North vs South Smackdown: Fish & Chips

Northside: You can’t get much further from the authentic fish and chip experience than the Northside. While there’s no sand in sight, chipperies here put a quintessentially hip Northside spin on the Friday staple. Ol’ School Fish and Chips is exactly that – a Fitzroy North standby with laidback staff and a straight-up, BS-free menu. The hand-cut chips are a favourite. A couple of blocks away, the Seafood Shak serves up simple, clean meals, with dimmys done to perfection. The Fishionable Chippery is fairly hidden away on a Nicholson Street strip, but it’s a local favourite, known for friendly service and good-sized meals on the right side of ten bucks.

Southside: Acland Street is overfishing central, with a bunch of hella-hyped fish and chipperies lining the walls within walking distance from the beach. We’ll gladly pile on the hype for the much-deserving Clamms, who source seafood to eateries all over Melbourne and further afield. If you’re willing to shell out, get the grilled salmon – it’ll kick your ass. The Village Fish Store is just as close to the ocean. There’s less hustle than Acland St, and it’s a nice little local standby, with an emphasis on a natural, healthy haul. Over on Chapel St, you can’t beat Hooked for their chips. Everything that needs to be said about them has already been said; you just have to try these freaking chips. Just up the road, the effortlessly hip staff at Sea Salt turn out awesome sushi as well as light, crispy fish.

The champion: South