Golden Hind (fish and chips) - Review - London, England (8/10)
April 25, 2007 by foodieguide
Golden Hind is a delightful fish and chips restaurant located in the heart of Marylebone, just off Marylebone High Street. Open since 1914, it’s been in the hands of only a few owners, Italian and Greek, in the last 90 or so years. Popular with both locals and tourists, it serves superbly fresh fish and chips, the best in London, if not the country. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve eaten here, and all my friends and family love it too, especially Ed Motta (who will bring along an expensive wine to complement the fish).
I particularly like the story about how the first owner killed his mayor in a small Italian town and had to leave in a hurry, arriving penniless in London. He started his business by by frying up the scraps that fishmongers threw out! I’m not sure how much of the story is true, but I like telling it to people.
The restaurant is small, the décor basic and you will definitely end up smelling of fish and chips by the end of the evening, but it’s worth it. I would recommend sitting upstairs rather than downstairs, which can be a bit miserable, and that you always book ahead. The owner and waiters are all welcoming and friendly, even on busy nights, which is most nights. The fresh fish arrives daily from Grimsby (most fish and chips places serve frozen fish and you can really taste the difference), the chips are hand-cut and the tartare sauce is home-made. The menu is small but you really don’t need anymore than what’s on offer.
Over the last six years, I’ve only ever eaten cod here (and fish cakes once), mostly steamed as opposed to fried in batter, with chips and garden peas (not the classic mushy peas). The photo shows my husband’s meal, which he always has - classic fried cod, chips and mushy peas, which we recommend to all our friends. The batter is unusually light and not at all greasy, which makes this restaurant stand out. And the portions are large.
The prices are very reasonable too, about £10-12 a head with water and service (it’s BYOB - Bring Your Own Bottle, which means you can bring your own wine). There have only been several times when the chips have not been quite brown enough, which spoils the meal slightly, but the fish is ALWAYS fresh.
To dispel the generally poor image of fish and chips in this country, please bring your friends here! Our friends always react a little sceptically to the idea of eating fish and chips until they’ve tried it here…
10 - Perfection, 9.5 - Sensational, 9 - Outstanding, 8.5 - Superb,
8 - Excellent, 7.5 - Very good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 - Average
Contact Details:
Golden Hind
73 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2PN
Tel: 020 7486 3644
