The best fish and chips in Bath splits three ways, depending on what you want. For a sit-down meal, it's The Scallop Shell on Monmouth Place, mains roughly £18-£26 with a £15 weekday lunch deal. For a wrapped-up takeaway, it's The Oyster Shell on Moorland Road, an award winner at around £10-£20. And for fast, cheap cod and chips to eat on a bench or have delivered, it's Sea Pearl on Cleveland Place East, from £11.60.
Want table service and a drink? Go to The Scallop Shell, which has an indoor/outdoor Upper Deck for better weather. Want a wrapped-and-walk-away chippy with a strong reputation? The Oyster Shell, near Oldfield Park, is the pick. Want it fast and cheap for delivery or a park bench? Sea Pearl, near Henrietta Park, is the better fit. If none of those are near where you're staying, two neighbourhood chippies further out, Bear Flat Fish and Chips and Southdown Fish Bar, are also worth knowing.
The Scallop Shell: the sit-down option
The Scallop Shell, at 22 Monmouth Place, is a fish and chip restaurant and seafood grill rather than a takeaway counter, opened in 2015 by chef Garry Rosser. It serves lightly battered cod and haddock alongside seasonal seafood landed at coastal markets, with chips cut fresh daily from seasonal potatoes in what the restaurant calls its "spud room." Marco Pierre White has called it his favourite restaurant in Wiltshire and Somerset, a serious endorsement for a fish and chip restaurant. It now spans two floors, including an indoor/outdoor Upper Deck, with a sister bar and restaurant, Sydney's, next door.
It's open Monday to Saturday, 12pm-2:30pm and 4:30pm-9:30pm, and Sunday 12pm-3pm. Mains run from around £18 for the meat-free option up to the mid-£20s for cod loin or haddock, fried or grilled, served with chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. For better value, the Fisherman's Lunch, Monday to Friday 12pm-2:30pm, gets a daily-changing main with mushy peas, tartare sauce and a mug of Yorkshire tea for £15 per person. The kitchen can do a gluten-free batter for the fish on request, though it isn't guaranteed fully coeliac-safe because of shared fryers, so mention it when you book. Weekends get busy, so book ahead. See our guide to the best restaurants in Bath for how it compares.
The Oyster Shell: the proper takeaway
The Oyster Shell, on Moorland Road, is a traditional fish and chip takeaway rather than a restaurant. It was set up in 2019 by the team behind The Scallop Shell and is now run by Dan Meredith and his wife Sophie. It's built its own track record since: a Top 10 finish for Takeaway of the Year at the National Fish & Chip Awards 2023, and a place on Fry Magazine's list of the UK's 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways of 2023.
It's closed Mondays and Sundays. On the days it is open, lunch and evening sittings run at slightly different hours, and the published hours have shifted more than once recently, so check the current week online or call ahead, especially for a special trip. A meal here typically comes in around £10-£20 a head. Click and collect runs throughout opening hours, with delivery on selected evenings. A gluten-free batter isn't advertised, so ask if you need one. It's the pick for the same quality pedigree as The Scallop Shell in a wrapped-and-walk-away format, near Oldfield Park or the western side of the city. For other takeaway-friendly options, see our eating in Bath on a budget guide.
Sea Pearl: fast, cheap, and good for eating outside
Sea Pearl, at 7 Cleveland Place East, is a straightforward takeaway open every day from 4pm to 9:30pm. Cod and chips alone starts from £11.60, a medium cod deal with a drink from £12.90, and a large cod deal with a drink from £14.90. It offers free local delivery (minimum order applies, within about 3 miles) as well as collection, and it sits close to Henrietta Park on London Road, handy if you want to eat outside rather than at a table.
There's no dedicated gluten-free fryer here, and community gluten-free dining reports flag it as unsuitable for coeliacs. For more casual, wallet-friendly options across the city, including cafes and light bites, see our guide to food and tearooms in Bath.
Other neighbourhood chip shops worth knowing
If you're staying away from the centre, two local chippies are worth a mention even though they don't have the national awards of the three above. Bear Flat Fish and Chips on Wellsway, near the Bear Flat roundabout south of the city centre, is a well-reviewed evening-only takeaway (closed Sundays) popular with locals for straightforward battered fish and chips. Southdown Fish Bar on Mount Road, in the Southdown area near Oldfield Park, is an old-style family-run chip shop with a long-running local following, open lunchtimes through the week and Sunday evenings. Neither publishes a full price list online, so check by phone or on arrival, and treat them as a convenient local option rather than a destination trip.
How they compare
| Where | Style | Area of Bath | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Scallop Shell | Sit-down, with terrace | Monmouth Place | £15 lunch deal; mains £18-£26 |
| The Oyster Shell | Takeaway, collection and some delivery | Moorland Road | Around £10-£20 |
| Sea Pearl | Takeaway and delivery | Cleveland Place East | From £11.60 |
| Bear Flat Fish and Chips | Takeaway, evenings only | Wellsway, south of the centre | Not published, check by phone |
| Southdown Fish Bar | Takeaway | Mount Road, Southdown | Not published, check by phone |
A few practical notes
None of these sit in the immediate Roman Baths and Abbey tourist core, so factor in a short walk or a taxi if you're staying centrally. The Scallop Shell takes bookings and gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings; the takeaways don't need booking, though check current hours and delivery slots online first, since they shift seasonally. None sit in the paid-parking centre, so if you're driving to collect, our Bath parking guide has the nearest options.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best fish and chips in Bath?
It depends what you want. The Scallop Shell on Monmouth Place is the standout sit-down option, praised by Marco Pierre White as his favourite restaurant in Wiltshire and Somerset. The Oyster Shell on Moorland Road is the top takeaway, with national award recognition. Sea Pearl is the fastest and cheapest for delivery or collection.
What's the cheapest fish and chips in Bath?
Sea Pearl, generally, with cod and chips from £11.60 and deals from £12.90. The Oyster Shell runs around £10-£20 a head, and The Scallop Shell sits highest as a full sit-down restaurant, though its £15 weekday lunch deal is good value.
Is it better to go for takeaway or sit-down?
For table service and a bit of an occasion, go to The Scallop Shell. For a proper wrapped chippy with an award-winning pedigree, The Oyster Shell is the better fit. For speed and low cost on the go, Sea Pearl is simplest.
Does anywhere in Bath do gluten-free fish and chips?
Only partially. The Scallop Shell can do a gluten-free batter for the fish on request, but can't guarantee it's fully coeliac-safe because of shared fryers. Neither The Oyster Shell nor Sea Pearl advertises a dedicated gluten-free fryer, and Sea Pearl is flagged as unsuitable for coeliacs in community gluten-free dining reports, so ask directly before you order if this matters to you.
Can you get fish and chips delivered in Bath?
Yes. Sea Pearl on Cleveland Place East offers free local delivery (minimum order applies, within about 3 miles), and The Oyster Shell offers delivery on selected evenings alongside click and collect. The Scallop Shell is a sit-down restaurant and doesn't offer delivery.
Is there fish and chips near the Roman Baths or Bath city centre?
Not right on the doorstep. None of the three main options sit inside the immediate Roman Baths and Abbey tourist core. The Scallop Shell on Monmouth Place is the closest, a few minutes' walk from the Abbey; the others are a short walk or taxi ride further out.
Is there a good local chip shop away from the tourist centre?
Yes. Bear Flat Fish and Chips on Wellsway and Southdown Fish Bar on Mount Road both have long-running local followings south and south-west of the centre, if you'd rather eat where Bath actually lives than in the main visitor area.