Fish and Chips: England’s National Dish
Nihan Uğurlu · Keyfi Yazılarım ·
Travel memories from 2015. Hours and prices may change; check official links before visiting.
Personal travel notes, discoveries along the way and photographs from the original story.
Travel notes
My original post noted that Poppies in London, owned by Turkish Cypriot Recep Turhan, had been named the best restaurant for fish and chips.
Before coming here, we had seen the restaurant on a travel programme and been surprised: such a famous English dish, yet the owner of a place celebrated for making it was Turkish :) Isn't that interesting? Naturally, we had to go when we visited London. It was very busy and felt thoroughly British. If I hadn't known the owner was Turkish, I would have assumed it was an entirely English establishment—apart from the voices we could hear from the back!
We felt genuinely proud. The waiters were British, and some of the staff at the back were Turkish. Everyone was exceptionally polite, friendly and kind. The gentleman looking after us couldn't resist treating us to dessert: Turkish hospitality travels everywhere! We loved the authentic, distinctive and welcoming atmosphere, and the food was delicious. The fish in particular was very fresh and tasted wonderful. There was a vinegar-like sauce to pour over it, but I wasn't keen on that. As well as the busy dining room, people were getting takeaway outside. If you are in the area, you really should visit. Especially if you like fish, I think you'll enjoy both the food and the warm service in this characterful restaurant.
