th April.

Very good. Service and chef makee delicious.Cold and nice really nice li'm coming back again.I'll give you ten and ten Erika

Realised I wrote a review here from years ago with previous management with 3 stars. Upped it to 5 with new management as they have it spot on every time we’ve been.

Very quick service, lovely soft calamari and tasty fish and chips! Perfect after a Seven Sisters hike.

First time we’ve eaten here and the food was delicious. Freshly cooked and generous portions of fish and chips. Scrumptious!

Great food and service and the best pot of tea! I should of asked what tea bags they use ! Highly recommend

Our go to place in Seaford, always good quality at a reasonable price.

Very nice fish and chips, brew, peas and a bap £15, nice atmosphere and excellent service, a takeaway side too if you don't want to eat in.

Frist time order and amazing service. the delivery person was very helpful and I would use the service again in the future.

Great food. Really nice fish. Service was a bit slow, took forever to place our order. But once it was the the girls really took care of us.

Came here with some colleagues after visiting a customer in the area, the portions are not massive but the quality is spot on, also the service is quick and friendly, will come again.

Sat in for Saturday lunch and had 3 medium portions of cod and chips. Fish was amongst best ever- light and crispy batter with perfectly cooked fish. Generous portion size with lots of tartar sauce. Service was especially friendly and helpful. Our only issue was we couldn’t add tip with apple pay which we felt bad about!

Great service from our helpful and friendly waitress. Disappointed that we weren’t able to leave her a tip but we had no cash (who does these days?) and there was no option to add it to our bill. We especially enjoyed the cod in batter, which was fresh, hot and not at all greasy.

Always cheerful and good always fresh

This is the second time I ordered and I loved it again! Absolutely delicious and delivered so hot, which rarely happens with a takeaway delivery. Would definitely recommend!!

not to have lots of small bit in the chips everything else lovely many thanks Jane.

Freshly cooked, non greasey, tasty and value for money. Staff were also very cheerful. Will return soon

Very tasty, nice and hot and delivered promptly

Great delivery and food was still hot and delicious

Good arrived really hot, well packaged and the food was delicious

We try to support local businesses but I’m afraid we won’t return here again. We ordered a large chips. Very disappointed with the semi cold chips which had obviously been sitting there for a while. They tasted awful and as if they had been re cooked. Not a good experience

Really tasty and arrived piping hot, fresh and with the batter still crispy.

Just eat delivery, very good cod & chips this plaice has a good reputation,I see why.

First class Fish & Chips. Very nice starter. Long man beers. Under new management. Alex and his team doing a great job bring Trawlers reputation as a great restaurant back. We'll be back.

The service and delivery were very good, but the food was not, the chips reheated and old and some of the food also looked reheated

Great quality as expected from Trawlers

Big portions even for small cod, lots of lovely chips, delicious fish - very fresh and nice batter. Lots of sides available etc + cold drinks. Price good too.

Pre ordered 4 cod and chips to take away. They cook to order, so preorder saves time waiting . Fish was beautiful, such crisp batter. Lovely fresh chips. I have been using trawlers since the 1970s. It's changed ownership recently but still the best in town.

The fish was delicious and good value for money

Such a surreal experience. We arrived and were seated right away and then it took over 15 minutes for someone to come to the table and take our order. We ordered wine and fish and chips, the wine came quickly but even though we ordered the same sizes, one glass was extremely overfilled, and the other had much less than the ordered amount. I asked the waiter to give me more to fill the glass to the correct amount and he did happily, but it took forever. After waiting over 30 minutes for two orders of fried fish and chips we finally asked why it was taking so long and they realized that due to some error of theirs the order had not been placed, so they made it quickly (took under 3 minutes from when we mentioned until when we got it… after waiting over 30 minutes originally). The waiter apologized and offered to refill our drinks for free. Then he said the drinks would be taken off the bill so we were happy. The food came and it was very good. However, when we went to pay, we saw that they still charged us for the drinks, and when we asked to split the bill, we were actually charged more than the bill (the waiter calculated “half” of the bill which was actually more than half). So not only did we wait an insane amount of time for fried fish, we also paid more than we originally should have. We were too tired to argue, and we were late to our train (we already missed one train because the food took so long) so we just paid it so we could finally leave. It’s too bad because we liked the food and the atmosphere, but the service issues were a nightmare so I’m not sure we can recommend the dine-in service.

Having re-read my somewhat scathing review of Trawlers after my last visit several years ago I thought I had better post a new one pretty, damn quick. I vowed I would never go back after enduring sloppy fish, refried chips and a cold reception from tired, uninterested staff. So I knew it could only get better. Now we have Alex from Madeira in charge and he is the son of the gentleman who has run the Holiday Inn fish emporium at Eastbourne for many years in such good style. And this is a very decent effort. Alex has served his family apprenticeship and, a few months ago, took over Trawlers in Seaford which once had a fabulous reputation one for tasty fish but then nosedived with a succession of new owners under-performing. Imagining I was in the Holiday Inn, I placed my usual order of grilled plaice with salad or chips but it seems salad is not available yet. However, the meal was was very good indeed, just like Dad produces in that place a little way up the coast. To celebrate I added an order of Golden Syrup Sponge in custard for dessert and a bottle of pop. All good value at about £16. Apparently, steak and burgers are also available for non-fish lovers but the full menu is not yet complete. Service is good and the staff friendly and young. So well done, Alex. Dad should be proud. He's proving a 'chip' off the old block.

I ordered for a takeaway Try another fish n chips place if you can. The batter was paper thin and not crispy at all. The salt and vinegar came in satchets, Which was very unusual as the server didn't ask for whether we wanted salt or vinegar or not. Neither the cod or skate were fresh. Really would like to be able to point out something positive about this place, but the only thing I can point out is the reasonable price.

When other countrys look at our obsession with the great British chip shop they must surely wonder why...and unfortunately after eating a polystyrene encased offering of the chips from this once great south coast chippy I'm inclined to join them.

Food was excellent. The salmon, skate and cod was cooked beautifully. Staff very friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend a visit

Atmosphere and food were decent. Reason for low rating is poor service. Suggestions for management towards the end. Ordered a chef's special grilled salmon. It looked appealing enough, but was thoroughly soaked in oil. I dabbed a morsel in some tissue which drenched it in oil (pic attached). After just two morsels, I had to send it back as it was way too oily to eat. I asked for it to be removed from our bill, and it was taken away without fuss, but without much concern for what was wrong with it. To clarify, we routinely cook salmon at home and this was much more oily than reasonable. I asked a server if they added oil, and to my surprise I was told that yes, oil is added so the fish doesn't stick to the pan...which means this is fried salmon then, not grilled! Plus, even on a medium-heat pan, salmon can be cooked with no oil. When it came to settling the bill, the salmon was still in the bill! I asked again for it to be removed and was told point blank that these are the items we ordered, and items cannot be removed from the bill. After about 5mins of a polite 'standoff' a staff member said a manager has to remove items from the bill. I suggested someone call their manager, and wondered why they didn't think of it before rather than forcing me to pay. After another few mins, the manager instructed staff how to remove items from the bill, and I was on my way. Suggestions to staff and management: please train staff how to handle such situations. Show some empathy towards customers. Staff members were all polite, but adversarial rather than trying to find out my issues with the dish. They may well be correct in a situation, but a customer is much more likely to leave negative reviews than positive. Staff should also have a means of changing a bill if necessary. Once the bill was settled, I offered more information about the dish, including suggesting changing the name to pan-fried salmon or something. Grilled by definition means barely any oil is used. A different staff member told me they don't use any oil with the salmon, it is grilled entirely oil-free. At this point I just thanked them for their help and left.

Most fantastic fish and chip shop, old fashioned sit down service, beautiful fresh fish this is the only fish shop that I know that serves the most beautiful skate so fresh and tasty I've never been disappointed yet in all the years I've been visiting perfect place to end a day on the beach

Excellent! Couldn’t fault the quality, service or cleanliness of this place. Generous portions, piping hot, light crisp non-greasy batter on the fish. Friendly and fast service. We thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely return. Thank you

This was the best fish I have had for years. We used the fish and chip take away, not their restaurant . There was a big queue, but well worth the wait.

Alex and the team were very welcoming. The philippino waiter (apologies but we didn't get his name) was exceptionally welcoming and attentive. Good value fish and chips, and of a generous portion. Would highly recommend this restaurant

Visiting our friends with our grandchildren, it was suggested we went for fish and chips in the Trawers fish and chip shop. What a little gem, staff were exceedingly friendly, nothing too much trouble. The owner came and spoke to us, what a delightful young man, very hard working. The fish and chips were fabulous, the nicest I’ve had in ages, the kids enjoyed sausage and a steak burger, empty plates at the end. Hubby had scampi with salad, beautifully presented again clean plate. What a brilliant place to eat

Reasonably priced but very poor quality food served up Disappointed but will never visit again. Have tried the restaurant 3 times now, given them the benefit of doubt but the standard is getting worse

Excellent, prompt and friendly service. Extensive menu. Food fresh and very tasty. Located in the centre of Seaford near the Station.

Visited here on a day trip, great fresh cooked fish and chips, and great service with a smile

I'm from London and this is my first time down here, so glad I found this place. The food was amazing I had the trawlers special, the cod was fresh and crispy, the chips were the best I've ever had so much I had to get another to share. Definitely recommend if you live or go down here. Hopefully I come back another day

Excellent service and great fish & chips! The whitebait and tartar sauce was delicious. The 'regular' cod was huge but very well fried, fresh juicy fish and proper chips with realistic sized bowls of condiments. It was a saving grace for an otherwise disappointing/depressing visit to the town on an August Saturday.

Lovely food very nice staff all round.

AVOID THIS PLACE. Ordered a large cod and my friend ordered a small, they were comparable in size. Cod not as fresh as you would expect from a seaside town, I get fresher cod from my local in London. Chips were mushy and greasy. Update: I was sick multiple times in the hours after. Don't feel great even now. Owner claims this is a fake review but I was there at lunchtime on 18/08, my total was £16 for a large cod and small chips and 2 cans of Fanta, I have the bank transaction to prove it. I couldn't come back as I was working and wasn't close by when I ate it. Fresh cod should not have a strong fishy taste to it when it's fresh. Wish I had taken photos of the size comparison of the fish now.

I’ve been to this chip shop today, ordered a cod and chips bottom of the cod was very mushy and didn’t smell fresh. Chips were great.

Food and service was excellent. Had cod chips, fish cake chips drinks and desert. Reasonably priced.they also have toilets.

SCAM: AVOID! We bought two Trawler’s Specials and a kids meal, and were charged an additional drink and entire kids meal as part of a scam. After confirming we weren’t local, throughout the ‘waitress’ kept offering us ‘extras for free’. She gave my toddler daughter an extra fruit shoot (‘don’t tell management!’) and my wife a coke instead of the complimentary tea (‘don’t tell anyone!’) That turned into an extra drink and whole kids meal on the bill! They also cut the ice cream for my daughter that was part of the kids meal. When I complained, the ‘waitress’ confessed surprise and said this was just the fair charging of the restaurant! Ok, if anyone believes that I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. I’m sure if you’re local this won’t happen to you, but please please stay clear if you’re not! PS - In answer to their response this definitely happened in the Seaford restaurant at lunch on 7 August 2023 and I have the transaction summary on my card to prove it. Do not be fooled.

SCAM: AVOID! We ordered two Trawler’s Specials and a kids meal, and were charged an additional drink and entire kids meal as part of a scam. After confirming we weren’t local, throughout the ‘waitress’ kept offering us ‘extras for free’. She gave my toddler daughter an extra fruit shoot (‘don’t tell management!’) and my wife a coke instead of the complimentary tea (‘don’t tell anyone!’) That turned into an extra drink and whole kids meal on the bill! They also cut the ice cream for my daughter that was part of the kids meal. When I complained, the ‘waitress’ confessed surprise and said this was just the fair charging of the restaurant! Ok, if anyone believes that I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. I’m sure if you’re local this won’t happen to you, but please please stay clear if you’re not!

The chips were good however ordered two sausages and only received one. Didn’t notice it until we got back home so we called and they said they would call back and see what they could do. They never called back.

Brought a large chips to take away as we had heard good things. However they were dry, cold, hard and appeared over reheated also lots of tiny dried up shards of chips. Very disappointed.

Following a change of ownership we were wondering how this would be, after eating here for over thirty years. It was superb, no question. Very busy but food arrived quickly with great service. The fish was perfect!

Best fish and chips restaurant in Seaford with very friendly staff within easy reach of the train station.

Service was terrific, we had a train to catch in 25 mins, but we were served in less than 10 mins 👍👍👍 the large fish is also very reasonably priced and I would highly recommend this takeaway restaurant for anyone visiting Seaford or the Seven Sisters Cliffs 👍👍👍