Quiet possibly the best fish and chips in Abu Dhabi and they also do chicken!
Life in Abu Dhabi will forever be defined as BC and AC, BC being before Chippy and AC after Chippy, we still remember the joys of hearing about an authentic fish and ship shop opening on Al Reem Island and the agony of waiting for it to actually open then the lines, oh that was great fun and the fish would run out, it was that good.
There was fish and there were chips in Abu Dhabi but nothing on the lines of a traditional fish and chip shop from the UK, some tried but nobody could actually pull it off till Alan and Robert opened the first branch of The Chippy.
It’s a no frills place where the emphasis is on serving the freshest fish with the best chips in town and they managed to deliver where all others fell short so the legend of The Chippy took hold in Abu Dhabi.
After a resounding reception at the Reem Island location the duo branched out and opened the second location of The Chippy at The Walk, Al Seef Mall, its a small little place with a cozy ambiance, a few tables and some outdoor seating and is a perfect place to spend an evening with a few friends when the weather is good or hey you can do a takeaway / delivery.
So its the National Fish and Chips Day in the UK so to celebrate we head over to indulge in the sinful pleasures of fried cod and fresh thick cut chips smothered in curry sauce and vinegar.
The secret of success seems to be the fresh produce, the cod is form Iceland, the haddock is Scottish and the potatoes are Irish so you can just imagine the taste.
The Food
We are greeted warmly by Evelyn at the counter who instantly recognizes us from our visits to the Reem Island location and soon were are ordering our favorites.
We get one of the Chippy Special which is a huge fillet of cod with six plump and juicy scampi along with a box full of chips, tartar sauce, mushy peas and we added a serving of curry sauce as well. We also get a serving of cod & chips with the curry sauce.
The fish is just perfect, piping hot, the batter is crisp and light with a nice crunch and its not your typical greasy version. The chips are decadent, perfectly cooked and seasoned with an exceptional depth of flavor, smothered with the curry sauce and vinegar they are gone in no time.
All the sauces are made fresh in house and the mushy peas are a delight to eat as well. The whole package comes together brilliantly and the portion size is massive so be ready to take some back home for a snack.
The Dessert
We try the legendary Battered Mars bar with a side of ice cream, the flavor is amazing, you bite thru the crunchy batter and there is warm chocolate oozing out that combines with vanilla ice cream to give you the most amazing mouthful combining sweet, salty hot and cold in one bit, absolutely a must try.
The Verdict
What can we say, The Chippy, in a short span of time, has become an Abu Dhabi institution, there is no other place that does justice to Fish & Chis like its done here and with service to match.
We had a great time and loved the attention and cheerful banter with Evelyn who kept insisting we try the tea but sadly we had to pass. So if you are looking for a great plate of fish and chips this is where you need to go, oh and they do a mean fired chicken too.
They also stock some of the hard to get local drinks and food items form UK so you can also do a bit of shopping while you are here.
The Contact
Get in touch with The Chippy on +971 2 443 3010 for Al Seef and +971 2 444 7066 for Reem Island.
