Rituals of summer – fish and chips on the Far South Coast

A craving for fish and chips accompanies holidays on the South Coast.

Unwrap that big family pile on the sands of the coast, spread a picnic blanket on a seaside lawn, dangle your toes in the many lakes and rivers … or head indoors for some table service and a cold glass with your crunchy local fish fest.

We’ve compiled some of our favourite fish and chips in the region … our humble opinion, of course!

Wheeler’s Takeaway

Address: 162 Arthur Kane Drive, Pambula, NSW

@wheelersseafoodrestaurant

Locally sourced fish and freshly harvested oysters. Crispy chips, great batter, and a selection of take-home fresh seafood and local gourmet goodies. Wheelers has a reputation for delivering deliciousness.

Battered flathead and sweet potato chips were excellent, plus battered sea scallops, hand-crumbed calamari, and panko prawn skewers really added to our finger-licking celebration of seafood. Gluten-free batter is available and your oysters open or unopened … one can feast at an indoor or outdoor table, or wander through the foreshore to nearby Pambula Beach.

Cranky Cafe

Address: 33 Ocean Drive, Merimbula, NSW

@crankycafemerimbula

One of our favourite fish and chips and not a cranky person in sight. Golden colour, deep crunch, house-made batter, panko crumbs on their calamari and scallops, salt from South Australia … a pretty good finish to a morning on the waves at Merimbula’s main beach, we say.

Settle onto the lawns of Ford Park or eat in-house on the front deck, under cover from likely summer rains. Or, take a short wander around the corner to nearby Merimbula Lake and find a shady spot to watch the shadows lengthen.

Tathra Beach Kiosk

Address: 6-8 Andy Poole Drive, Tathra, NSW

@tathrabeachkiosk

This elegant kiosk is a much-loved historical building right on the sands of popular Tathra Beach. Recently renovated, the kiosk is a regular haunt for locals and visitors, winter swimmers and nippers.

No need to change out of your swimmers … grab a serve of fish and chips, some sidewinders, excellent coffee and soft serve and head to the beach. Pastries and toasties are available in the mornings, when you could join the locals for those dawn swims to the wharf and back. Open from 7:30 Thursday to Sunday and other days where possible (check with their socials as weather dependent.)

Blue Wave Seafood

Address: Fisherman’s Wharf, Bermagui, NSW

How wonderful it is to enjoy your fish and chips while watching Bermagui’s fishing fleet come and go. Located in the beautiful timber Fisherman’s Wharf building, and busy with locals and tourists alike, this is a friendly and consistent place to get your fix of fish and chips for summer.

Very good food, friendly service, crunchy batter and crispy chips, plus plenty of fresh seafood and frozen goodies to take home. Chat to the fisher-people, fend off the seagulls and if you’re lucky you might catch sight of a seal or two!

Blue Water Seafoods

1/40 Princes Highway, Narooma, NSW

On the main stretch through Narooma, you can be sure to get what you want at this busy fish and chippery.

The cooked menu is extensive and there is a great selection of fresh fish and seafood, such as local yellowfin tuna, local oysters, plus crabs and prawns, sauces, smoked goods and more.

As for the cooked offerings, select your fish, add chips and perhaps battered mussels, pineapple fritters or a crumbed crab claw. Grab your hot order, then scoot around the corner to sit by the lovely clear waters of Wagonga with some well-cooked fish and chunky old-fashioned chips.

Blue Octopus Seafood

Address: 1 Noble Parade, Dalmeny, NSW

Super-juicy fresh fish wrapped in crunchy batter, anyone? Yes, please. A great selection of beachy-fried morsels, crunchy chips, and all of the beautiful Dalmeny coastline as your dining room.

This friendly joint is open every day and into the night. The servings are generous and the service is quick. No wonder this place is a favourite of travellers to stop off on their journey north to south and back.

One of our favourite fish-and-chip packs on the coast, they even did one half panko-crumbed and one half battered for my curiosity, and both were delicious. Down to the nearby grasses overlooking the inlet and that incomparable water.

Tuross Boatshed

93 Trafalgar Road, Tuross Head, NSW

@turossboatshed

Tuross Boatshed is a must-visit for that quintessential South Coast experience.

Every day presents a different vista, and if the tide is full, perhaps go barefoot, as the water creeps right up to the boards.

Boats are tied up next to tables while anglers grab a bite and a beer, and views of the waterways are spectacular. Eating fish and chips here is a wonderful moment.

The fish and chips are tasty: crispy batter; crunchy, salty chips; fresh lemon … what more does one need? Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, the menu is worth exploring and boats are available for hire.

The Boatshed, Batemans Bay

Address: 1 Clyde Street, Batemans Bay, NSW

@theboatshed

Right on the water, in the heart of Batemans Bay, this working shed has been operating for 65 years. Both the fresh and cooked seafood menu changes depending on the catch, from family packs to feed the crew, to great salty sides of calamari and potato cakes, fresh salads, and local oysters.

Enjoy a crunchy battered piece of locally caught fish with chips and salad – crispy, fresh and generous.

There’s heaps of outdoor seating on the shores of the Clyde River, and you can wander into the grassy parklands or even cruise the Clyde for three hours on their lovely vessel, Escapade. Open every day from 9 am to 7 pm.

Fish and chips with table service:

Merimbula Wharf Restaurant and Aquarium

Address: The Wharf, Lake Street, Merimbula, NSW

@merimbulawharfrestaurant

What a perfect place to stare out to sea, eating darn fine fish and chips, with table service and a cold glass. Settle in for a fabulous two-course experience, a Wharf seafood platter, or order some takeaway to sit out over those spectacular views.

Fish and chips here are excellent: non-greasy, crunchy battered flathead with a fresh side of salad and golden chips. Plenty of other seafood is on the menu, and there’s a decent kids’ menu too. The popular aquarium is a bonus.

The Quarterdeck, Narooma

Address: Riverside Drive, Narooma

@quarterdeck_narooma

If your penchant is for fish and chips and Latin flavours while sidling up to a cocktail bar, we have just the recommendation. Quarterdeck is a tiki bar where you can sit comfortably surrounded by Wagonga views, with the water lapping under the boards at your feet, a creative menu and a high falutin’ cocktail list.

Fish and chips here are crunchy and light, with a house-made sauce, and sipping on a frozen pina colada only adds to a heavenly moment.