Two Little Fish is a fish and chips takeaway on Nayland Road in Stoke, Nelson, just a short drive from the city centre. It has quietly become a local favourite — and a hotspot on busy weekends — by doing the basics brilliantly: fish hand-filleted fresh each day, a crispy batter, generous portion sizes and friendly, efficient service. Guests regularly rate it among the very best fish and chips in Nelson.
The menu celebrates New Zealand's coastal larder, with fresh gurnard as the fish of the day alongside rig fillet, blue nose, Stewart Island blue cod and crumbed hoki — each available battered, steamed or crumbed. The seafood cabinet goes further, with mussels, oysters, scallops, calamari rings, grilled garlic prawn kebabs, seafood kebabs and Kiwi-style paua and mussel patties. On the land side there are straight-cut, crinkle cut and kumara chips and seasoned wedges, plus seasonal garden salad and minty mushy peas for vegetarians, a gourmet burger, and a kids' menu for the little ones.
The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, welcoming families, tourists and solo diners alike. Choose takeaway, delivery or dine-in with table service, indoors or outside, and enjoy easy visits thanks to free street parking and a wheelchair-accessible entrance. Reservations are accepted, though be prepared for a lively buzz — and a possible queue — on Friday evenings, when word of mouth has the whole of Stoke heading here for dinner.
Ask around Stoke for a good feed of fish and chips and the same name keeps coming up: Two Little Fish. Set on Nayland Road — a short drive from Nelson city — this neighbourhood takeaway has built its reputation the old-fashioned way: fish filleted by hand each day, chips cooked to order, and portions generous enough that nobody leaves hungry. Reviewers regularly call it the best fish and chips in Nelson, with some saying they happily drive in from the city for it — and keep coming back because it never disappoints.
The heart of the menu is, naturally, the fish. Fillets are hand-filleted daily, and the line-up reads like a tour of New Zealand waters: fresh gurnard as the fish of the day, along with rig fillet, blue nose and Stewart Island blue cod, plus crumbed hoki. Each fillet can be prepared battered, steamed or crumbed (a small surcharge applies for crumbed on selected fish), so you can have your favourite exactly the way you like it.
The variety stretches well beyond fillets — this is an extensive menu for a chippy. Mussels, oysters and scallops sit alongside calamari rings, grilled garlic prawn kebabs and seafood kebabs, while the paua and mussel patties offer a distinctly Kiwi treat. Gurnard fish bites and crab sticks round things out for snacking orders.
Fish is only half of the fish-and-chips equation, and Two Little Fish takes the other half seriously. Choose from classic straight-cut chips, crinkle cut, sweet kumara chips or seasoned wedges — all in full or half scoops — with kumara and potato flips for a little something extra. Diners consistently praise the chips: seasoned and cooked well, fluffy inside and crisp outside, drained properly, with little to no grease.
If you want something green alongside, the seasonal garden salad and minty mushy peas are tasty vegetarian options. Sauce lovers are well catered for too, with tomato, garlic aioli, sweet chilli and tartare available by the pottle or bottle.
There's more than seafood here as well. The Unique Gourmet Burger adds a different dimension to the traditional menu, and the vegetarian burger has earned particular praise from guests who note how rare good meat-free options are at a chippy. Families are looked after with a kids' menu — the Sprat Pack — while family packs make feeding the whole table simple.
The vibe is relaxed and casual: a proper community spot where friends gather, families order together and solo diners are just as welcome. Service options cover takeaway, delivery and dine-in, with table service and both indoor and outdoor seating. The premises have a wheelchair-accessible entrance and a toilet, and there's plenty of free street parking, so stopping by is easy whether it's a planned family outing or a spontaneous quick bite.
Two Little Fish is popular for lunch and dinner alike, and reservations are accepted for those who like to plan a fish-and-chips feast ahead of time. Be warned, though: this is a busy place, and proudly so. Friday evenings see the shop at full capacity, with queues that have been known to stretch out the door, and phone orders can be difficult to place at peak times. Regulars will tell you the bustle is simply proof that everything is fresh and worth the short wait.
A few pointers from the people who know it best. Aim for off-peak hours — late weekday afternoons are quieter — and don't leave your order too late in the evening, as service runs within a compact window; a quick call to +64 3 547 3343 will confirm the day's hours. When you do visit, the consensus order writes itself: hand-filleted gurnard fillets with an ample scoop of those perfectly cooked chips, plus whatever catches your eye from the seafood cabinet — scallops, oysters and a paua patty are frequent flyers in the glowing reviews.