Belmont Fisheries is a fish and chip shop at 199 Bayswater Avenue in Bayswater, Auckland, rated 4.4 from 23 reviews. Customers single out the fresh fish cooked while you wait, the crumb-coated snapper, a batter that's crisp rather than thick, and warm, friendly service that holds up even when the shop is busy — which, they say, is often.
At a good fish and chip shop, the queue is the surest sign of quality: high turnover means the fish in the cabinet hasn't been sitting long. Ask what came in that day rather than defaulting to whatever's at eye level. Batter should shatter crisply and stay thin — a soggy coat usually means the oil wasn't hot enough. And how the counter copes with the dinner rush says as much about a shop as anything on the menu.
On Bayswater Avenue, with a McDonald's for a next-door neighbour, it's the local chippy that regulars keep coming back to.