Laughing Halibut

Stumbled over this place while searching for a quick bite on our walking tour of London. Server was really friendly, and the fish and chips were authentic and delicious. Great atmosphere and vibe too!

Visit London on a regular basis and make this a stop every time. Super friendly staff and very good traditional fish and chips. I’ll be back next time I visit London.

Had the haddock with chips — great food and good value this is my favourite go to spot for local fish chips. No fancy stuff just take away and eat at home to enjoy.

Slightly more expensive than other places but good. Freshly cooked on the spot I think

Ventured in during a walk-​tour day of London. Traditional chip shop with no pretension or fanciness,…just a guy with a fryer doing his thing.
The cod and haddock were perfectly fried, not too greasy (as well as the chips) with plenty of malt vinegar available. The mushy peas were very creamy with a traditional flavor. Not much else to say, would definitely return if in the area.

Food: We had the fish and chips. I had the cod and my husband had the halibut. The cod was decent and very light. The halibut seemed a bit heavier and had a bit more harsh of a taste than the cod. Neither fish had much flavor nor did the chips. The vinegar was not very vinegary either.
Service: The staff was nice enough.
Price: I think the price was ok considering the quality. Of course I would have liked to have paid less but I think for London and the portion size the price was fair.
Overall: We probably wouldn’t go back as we found alternate restaurants that had better fish and chips.

Laughing Halibut is a must visit for fish and chips. It’s not too far off the beaten path for tourists, and you will definitely see a bunch of locals dropping by for a quick lunch. When I visited, there was a line out the door, but the staff moved quickly. They do have a sit down area, but the to-​go is what most people do.
The fish options are dependent on the day. They were out of halibut so I got cod which was terrific. For London, I got a huge portion for a very reasonable price. It was all made fresh, and the staff was quick and efficient taking my order and money. I would recommend most people sharing a full order. It truly is quite large.
The chips/​fries/​whatever were quite meh. They got soggy rather quickly and they were under-​seasoned. The fish itself was very well breaded and the salt and vinegar was perfect despite just being sort of tossed on. I will note that because it is so freshly made, it is hot. I wish I could have just let it sit and cool for awhile, but I was in a hurry at the time.
Also, it’s a bit hard to eat. It’s all in a paper bag and greasy as hell. Of course, that is to be expected, but just be aware to get some napkins or utensils. There is a park just down around the corner where a bunch of business men and I sat down to munch down on our meals. The food definitely attracted some pigeons, and I was glad that I had wet wipes for cleanup.
Overall, I would say this is a great stop for anybody. It’s not the best meal in the world, but so far as cheap good food, it’s hard to beat. Just watch your cholesterol.

I couldn’t leave London without getting myself an order of fish and chips. Based on the reviews, the Laughing Halibut seems like the right place. Right when you walk in there is a to-​go counter and once you walk further, there are dine-​in options. They have a variety of different fishes you can choose from and I chose the fish and chips, haddock version.
The fish was delicious, flakey, and the crust was not as dried and thick as most fish and chips spots that I’ve tried. I also could not stop eating the fries. I was able to finish my whole meal and wanted another (however, I had to stop myself).
My only complaint would be with the surge of tourists visiting this joint, I could tell that the waiters was not too keen on serving us. I wish there was more hospitality in their service or at least made me feel a little more welcomed. Would I come here again? Probably not. I would like to try different places as well as enjoy better service like the other places I’ve been in London.

absolutely loved the food here. best fish and chips we had in London. husband raved about them, and he is a fish and chips connoisseur. their ‘to-​go’ bagging could use some work — no container, just fish and fries straight into the paper bag, so hard to eat if you’re not somewhere with plates.

Very Nice. Crunchy fish. The chips are not my thing. I come from belgium and i work in a chips shop so i am very picky.
Still had a Nice meal for just a 10er.

I tried to find ‘fish & chips’ as my last dinner before leaving London because I know it is typical British​-style​.So busy on the majority of British restaurant & bars around 6pm. I found it and tried. Good though nothing special, I mean typical cod & chips. They are served within only 1 min I suppose cause they keep frying fresh fish and chips all the time (so many people).It’s like family mode bar and nice persons. The price is great.10pounds for cod, chips and a glass of ice lemon tea.

Fish and chips were fresh and a good portion. They weren’t oily either which was a good surprise.
Service was friendly and prompt.
They don’t have real malt vinegar for some odd reason.

For my first visit to England, Laughing Halibut definitely showed me how delicious fish and chips could be. There are so many different types of fish to choose from, and for the price, anything on the menu is an amazing deal. Especially looking at some of the other restaurants in London, the price point of the Laughing Halibut was so refreshing — anyone can get a deliciously filling meal for less than 10 pounds!
Regular is definitely enough of a portion to fill a normal person’s stomach, but if you feel like you have a monstrous appetite, go for the Large, and see if you can handle it. My whole family ordered the Regular size, and we wound up taking a lot of food back home. The fish just tasted so, so fresh. I’ve had some mediocre fish and chips back home in America, and it just does not compare at all. I adored my haddock — I definitely recommend the haddock if you’re going for a traditional fish and chips meal. My dad had the cod, and it was a little drier and not as tasty in my opinion. I was worried that the chips would be too dry (because I looked at the Unilocal photos beforehand), but I was very pleasantly surprised. The chips were crispy and not too oily and were a delightful accompaniment to my fish. I will say though that though the fish tastes fresh, it is coated with batter and deep fried to perfection. Obviously, if you’re not into fried foods, this place would not be the place for you (but neither will any fish and chips place be ideal for you). Just at the Laughing Halibut in particular, you can definitely taste the oil and the crunch of the fried batter before you get to the fish. It was wonderful for me for the first few bites but got admittedly a little overwhelming as I was working my way through the dish.
Service is super friendly as well. They joke around and made me and my family feel at home and welcome since they probably could spot that we were not from the area. Lots of other reviews mentioned that it would be crowded, but we came on a weekday evening an hour before closing time, and it was not crowded at all — plenty of room! I guess we just got lucky. Oh, and there’s also free wi-​fi, which is fantastic.
I absolutely loved my trip to Laughing Halibut. I definitely recommend a visit here for anyone who wants a taste of what real fish and chips are all about.

This was our first meal on our Worldtrip 2015 Honeymoon! Flying from Hawaii to London was lengthy, so we were looking for a place that served up authentic and tasty London yums to curb the jet lag. For the record, I am no fish-​n-​chips officiant, and I have only been to London one other time before this back in 2011. So to find a good restaurant in the middle of the bustling city, I used none other than my trusty Unilocal app and sought out TLH just a couple blocks away from us!
The restaurant was easy to find on the map, but it is a small eatery so keep your eyes open! The dining room can probably fit no more than ten tables, but the areas are clean. The restaurant is operated by a very nice family! I was able to meet the father, son and daughter and chat with them for a bit. Turns out they spoke Turkish and started their restaurant in London in hopes of a better life.
Our group of four tried the haddock and halibut. Both fish were tasty– the haddock was flaky and the halibut was moist. The batter was nice on both fish; not too oily or thick so the flavor of the fish meat was well received. Portion sizes are good and even the big boys got full off their meal!
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed TLH and the service we received from the staff. Thank You for starting our journey off on the right foot!

Je lis avec surprise les avis en français précédents, car ils né reflètent pas du tout l’expérience que j’ai eue dans ce restaurant.
En plein quartier touristique, on s’arrête pour prendre l’apéro. Chouette choix de bières, le serveur est aimable et de bon conseil, il prend le temps pour nous.
Au final, en voyant passer les assiettes, on se décide à manger là.
J’ai opté pour un fish & chips, qui était accompagné de purée de petits pois et de sauce tartare maison très bonne. Le poisson était croustillant, les frites bonnes également. J’ai pu goûter le burger également, qui était un peu décevant car un peu trop sec pour moi — et pas assez de fromage non plus.
Dans l’ensemble, pour un verre ou pour un fish & chips, très certainement un des endroits les meilleurs dans les environs immédiats.

The most important part of a fish and chips meal is the fish. I was disappointed with what I got here. The fish was covered with way too much batter and it was overcooked. When taking a bite, the batter was more obvious than the fish itself. This is not a good indicator. It felt too oily and I discarded it before I had had half of it. The fish itself was too flaky and had little substance. It may be because it was overcooked, or it may be the nature of my choice of fish (I had the plaice).
The chips that came with the fish were fine and you got plenty for the price you paid. A school kid looking for an after school treat could do worse. However, I overheard there being a minimum charge of £5, so you wouldn’t be getting chips on their own.

An unexpected great find. We were in search for a local fish and chips joint in the area of Westminster. We were lucky enough to stumble upon the Laughing Halibut. The name itself caught our attention. The distinct smell of fried chips filled the street. We knew we were in the right place. The establishment was simple and functional. The free WiFi was a very nice touch. We ordered the standard fish and chips and coca-​cola. Our drinks arrived chilled without any ice in a large glass. The fish and chips followed shortly. The serving portions were spot on. The chips was perfectly fried and the fish was a nice balance of crispy and soft. The table had the standard tartar sauce, HP sauce, and packets of ketchup. The meal was reasonably priced at £19.10 for two fish and chips with cokes. I will definitely pay this place a visit again when I return to London.

One of the best ever fish (and chips) I had in the world (perhaps 2^nd after Blue Fin-​Fish in Victoria, BC).
Nice place, always full but with very little wait in line as the turn over is fast and service very efficient (and familial — you will recognize the mom and daughter… or are they sisters?).
Go for fish! again and again, huge portion, take more! I would go back for sure if I lived nearby… Chips are also surprisingly good!
I don’t get why some people go there for a sausage… but anyhow,

Good spot for fish and chips. I went between haddock, cod, or the halibut and chose haddock based on recommendations from the server. Their speciality is the halibut but that tends to have a stronger taste.
The haddock was delicious, fried perfectly and very flakey. The chips are good as we’ll, not greasy which is a huge plus coming from the US.
Dined for dinner and did not have to wait. Other reviews say the establishment gets really packed for lunch.
Note: your clothes will have a strong oder after leaving

Fish and Chips!
Yeah, I had to have fish and chips during my time in London. I was sick and coughing, and that fried food did NOTHING to help me.
I had the Halibut and chips, and it was good. I felt like the Halibut was a bit dry, but it was kinda flakey. I smothered it with tarter sauce to get it a bit more moist. I had a bite of my friends grilled fish, and that was super moist and good.
The chips were also good and yum. My friend and I both ordered a side of mushy peas… which. I still don’t quite understand how Londoners like this stuff. Its okay, but was like… textured baby food. Was kinda meh for me.
I did loved that this place was a mix of tourist and locals. Locals sat down and immediately ordered… tourists like me took a while to look up the foods.

Dans les environs de Westminster ce restaurant est médiocre. Né pas se fier aux avis positifs. Les gens sont entassés dans le restaurant et la nourriture y est dégoûtante. On peut bien-​sûr y manger le «traditionnel» Fish and chips ‚(traditionnel non Car pas de petits pois simplement un poisson et des chips) des Burgers ou autres fritures… (né pas s’attendre à du light)
les frites sont sans goût idem concernant le hamburger … Les plats né sont pas chers mais un conseil faites demi tour!
Aussi les toilettes sont sales ce qui amèné à nous interroger sur l’hygièné en cuisine …

Wär nach London reist und gutes Fish&Chips Essen möchte sollte genau dort hingehen. Das Service Personal ist super nett und hilfsbereit. Und das Essen ist einfach nur lecker. Aber es gibt nicht nur Fisch, sondern auch Hühnchen und Burger. Wir haben uns für Codfish & Chips entschieden.

Very near perfect fish and chips, served in a nice restaurant (or to take away while you wander around Westminster) is sometimes just what you need. They’re happy to fry from fresh if you ask, and the chips are some of the best «chunky» — proper — ones around.
Friday is a very busy day, especially at lunch. On other days it’s hard to not be tempted by the other food stalls lining Strutton Ground to cater to the huge office populous, but the trip is worth it.
To top it all off, there’s a list of famous (and otherwise) people who’ve eaten here. You should join them.

J’ai été assez déçue car je m’attendais à une qualité exceptionnelle au vu des commentaires précédents. J’ai emmené ma mère dans ce quartier exprès, parce que je voulais lui faire découvrir le véritable fish & chips, avec la purée de petits pois, la sauce tartare, bref la totale. Quel désarroi en voyant arriver les assiettes: pas de petits pois, et poisson était accompagné de sachets de sauce industrielle.
Certes le plat était copieux, et le poisson pas mauvais, mais j’aurais préféré davantage de qualité à la quantité… Je n’y retournerai pas, ça c’est sûr!

Hier gehen Fish & Chips in Mengen und in Rekordzeit über die Theke.
(Nur ein Einzeiler: Da mühsam per Handy geschrieben.)
Nach Auskunft unserer Tischnachbarn ist dies der «beste» Ihnen bekannte Fish & Chips Imbiss in London, in den wir hier zufällig geraten sind. (Der Auskunftgebende ist gebürtiger Australier, hat lange in London gelebt, wohnt jetzt in New York. Eine Woche besucht er mit seiner Frau ihre Lieblingsorte in London.)