The Akaroa Fish & Chip Shop — Restaurant in Banks Peninsula Community

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ A mixed experience at the “world’s famous” fish and chips spot in Akaroa

We visited Akaroa Fish and Chips on King’s Birthday – and we weren’t the only ones! The place was absolutely packed, with a long line of people clearly drawn in by the waterfront location and the big sign proudly claiming “World’s Famous Fish and Chips.” It definitely has that classic Kiwi seaside charm, and the view from the outdoor seating area adds to the experience.

Despite the crowd, we were quite impressed with how efficiently the small team was operating. There were only three staff members running the entire place – from taking orders to cooking and serving – and they were clearly under pressure, but they kept things moving with surprising effectiveness. Kudos to them for holding it together during what must have been one of the busiest days of the year.

That said, there were a few things that left us feeling a bit mixed about the experience. First, the price: it’s not a cheap place to eat. While we understand that it’s a tourist town and prices tend to reflect that, for what we paid, we expected a bit more consistency in quality.

The food itself was okay – crispy chips and decent fish, but nothing particularly standout. One thing that really caught our attention (and concern) was the cooking method: there were no visible timers on the fryers. The staff appeared to rely entirely on watching and manually pulling the baskets out of the oil based on feel or glance. While this might work on quieter days or for seasoned cooks, it’s very difficult to maintain consistency or high quality that way, especially during peak hours with orders flying in. It made us wonder how well-cooked or overcooked some portions might be depending on how hectic the moment was.

On the positive side, the toilet facilities were clean and well maintained – a small but important detail that’s often overlooked in busy spots like this.

In the end, while the atmosphere and effort from the team were great, the food didn’t quite live up to the “world famous” label – at least not on this visit. If you’re after the location and casual seaside vibes, this spot might still be worth a try. But for us, next time we’re in Akaroa, we’ll probably explore some other local...

We have been raving about the fish and chips from this place since 2011 when we came here on a cruise. We finally made it back here today and were excited to have them again. I can honestly say, it was right up there with THE WORST fish and chips I have ever had in my life - and I’m English, I’ve had a lot! A tiny portion of flavourless fish, covered in soft, flabby batter with greasy frozen chips (what happened to the hand cut chips?). We asked for malt vinegar (as it just isn’t proper fish and chips without it) and were handed an old plastic water bottle (containing tasteless vinegar) with two holes poked in the lid to dispense it. Seriously? For the price we paid, and what we actually received, I expected nothing less than Sarsons malt vinegar, lovingly applied to my fish and chips by a member of the Royal Family. To top it off, once the vinegar had been applied, everything fell through the paper onto the dirty outside table, frequented by most of the seagull population of the area, because they only used butchers paper, no greaseproof liner! I’m so embarrassed that I have recommended this place to countless people who have headed this way and can only apologise to everyone I have directed here over the years. I can only assume it’s under new ownership, as it was truly delicious before. AVOID,...

Went into this fish and chip shop today. The man at the register was quite rude to the foreigners that were trying to order their food infront if us . We then stepped up and he didn’t even say hello. We Ordered the “grilled fish of the day” and was told that the fish isn’t actually grilled, but it is steamed. Obviously people have complained about this issue before as he made sure to mention it.

We then waited for our number to be yelled out and went to collect it. The meal was served in a styrofoam container accompanied with sauces in plastic and plastic knives and forks. We weren’t given any serviettes. We noticed that other people’s meals were packaged in ridiculously oversized papers.

For $19.50 the serving size was quite small.

The fish was ok. it was served with onion and strangely- slices of tomato. Would have been better with the classic lemon and herb. The chips were below average and quite oily. The salad was some shredded iceberg lettuce, mixed with a childs serving of cucumber and capsicum.

When I finished my meal I wanted to use the bathroom. There wasn’t one.

The only thing world renowned about this place is...