Olley's Fish Experience, Herne Hill, London

Great food, Great service, Great surroundings and a great night out.

iv walked passed this place for years using the take away only on a few occasions, today i took my 2 children and my husband for lunch in the restaurant, and i must say we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals the service was good also, we have always known that it would be pricey but what the hell, its good to treat yourselves every now and again! at £55 for the 4 of us with drinks (non alcoholic) though those drinks are very reasonable for the area!! free ice creams and a colouring in competition for the girls to indulge in was enough for me to say and actually mean " we will see u soon"

Not really sure why people seem to rave about this place. I am still reeling from the scandalously over priced fish and chips take away I picked up a few hours ago. NINE pounds yes, NINE!! for fish and chips?!!!!

Not only that, but despite ordering Cod, they obviously weren't happy that they were making enough money, so they charged me for Haddock which was even more expensive.

The food was adequate, but really the kind of standard that I would expect from any half decent chippy (Of which London seems utterly devoid). The portion size was pretty poor too, I really would think for that money I'd have got the biggest fish I've ever seen, and enough chips to last a week.

In fact unbelievably, it's actually cheaper to get fish and chips at Borough Market!! If you're hungry for it, then I'd hang on and get it from the market instead! The owners obviously have some delusion of grandeur, perhaps someone should tell them that this is an so-so southern suburb, not Mayfair!

Having come from Leeds where I could get 2 bigger, better, nicer fish and chip portions for the same money I have to admit I was generally disappointed with Olley's. Crazily Leeds is about as far as you can possibly get from the Sea, whereas London is practically on the coast?!

This is for the takeaway, I can only assume the restaurant charges even more?! I recommend the Commercial opposite the train station, the fish and chips there are pretty good, and cheaper.

I have visited Ollies on many occasions and cannot fault the food the staff or the hospitality.....keep up the good work......

Fish and chips, fish and chips how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...and the calories. But never mind. I have been visiting Olleys Fish Bar in my local South London for several years now. The last time I visited was a couple months ago. My cousin and I went to Crystal Palace to see Usain Bolt do his thing.Then we were hungry and wfelt like fish and chips.I like Olleys because its a proper sit down restaurant. It has a nice atmosphere with cosy corners for couples as well as an upstairs eating area. The owner is friendly and attentive, the service is good. The fish and chips are delicious, try the calamari for starters - very nice. The mushy peas are just right. The dessert menu is very good - offering homenade traditional puddind=gs such as spotted dick, treacle tart and apple pie. There is also a delicious range of creamy ice creams available. It is a bit on the pricey side. Our meal for two came to £27 but that was on a special deal.

I guess the question is: how long are you prepared to wait for a bag of chips?

2 minutes? 5? 10?

How about 15 minutes? That’s 900, long, chipless seconds.

To be fair, we were at Ollie’s during the 7pm-8pm chippy rush hour, but still, any fish and chip shop worth its salt (pun totally intended) should have a batch of chips on the go that they can dish out at a moments notice.

And there were people ahead of us who had ordered four fish suppers who were getting their food before us! If their food takes longer then give me my chips so I can sat my rumbling stomach. I don’t care if Tom Parker Bowles likes your fish… I WANT MY CHIPS!

They were good chips though. Nice and thick, and cooked just right. But, fifteen minutes? Is there a chip worth waiting that long for?

Wow. I go in just for the mushy peas. Go on, you definitely want some right now.

Olley’s has about the best choice of fish suppers you can get - healthier options, including grilled fish, unusual fish varieties as well as the traditional cod and scampi. A portion of chips costs about £2 - the fish varies. Cod is about £6 a portion (cant remember the exact price).

The shop is split into a takeaway section (the bit I go to) and a sit-down place. It all feels warm, clean and relaxed. A nice touch is that you get some free chips to keep you going if there’s any kind of wait for the fish to cook.

The downside is the price - this isn’t a cheap place, but it is reliable. It’s right opposite Brockwell Park, which makes it a good stopping off point on summer evenings.

Being vegan I’d never paid a whole lot of attention to Olleys on my daily jaunts past it to and from home. However, after a lovely glass of red round a friend’s house last Saturday night the lure of chip shop chips was too much for me and I ventured in.

The takeaway part is definitely on a different level to your average greasy chippy, so that was nice, and I was pleased to discover they also sell wine to take home. You know how it is after one glass - more is necessary! - so I added a bottle of Pinot something-or-other to my order. I didn’t think it was too pricey at £6.

As a girl who has recently started referring to herself as a lady (it’s an age thing), imagine my surprise when I was asked to present photo ID! In retrospect I suppose ordering some chips then saying “Oh, and can I get wine as well please” might have looked a bit suss, and being endowed with healthy skin has got me in to this sort of trouble before. The funny thing was that instead of indignation, I felt embarassment - almost as though I was a naughty teen trying it on in a shop and not a twenty-something who rents her own flat, pays for contents insurance and enjoys other such boring adult pursuits. I have an ISA, for crying out loud!

Thankfully the man in charge came to my rescue, pooh-poohing the serving girl’s protestations that I looked too young. I look 17, really? In my shocked, vaguely inebriated state I made some show of pointing out one or two wrinkles on my face to the woman, now suddenly indignant that she still didn’t believe I was [well] over 18. She wasn’t interested.

If I ever happen to have my passport on me and am passing Olleys, be sure I will visit again just to wave it in that lady’s face. And in ten years time perhaps I’ll go in again and beg her to ID me…

A bit expensive, but fantastic. The fish comes in any type of form, with dozens of different fish to choose from. Chips are chunky, the tartare sauce and mushy peas are delightfully home-made, and they serve drinks and alcohol too.

Could be a bit cheaper, but it really is the best fish and chip place in London. Portions are massive - if you’re getting takeaway for two people, just two pieces of fish and one serve of chips is more than enough.

We hadn’t planned to go to Olleys but just wandered past when hungry and decided to give it a try.
The service is great, before our starters turned up we got given little fishcakes to try. This wasn’t because our starters were late, in fact the whole meal was served promptly.
The range of fish is interesting, though there is no advice on how ethically the fish is sourced…
The food was amazing but not really worth the prize. It’s about £12-15 for a piece of fish, and that doesn’t include chips, mushy peas, potatoes etc… that’s all about £2-3 extra. Our meal came to £50, which is a bit much for very standard fish and chips for two. But great for those who want to spend on good quantitiy.

This place has the look and feel of traditional fish restaurant. My boys love it but to be honest I can take it or leave it. Everything is done really well, the service is spot on and they do take their fish and chips very seriously! This is the place to go if you fancy yourself as a bit of a connoisseur!