The Happy Haddock — Restaurant in Shanklin

Great fish & and chips, BUT ! I have never known a chippy take so long to serve food. An average of 30 minutes wait time for standard items, even if you pre- order for a certain time. (For me, this is usually within the first 30 minutes of opening time) I'd take a wild guess that if you had a chip shop, you could reasonably expect customers to walk in or phone order 'fish and chips' of all things. It might make sense to have some standard items cooked and waiting in hot cabinets ready to go AT OPENING TIME. Maybe 20 portions of chips and a dozen fish of different sizes, a few sausages, etc. You could then serve customers whilst the next batch was cooking. Seems quite a simple plan and professional chippy's have it organised well. By all means, slow down the pre-cooking in the run-up to closing time to avoid any waste. The problem appears to be with the staff frying in the back, not the front counter staff. An absolute joke of poor planning and disorganisation. I thought the new owners might have a positive impact on this issue, but unfortunately, that's not been the case. I'm going to try AJ's next time because I only have one life and don't want to spend unnecessary amounts of it slipping into a coma whilst...

Bitterly disappointed, we were looking for a chip shop and always use Google reviews to help choose where to go, this shop had great reviews but was truly dreadful. The worst meal any of us has ever had from a chip shop. We walked in at 19.30 (shop closes 20.00) & was made to feel quite unwelcome by a young male staff member who said under his breath, "oh no we're nearly closed and loads of people have just walked in." The rest of the staff were pleasant, but seemed very green and not sure of their roles. The sausage was awful and tasted cheap, the savaloy had possibly been sat for hours, the scampi tasted foul and the chips were almost inedible due to a ridiculous amount of salt (I asked for a little and got a cellar full). We walked across the road to eat them as we were told we were too late to consume them on the premises. I went straight back to complain (time now 19.55) & they'd closed the shop for the night. We only went once, we wasn't likely to go back after all we'd experienced in all honesty. Perhaps it was an off day, I guess I'll never know, but I'd recommend...

We ran a little “survey” (me and the kids asking locals where the real best seaside chips were). Most told us to skip the tourist “top three” and head for Old Shanklin Village instead – about a 15-minute walk along the seafront.

That walk was more than worth it. Shanklin Village is absolutely stunning, with its thatched cottages, cosy pubs, and picture-perfect charm. And right there, next to a traditional Isle of Wight sweet shop and fudge shop, sits The Happy Haddock.

The chips are cooked in beef dripping – golden, crispy, never soggy – and you can even have them served in a cone. The fish and chicken are cooked fresh to order, and while we were waiting, at least ten people came in, were served, and left again – a clear sign of how popular this place is. Portion sizes are generous, batter is light, and they even offer two types of curry sauce (traditional and Irish). We tried both (for “research purposes”) and they were spot on.

Absolutely beautiful food in a stunning setting. A proper local gem that combines great flavour with real charm. If you’re in Shanklin, this is...