Rock and Sole Plaice - Fish and Chips, London, UK

Best: Fish & Chips

45 Endell Street
Covent Garden, London, WC2H9AJ, United Kingdom
020 7836 3785
Parking: limited street parking; Nearest Tube: Covent Garden

Last Visited: July 6, 2010

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

History points to fish and chips starting in London around 1861. Rock & Sole Plaice opened in 1871 and is known for being London's third 'chippie' ever. Their menu even tells the story of how the facility was used as a meeting place for the Fish Fryer's Federation to discuss supplies during World War II, specifically which areas devastated by bombings would need their morale boosted as those left homeless would need hot food distribution. So you feel a bit like you're getting more than just fish and chips when you come to Rock & Sole.

When we arrived about 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon, the place was packed. All of the tables outside were full with both a combination of tourists and locals. I say tourists because there were many people there whom didn't seem to speak English as their first language or were carrying a tour book. Rock & Sole takes street seating beyond the usual - here you are, right next to the cars going by and hoping that nobody hits you. Unfortunately, the smell of gasoline mingles with that of cigarette smoke, but it is London after all - just one of those unavoidable things in public.

Rock & Sole came recommended by Lawrence, a buddy from college whom is staying in London. We were fortunate to arrive within a few minutes of a group that was about to vacate their table, and we sat down to peruse the menu which offered regular sized and large for all of their fish with the except of halibut which just comes in one size. All of the fish here comes served with chips; the fish availble include cod, skate, haddock, rock, plaice, halibut and lemon sole. If your friends love fish and chips, but it's not your favorite, never fear. They also offer pies like steak and kidney pie, chicken and onion pie, and other savory dishes like cornish pastie and beef sausage. They also have crispy coated cheese - who can refuse friend cheese?

Service was just so-so today as all of the tables were full and the staff seemed to be running a bit ragged. I saw one member dash across the street to the convenience store for a quart of milk. Tartar sauce and ketchup are put in stainless steel containers on each table, but we were low on tartar sauce and had to ask for more.

- Fried Calamari - Six pieces of calamari are lightly battered and served with a wedge of lemon. Some of the calamari was exposed when it was served because the breading hadn't stayed with it and I was at first hesitant because it looked dry. Fortunately for me, I was wrong and the pieces were meaty and juicy. Very good. The picture shows that the pieces are fairly large too - an extra bonus. 4 pounds

- Fried Cod & Chips - The cod was very good and it was served with chips that were good. The fish is battered just right with enough coating that despite sitting for a few minutes on the plate - none of the batter gets soggy, and it stayed crunchy throughout my meal. The cod was excellent - it was so fresh and flaky; the texture was not the slightest bit dense or mushy. The chips were crispy on the outside and good on the inside. I like my fries to be just a touch crispier, but these were still quite good. There are so many fries, you are bound to be full if you eat them all. Regular 11.50 pounds, Large 13 pounds

- Fried Haddock & Chips - They had run out of the regular sized fish, so I went for the large. You can see, large is pretty big. See cod description above. The haddock was equally flaky and fresh. Regular 11.50 pounds, Large 13
pounds

- Fried Onion Rings (8) - While the rings look a bit small, and maybe even a little dry, looks can be deceiving. These rings are sweet with just the right amount of breading. Good stuff. 1.70 pounds

I wanted to leave room for dessert, but there was no way that was going to happen. I was completely stuffed. The check took a while to come, and it seemed to be the result of just having a full house with only two people waiting tables. I would highly recommend Rock & Sole. While the prices are slightly on the high side, there is no better way to really feel like you're experiencing London than to have a really good meal of fish and chips. Another bonus - Scoop is just around the corner and so much gelato awaits - if you have room that is.