The Fish&Chips Shop: a British classic with a twist
You can’t get much more British than a fish and chip shop – and yet there’s one right in the middle of Barcelona! Actually, this isn’t your standard sea-side chippy: Magic and his team have updated things a bit, creating what they call “fish and chips 2.0”.
Fish&Chips, Barcelona: The Story
The idea behind Fish&Chips originated in Apolo – not the Greek god (only one L), but a nightclub.
One evening, on a night out, Magic and his friends had a sudden urge to eat fish and chips. As Google reliably informed them that no such thing was to be found in Barcelona, they did what any right-thinking person would do, and… opened their own shop!
- Magic and his brother, Mani, come from Indo-Pakistani stock, and grew up in and around the family restaurant in the Raval – so it’s not entirely surprising that they decided to open a restaurant of their own. Working with their friend Bilal, they created the concept of “fish&chips 2.0”, concentrating on the quality of their products.
Fish & chips gets a makeover
No rubbery or tasteless, greasy fried fish here – the team have worked their, ahem, Magic, creating something rather more delicate.
- Forget the age-old debate over whether the fish should be cod or haddock – here, it’s line-caught hake. Traditional long-line techniques preserve the texture of the fish better than standard nets, making for a better culinary experience. The fish is all fresh, brought directly from the Cantabrian sea.
- There are two alternatives to the eponymous fish&chips: Calamari&chips (with, you guessed it, calamari) or Aguacate&chips (with breaded avocado). The restaurant also serves Boquerones (anchovies – but without chips!)
- The crumb coat is made from cornflakes, smoked over chestnut wood with a pinch of rosemary. The oil in the fryers is changed daily (of course).
- Choose from homemade tartare sauce or a rather less conventional mango chutney to kick things up a notch!
- The chips are homemade, seasoned with a blend of 4 indian spices and smoked salt. They’re chunky and absolutely delicious (rather too salty for our tastes, but you can ask them to hold the salt).
For the eminently reasonable sum of €8, you’ll get generous piece of melt-in-the-mouth hake with a crispy coating and an overflowing cone of delicious chips – it’s culinary magic! (Again. Sorry, we just can’t resist. Just be glad we resisted the urge to make wand jokes…)
Some things are worth waiting for
You’ll have to wait 15 minutes or so to be served, since the fish is prepared to order. Take a seat at the bar and watch the magic happen!
Why not make the most of your time and have a cheeky starter?
- Wash it all down with something cold – beer or otherwise – in a pretty tin mug.
There are very few tables and the restaurants don’t take bookings – in that way, fish&chips is like fish and chip shops the world over. That said, those clients who do choose to eat in, rather than taking away, tend to finish up quickly (hard not to when the food is so good), so you shouldn’t have to wait long to get a seat.
- Stop press: two other branches have recently opened in the Raval and Gracia quarters.
So – fish and chips 2.0, then a night out at Apolo to see where it all began?
