Marriotts Shop Front

I like my fish to taste of fish, not batter. I like potatoes to have texture, not soaked in fat. And curry sauce makes me want to hide in the Amazon jungle.

However, there is a time when fish and chips should be appropriate and a recent visit to Southend-On-Sea seemed to pretty much fill the requirement.

I had been a warm day, not too hot, and we had doen the pier, a bit of the ammusements, paddled in the mud and whatched the tide come in - and it moves at a fair old speed too!

Now seemed the time to brace ourselves for the fish supper. Walking along the sea front, my nostrils were assaulted by the stench of over hot fat, sticky batter and cheap vinegar. Several times we stopped by a Fish and Chip stall, only to be scared off by the thick, battery portions that we being hefted out by the diners. And at an average of nearly £6 for a small portion, we were going off the idea rapidly.

Heading west past the pier (slowly being rebuilt after the fire in 2005) we thought we had run out of shops till we noticed this place called Marriots.

This quiet little restaurnant and takeaway had nothing immediately to recommend it other than the fact that it seemed to be surviving on a quiter part of the sea front. The menu was the normal mix of fish and chips, dodgy roast dinners, burgers, pies and mugs of tea. Again, nothing to go on. But we were hungry, the clouds were smothering out the sunshine and we needed to make a descision.

"4 small cod and chips please!"

Fist thing we noted was that the chap went to the frier, pulled out 4 fresh fillets of cod, battered them immediately and fried them in fotn of us.  The next thing we notices was that his price was nearly half that of the rubbish we have witnessed the other side of the pier.

This was a little more promising.

And the promise was born out. The batter was crisp and delicate. The fish was fresh and definitely fish! And the chips were fluffy and dry.

It was delightful, and so far from that rubbish that most people think is "good honest fish 'n' chips."

So, if you are in Southend, or fancy the trip, get your self to Marriots! You will love it! 

Tags: Marriotts Southend Fish and Chips
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