Summer 2023/24: Where to get the best fish and chips in Bateman's Bay

Ahead of summer 2023/24, we ducked down to the Bay to suss out the fish and chip situation. Here's an update on where to go for the best fish and chips this holiday season.

Berny’s at Batehaven

ADDRESS: 246 Beach Road, Batehaven NSW
PARKING: Easy (park across the road and walk across Beach Road at the lights)
TABLES FOR EATING IN? Limited
TIME FROM JOINING THE QUEUE TO EATING: 38 minutes
COST: $$
CRISPY FACTOR: 10/10
BURGERS AND CHIKO ROLLS AVAILABLE? No

A few years ago Berny’s had a sticker on the window: Voted Best Fish and Chips in NSW. It’s not there anymore, but definitely should be. You’ll wait a fair while for your fish and chips at Berny’s but when they arrive — wowee. The chips are super crispy, as is the coating on the fish and the seafood.

We ordered the seafood basket, which came with a piece of fish, a serve of chips, a prawn cutlet, a seafood stick and two calamari rings. It didn’t quite feed two adults.

I highly recommend heading to the flying fox park across the road from Berny’s (next to Clydeview Caravan Park) with the kids, and sending one parent over to order and wait for the food while the kids play. Then eat your chips hot and crispy on a picnic rug.

Rock Face Cafe and Takeaway, Mogo

ADDRESS: Unit 3/31 Sydney Street, Mogo NSW
PARKING: Medium
TABLES FOR EATING IN? Yes
TIME FROM JOINING THE QUEUE TO EATING: 12 minutes
COST: $
CRISPY FACTOR: 5/10
BURGERS AND CHIKO ROLLS AVAILABLE? Yes

I call takeaways like this ‘tradie takeaways’ because they offer everything my cabinetmaker husband loves at smoko: think hamburgers-with-the-lot, bacon and egg rolls, and Chiko rolls.

We ordered fish, chips and salad at Rock Face, which at $16.50, was the cheapest of all three takeaways we went to. The food arrived super quick and came with lemon and tartare sauce.

The chips were thick and not super crispy but still nice, the battered fish came out of the freezer, but that’s standard across most takeaways. This is more a ‘we’ve got a huge family and everyone wants something different’ option, rather than a place to head for fresh fish.

The Boat Shed, Batemans Bay

ADDRESS: 1 Clyde Street, Batemans Bay NSW
PARKING: Hard
TABLES FOR EATING IN? Yes
TIME FROM JOINING QUEUE TO EATING: 26 minutes
COST: $$$
CRISPY FACTOR: 9/10
BURGERS AND CHIKO ROLLS AVAILABLE? No

Super popular with locals and visitors alike, the line out the door of The Boat Shed almost every day of summer is the best indicator of the quality of the fish and chips served here.

We ordered fish, chips and salad, and the 26-minute wait went super quickly because we sat out the back near the water with the most beautiful view. The fish and chips were golden and crispy, and delicious. The only downside was I left hungry: the portion size just wasn’t big enough!

Head to the Boat Shed if you want to enjoy your fish and chips right next to the ocean.

And the winner is: Berny’s at Batehaven, but make sure you’re well prepared for a long wait.