What a welcome change from the idea of greasy, heavy fish and chips. Really a must try.
Poppies has a few locations throughout London: Spitalfields, Soho, and Camden. We went to the one in Camden on a Saturday night with reservations in advance. The one in Camden is two stories with seating on both.
We were sat upstairs next to the stage, which we hadn’t known existed. Apparently, a band was supposed to play live music starting at 8, which was shortly after our arrival.
Poppies offers two types of classic fish and chips: cod and haddock. Both options are battered, fried, and served with french fries (aka chips). You can choose regular sized or large for just a few pounds more. I think the large is really the way to go. They also offer a variety of other fish served grilled or fried that come a la carte without an added side.
We each ordered the cod fish and chips with one person in our group choosing haddock fish and chips. I ordered a pickle (gherkin on the menu) as well. The fish and chips were such a pleasant surprise. Not oily or greasy, the batter wasn’t overly thick, and the flavor was simple and delicious. The french fries were quite standard for what you find in London – plain and relatively flavorless, but when you douse them in ketchup or mustard like I do (or malt and tartar sauce like you’re supposed to) I guess it doesn’t matter much. And the pickle was actually great. It came sliced and crisp with a hint of sweetness.
The service was good, but not the place to go on a weekend night if you’re in a hurry. And I will say that being seated next to the stage with incredibly loud music blasting in your ear without pause made it impossible to carry on a proper conversation. Every other word was “what?” and the experience would’ve been so much better if we were seated elsewhere – though it did make our evening more comical.
Still all worth it to have discovered these fish and chips. It’s definitely better quality than most shops and if you’re not seated next to the music (or go at a time when there isn’t nice music), it’s a comfortable atmosphere to dine casually while enjoying a delicious meal and friendly service.
Highly recommend!
