The best fish and chips in North Wales - and where to eat them

There are few things that taste better than fish and chips eaten outdoors in North Wales. Salt in the air, paper going translucent with vinegar, gulls circling overhead. Whether it’s perched on a harbour wall, unwrapped on a windswept beach, or carried back to a balcony overlooking the sea, this is food that belongs to its surroundings.

Here are some of the best in North Wales, and exactly where to take them once they’re wrapped.

Finney’s Fish & Chips

In Benllech on Anglesey, Finney’s isn’t just popular, it’s nationally recognised. A winner in the Environment & Sustainability category at the National Fish & Chip Awards and recently named in the UK’s Top 40 takeaways, this is serious fish and chips territory. Crisp batter that shatters, flaky fish, proper chips, and a business that cares about where its produce comes from – it’s little wonder it’s been likened to the Oscars of the chippy world.

From here, you’re moments from Traeth Benllech, a broad sandy bay edged by low headlands. At low tide it stretches wide and open; at high tide the water laps close to the rocks. You can park up above the beach and eat straight from the car with a sea view or wander down and claim a driftwood perch.

Just above the bay sits Dinas Cottage, where dinner can be taken out onto the balcony overlooking the sweep of sand. To the rear, a decked terrace catches the last of the light making it a brilliant spot for unwrapping scrumptious parcels while the tide shifts below. Beach or balcony, you’re never far from the view.

Ainsworth’s Fish & Chips

In the heart of Caernarfon, Ainsworth’s serves its fish and chips within sight of one of Wales’s most imposing fortresses: Caernarfon Castle. Built in the 13th century by Edward I, its polygonal towers and banded stone walls dominate the waterfront, a dramatic backdrop for something as simple and satisfying as a paper-wrapped supper.

You can take your haul straight to Castle Square and eat beneath those towering walls, watching the harbour and boats shifting on the tide. Few places make a Friday-night chippy feel quite so cinematic.

Or head back along the coast towards Llandwrog, where Bodfan Bach lies tucked down a private track near Dinas Dinlle. From here, a path leads through farmland to the wide, open beach, big skies, distant mountains and plenty of space to sit on the sea wall with chips in hand. The contrast is perfect: medieval stronghold at lunchtime, open shoreline by evening.

Y Wygyr Fish & Chips

Right on the northern edge of Anglesey, Y Wygyr in Cemaes Bay turns out golden, generously portioned fish and chips that locals queue for. It’s a working harbour setting, and that maritime feel carries straight into the food.

Traeth Mawr, the main beach in Cemaes, is a mix of sand and shingle, framed by grassy headlands and fishing boats bobbing just offshore. You can park close to the shore, making it ideal for a wind-screened car picnic if the weather’s lively. On calmer evenings, sit on the harbour wall and watch the light drop behind the breakwater.

Almost on the water’s edge is Min y Wygyr, perched so close to the harbour it feels as though you’ve taken a mooring for the night. Its raised balcony looks out across boats, beaches and the curve of the bay: an unbeatable perch for fish and chips eaten with harbour lights flickering below.

The Potted Lobster

For something a little more refined, The Potted Lobster in Abersoch elevates seafood without losing its coastal soul. This is white tablecloths, well-chosen wine and beautifully cooked fish, the kind of place where batter is light, sauces are precise, and the view across the harbour completes the experience.

It’s the kind of dinner you linger over, watching boats shift with the tide, before making the short 20 minute drive back to Tremfan Gorwel, your coastal perch just above Tremfan Hall. Perfectly positioned above the shoreline, this bolthole looks straight across Cardigan Bay. And while The Potted Lobster doesn’t offer takeaway, you won’t need it – you’ll return home full, happy, and ready to settle into an evening with the sea as your backdrop.

It’s fish and chips but dressed for the evening.

Castle Fish & Chips

In Criccieth, Castle Fish & Chips pairs beautifully with its surroundings. The beach here forms a crescent beneath the ruins of Criccieth Castle, a 13th-century stronghold perched on a rocky headland. The position provides shelter from prevailing westerlies, making it one of the Llŷn Peninsula’s most reliable family beaches.

You can sit on the promenade wall with the castle rising above you, or take your supper straight onto the sand, the sea stretching towards Cardigan Bay.

For something entirely different, head back inland to Capel Bach in Llanystumdwy – now a striking holiday home for six, but was once a former chapel built in 1831. There’s something wonderfully unexpected about eating fish and chips beneath lofty chapel ceilings, the day’s salt air still clinging to your coat. Just along the road, Tafarn Y Plu, the village pub that’s been open for over 200 years, adds another layer of local story to the evening.

The Fisherman’s Chip shop

In Conwy, The Fisherman’s Chip Shop sits within the medieval town walls, turning out reliably excellent fish and chips that are best eaten within sight of the water. Walk down to Conwy Quay or out along Conwy Cob, where views stretch across the estuary towards Deganwy and the hills beyond. Boats rock in the marina, gulls wheel overhead, and the castle towers keep watch behind you.

A short stroll from the quay is Cockleshell Cottage, tucked just inside those same ancient walls. Back inside, the living space is bright and welcoming, the stone inglenook fireplace adding weight and character beside the modern kitchen. On warmer evenings, the courtyard makes a perfect spot for supper outdoors; upstairs, the balcony off the bunk room offers a glimpse of the castle walls and Conwy Bay beyond.

In North Wales, fish and chips are rarely just fish and chips. They’re eaten on harbour walls, unwrapped on beaches, and carried home to balconies overlooking the sea.

Find a great chippy, pick a view, and the rest tends to take care of itself. From Anglesey to the Llŷn Peninsula and along the Conwy coast, our boltholes put you within easy reach of both the fryer and the horizon.

Browse our collection of coastal boltholes and plan your next fish-and-chips supper by the sea here.