Edinburgh’s Best Fish & Chips, The Tailend Restaurant & Fish Bar
My mouth watered when I heard Colin Cromar was to open the Tailend restaurant and fish bar in Edinburgh. Cromar and business partners were behind the amazingly successful and delicious Anstruther Fish Bar, which has won a whole host of awards. I’d always felt Edinburgh lacked a truly great fish and chip shop, so the opening of the Tailend on Albert Place (just off Leith Walk) seemed just what the city needed. After my midweek visit to their sit-in restaurant I am positively glowing in praise for what was an outstanding serving of fish, chips and mushy peas - just the way I like it!
The kitchen, with Cromar applying his trade to both takeaway and sit-in orders is clearly visible from the sit-in section of the Tailend. The interior is modern, yet simple: marbled table tops with numbers, wooden chairs, black and white photographs along the walls and a light bright decor. A specials chalkboard hangs by the kitchen hatch. Specials varied from a starter of king scallops with roast hazelnut and herb butter (£5.50) to a main of swordfish steak and chips (£11.85).
The Tailend’s restaurant prices can’t be described as cheap, though I think good fish and chips everywhere stopped being cheap a long time ago. On our visit we both opted for Tailend’s Traditional Fish Tea (£9.50). The fish tea consisted of haddock served with lemon, tartare sauce, chips (or ‘chipped potatoes’ as the Tailend prefers), bread and butter, and mushy peas.
Thankfully the Tailend has not messed with the simple and winning formula for fish and chips; although the presentation has been well thought out. Our chips arrived in a large bowl, the fish was served on a separate plate and the mushy peas had their own small bowl. It was clear from the drinking glasses that someone had been shopping at Ikea!
The fish was absolutely delicious - lovely flaky white fish encased in a light yet crispy batter. Perfect. The freshness of the haddock demonstrated that the Tailend receives fish daily. The chips were among the best I have tasted - nice and chunky, crispy on the outside and enticingly fluffy inside. The mushy peas, which I think no fish and chips should be without, rounded the fish tea off well. Though on a slightly negative point, the tartare source didn’t taste as homemade as it should.
All the fish is Scottish sourced and filleted/smoked in the supplier’s fish house in Arbroath. There is a choice of having fish served in the Tailend’s tasty batter, breaded (50p extra) or grilled with olive oil. The grilled option means the health conscious diner can, if you exclude the chips, enjoy the Tailend’s menu.
It’s likely most diners will, at least for their first visit, stick to the traditional fish tea. This could be disappointing for Cromar and crew who have created a menu of langoustine tails, salmon and pickled herring starters, Arbroath smokie, sole and a solid selection of enticing specials. Non fish-eaters are catered for with the Tailend burger and griddled chicken fillet.
Eventually the Tailend will have a drinks licence, and serve wine and bottled beer. In the absence of a licence our waitress was happy for us to ‘bring our own booze’, so I had a quick walk to Tesco and bought a few cans. A pot of tea costs £1.80. Service was delightfully friendly and welcoming from the young lady serving us. This was a real plus point.
Our fish tea was substantial in size and there was ample fish and chips for the two of us. However the Tailend have a St Luca ice-cream counter by the door. I couldn’t resist and, with a gun to my tummy, forced down two scoops of delicious mint choc chip and strawberry ice cream (£2.95).
The takeaway section of the Tailend fish bar sells a fish supper (haddock or cod) for £5.50. Many of the more adventurous fish dishes are also available e.g. sole/prawns. Standard chip shop fare e.g. burgers, steak pie, haggis and chicken are also on the menu.
The perfect fish and chip restaurant?! Well it’s certainly very good and definitely a clearer number one choice for fish and chips in Edinburgh.
Definitely try the Tailend restaurant for a sit-in meal or the Tailend fish bar for takeaway. It’s a welcome and quality addition to Edinburgh and put very simply: a fish and chip shop Edinburgh needed.
The Tailend is a great establishment and I’ll certainly be visiting on many more occasions this year.
The Tailend Fish Restaurant & Fish Bar is located at 14-15 Albert Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH7 5HN.
When I moved to Leith Walk last year I was gutted at the lack of a good chippie. I had driven past this place a few times since they started work on it but it is not clear it was a takeaway as well. Saw an anticle in the papers about it being the same people that used to run the Anstruther Fish Bar and I was off my seat and straight there for a carry-out!!
Was not dissappointed by the Haddock supper. Staff were a bit slow and the French girl was having a bit of trouble with all the Leither’s accents but I am sure they will work this out in time.
The food was more than worth the wait and will be going back for a sit-down meal soon!!
Hi - I am trying to find a contact number for this place but can’t find it anywhere online or directory enquries - can anyone help?
Their number is 0131 555 3577
14-15 Albert Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh (where Sugo used to be)
I’m afraid the pictures do not corroborate the words. The chips look a little undercooked and the fish looks quite skinny and unsubstantial. Surely everything is going to get cold, really quickly, served up separately in dinky glass bowls like that.
We tried the Tailend for a sit-in fish tea on Sunday. Absolutely wonderful!
Tasty, succulent haddock in a light crispy batter. Yes the chips are light in colour but try them! They are perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and light and dry inside ( with lots of lovely crispy small ones!) and the tastiest mushy peas (yes they do stay hot).
Good, cheerful service. We’ll be back.
Visited the Tailend fish restaurant and takeaway on two occassions so far, once for a sit down meal and again to have a carry out and I will certainly be back for more. Colin and colleagues are top of their game and it is evident in the quality of the food and service. It is definately the best fish and chips that I have had, and would recommend it to anyone. The fish is really fresh and there is more choice than your average chip shop, you even have a choice how the fish is cooked. The resaurant is a calm relaxing retreat from busy Leith Walk and is decorated in a simple stylish way. The service is polite and efficient in delivery. The Tailend is a brilliant new addition to Edinburgh’s food spots and if you like good fish and chips, it’s certianly worth checking it out for yourself - you won’t be disappointed!
We were in Edinburgh 10 days ago on business, and the Tailend was recommended by a colleague. We tried it that evening (sit-down). The fish & chips were nothing short of heaven. The mushy peas…divine. 2 days later we ordered carry-out, and it was just as good. Even better while strolling in the evening air. We will definately be back in October when we will be in your lovely city again.
Does anyone know the opening hours for the Tailend? I can’t find them online and they’re not answering the phone. :-)
The basic fish take-away supper is £5.50 and others chippies in the same area can be £6.50, this is a bargain when you see that every piece of fish is cooked to order, no stacks of pre-cooked fish under the heat lamps for hours, even the chips are straight out of the fryer. You wait a few minutes longer for this but it’s worth it.
I hope this plaice stays for a long time!
I visited the Tailend last weekend (21 June) - recommended by people from work - and I heartily endorse you view of the place - really excellent fish and chips!
The Tailend is by far the best chippy in Edinburgh. The Skate and Monkfish portions are huge and the staff are really friendly. Well done guys!
The Tailend is amazing! I live accross the road and have been eating there since it opened. I have tried most specials but the Lemon Sole in batter is by far my favourite. The chips have a real home-made taste too, which is a nice change. Thanks very much to the friendly staff also, they will be on my xmas card list this year :)
I’ve been a few timea and always for sit in. The place is a a wow!
They seem to have tha aircon right as one could eat and leave without fear of stinking of fish and chips. My partner didn’t stink of chips.
Food is excellent, staff are friendly but a little haphazard, which I like. It still doesn’t have its license yet (08/07/2008) so you can take your own wine or beer (small corkage charge). I’ve had fish tea, scallops and shrimp all of which were excellent. I agree with tha comments about the chips, they can be peely wally and could do with cooking just a little longer.
I’m going there tonight with a visitor to the city, touroids love it.
After reading the reviews on here, and being almost 8 months pregnant and utterly craving decent fish and chips, I decided to visit this place.
All I can say is…oh wow! Until I moved to Edinburgh, I lived near a seaside village in the North East of England, and I have to say the chip shop there was excellent. The Tailend is as good, if not better - fantastically fresh, hot fish and chips served by friendly staff and tasting wonderful. I had the arbroath smokie pate with toast to start (I was hungry!), followed by the traditional fish tea. There was so much food that I ended up regretting my decision to have a starter, tasty though it was, and ended up leaving a little of the main course. A travesty really, as it was so good.
To the poster above who felt the photos didn’t back up the claims that this place is great - you’re right. The photos don’t do justice to how the food actually tastes. However, I didn’t have any problem with the food getting cold before I’d eaten it as it was all steaming hot and freshly prepared, and my fish was perfectly moist and not too thin. The chips, though pale-ish, were crisp and non-greasy, and I’m pretty sure they must put some addictive drug into their mushy peas - they’re that good. ;-)
Definitely recommending Tailend to my friends.
My Dad goes here practically every week without fail.
Didn’t realise it was owned by award winners. The chips could do with a bit of longer in the frier but still delicious none the less.
I have only had fish takeaways, quite fancy some musy peas now
Really really fab. Fresh fish in a clean relaxed setting. The menu is great and healthy options too!
i’d have to disagree with the folk who say edinburgh lacks a good chippie-you guys aren’t looking hard enough-check out l’alba doro in henderson row,gioavnni’s at piershill,the gold sea on ferry road
still not tried the tailend though but hope to soon
went tonight after reading these recommendations and have to say it was as good highlighted above. went for a take away and the fish was cooked in front of us…. as were the chips. both remained hot and crisp until we got them home and remained so whilst eating… it is good to find a fish and chip shop, which is close to home, in edinburgh at last.
FANTASTIC - WOW - We had the great pleasure of feeding our young family in the Tail End, the children’s menu was so very refreshing to find that it was all just as fresh as the adults menu - Not like many other restaurants who simply take something out of the freezer and re-heat it. The standard of the food was the best I have tasted - The service was excellent, we even had the pleasure of speaking to the owners who made us and our two little children feel so welcome, they now have a full drinks license, so even better for the next time we visit Edinburgh. I would only describe the Tail End as a must place to visit for exceptional Food & Service - Well done to the whole team there.
Don - Leeds