These are the #1 fish and chips in each state

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We quizzed our readers on where to find the best fish and chips around the country. Here, we crown the winners in each state.

The humble chippo is an Aussie staple. We’re blessed with vast stretches of coast that give rise to a bounty of seafood that’s among the best in the world.

What’s the recipe for fish and chip perfection? It looks something like this: golden chips, a decent portion of fish (always battered over grilled), a potato scallop or some calamari to mix it up, a wedge of lemon, tartare sauce, lots of butcher’s paper to wrap it up and a nice spot to enjoy it all.

If you’re curious to see where to get the best fish and chips around Australia, our well-fed readers have given us the lowdown on the best chippys in each state.

Best fish and chips in NSW

New South Wales is renowned for its stunning stretch of coastline – made all the better with a parcel of fish and chips in hand. But the best chippo in the state is actually on the far-flung Lord Howe Island. Benny’s Fish Truck can be found in a different spot each day, serving up juicy, local catch battered to perfection. Wherever the truck is parked for the day, it’s worth tracking down for a great feed and excellent views.


Honourable mention

Out of the Blue in Clovelly, Sydney is a classic Aussie chippy with a flavoursome French twist. Run by French-born duo Jean and Sophie, this cozy takeaway has earned a loyal following, particularly for its mouthwatering fish burgers. Small but always buzzing with activity, it’s a cherished staple of the community.

 

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Other chippos we love:

Mollymook Beach Hut Cafe on the South Coast and Bobby’s Cronulla in Sydney’s Shire.

Best fish and chips in Tasmania

Down in Tasmania, the pristine environment and passionate local producers makes the state an ideal place to hit the coastal road and indulge in its best local bounties.

Fish Frenzy opened on Hobart’s Elizabeth Street Pier in 1998. In the years since, its quality seafood, fast service and innovative presentation have won accolade after accolade. The chippy is located in an old warehouse overlooking the pier, providing a side of great views to a delectable feed.

 

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Honourable mention

Oysters are technically the focus at Freycinet Marine Farm. But these briny bivalves make a great addition to a classic plate of fish and chips that you can enjoy on the deck or for takeaway. And with the water sparkling just metres away, you know the seafood hasn’t come far.

Other chippos we love:

Tasmanian Coastal Seafoods in Bicheno and Rupert and Hound in Launceston for a fancy feed.

Best fish and chips in Victoria

According to our readers, the Great Ocean Road provides the perfect backdrop in which to enjoy a humble serving of fish and chips. And the crème de la crème was singled out as a feed at Fishos Torquay. Here, produce here is about as local as you can get. Potatoes come fresh from the farm and are hand-cut onsite. Seafood is locally sourced. There are also elevated twists on classic fish shop fare, such as kingfish crudo and mussels cooked in parsley butter. Yum.

Fishos Torquay fish and chips
Fishos Torquay is about as local as you can get.

Honourable mentions

Apollo Bay is the Victorian capital of the southern rock lobster and the Fish and Chip Co-Op is where it’s done best. Drop by and try the latest fresh catch while watching the crays being offloaded from the boats.

San Remo Fisherman’s Co-Op has serviced the needs of the seafood-loving Gippsland community since 1948 – and they were a name that up came up frequently with our readers. The locally caught gummy shark is a menu highlight.

Fish and Chip Co-Op.
The latest catch at Fish and Chip Co-Op.

Other chippos we love:

Hunky Dory in Melbourne and Peninsula Fresh Seafood on the Mornington Peninsula.

Best fish and chips in WA

Western Australia is blessed with beautiful beachside breaks stretching right along the magnificent mainland coastline. If you don’t mind doing a bit of the food prep yourself, the state’s back of boat crayfish sales are booming.

wild-caught WA crayfish
Wild-caught WA crayfish are a highlight of the region. (Image: Rachel Claire)

Swap out your fish for a half crayfish at Dynamite Bay takeaway, an oft-cited favourite gem tucked away in Green Bay between Geraldton and Perth. Expect succulent fish, delightfully stringy calamari and a tempting dessert cabinet.

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Other chippos we love:

Grand Lane Fish House in Perth and Frankie’s On Rotto on Wadjemup/Rottnest Island

Best fish and chips in SA

If our readers were anything to go by, you’d think The Stunned Mullet was the only fish and chip shop in South Australia.

Meet you at Henley Beach.

Each summer, a line of fish-and-chip-lovers winds out the door of Henley Beach’s favourite store. Most are in search of the decadent King George whiting, accompanied by an excessive amount of chips. If you prefer your bounty on a budget, the butterfish is another winner.

Other chippos we love:  Vivonne Bay General Store on Kangaroo Island, Fish Out Of Water in Adelaide and Flying Fish Restaurant & Café in Port Elliot.

Best fish and chips in Queensland

Unsurprisingly, our readers couldn’t get enough of fish and chips in Queensland. The standout favourite was Vellas on Sydney, a family-owned chip shop that embodies everything a great chippy should offer: fresh produce, hearty portions, and warm, welcoming service.

Honourable mentions

It’s not quite classic chip shop fare, but the ocean-side dining institution Rick Shores does a highly Instagrammable (and delicious) Moreton Bay bug roll that we simply can’t fail to mention.

waterfront dining at Rick Shores, Gold Coast
Rick Shores is an upscale eatery which has built a cult following for its Moreton Bay bug roll. (Image: Mathilde Bouby)

Other chippos we love: Three Girls Fishing in Brisbane and Burleigh’s Red Hot Cod.

Best fish and chips in the NT

Frying Nemo Fish and Chips is consistently ranked as a finalist in national seafood awards, not just in the state, but in the entire country. This truly Territorian experience is positioned right on the waterfront at Tipperary Waters Marina.
Frying Nemo specialises in wild-caught produce – with a menu that runs the gamut of animals like crocodile, buffalo, camel and kangaroo, alongside the NT’s famous Barramundi. They’re also fully licensed, with a well-stocked fridge of Territorian brews.

Frying Nemo on the water is Darwin’s favourite fish and chippery.

Other chippos we love: Wulagi Fish and Chips and La Beach Fish & Chips, both in Darwin.

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Victoria’s surprising new outdoor adventure hotspot

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
    A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination. 

    There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.  

    old gold bank Victoria
    Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time. 

    It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.  

    Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital 

    Creswick bike trail
    This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

    Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria. 

    I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers. 

    I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.  

    The Woodlands
    The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides. 

    A traveller’s checklist 

    Staying there 

    1970s log cabin
    Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife. 

    Eating there 

    Le Peche Gourmand
    Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

    The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand. The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857. 

    Playing there 

    Miss NorthcottsGarden
    Miss Northcotts Garden is a charming garden store with tea room. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.