The Cod’s Scallops – Fish and Chips – Nottingham

**The Cod’s Scallops voted Best Newcomer in 2013 National Fish and Chip awards

Hailing from near the coast as I do I have always searched for good fish and chips in Nottingham. As one of the furthest cities from the sea in the UK good fish and shellfish has been hard to come by in comparison to my home region. Quite apart from the excellent name, I had heard about the Cod’s Scallops from a couple of sources, with good field reports. The Wollaton establishment is owned by the same company who manages the Larwood & Voce, amongst other public houses.

The Cod’s Scallops – Wollaton, Nottingham

Amusingly a friend rang up to book a table before our visit, when we arrived we understood why they don’t take bookings. The Cod’s Scallops does have a handful of tables but at its heart it is still a local chippy. One of the biggest pluses of eating in is that they serve alcohol with a few reasonably priced bottles of wine and beers including Harvest Pale which is always welcome. The menu has the traditional fare with some more adventurous offerings (depending on availability) such as swordfish, lobster and gurnard.

Cockles

Despite the options I thought, ‘when in Rome’, and plumped for cod (no scallops though). Whilst we were waiting we had a selection of nautical nibbles; mussles, cockles and whelks. All were fresh and tasty, served simply and prettily with a drop of mayonnaise. At £2 it’s not a bargain if you’re used to the seaside but reasonable for items you’re unlikely to get at many places in Nottingham.

Fish & Chips

The fish arrived; resplendent in a deep golden batter that was thin and crispy. The fish itself was of decent quality but didn’t quite have the large pearly flakes of the best you can find. Chips split the group as I personally favour a soggy example, however they were well cooked and not greasy. One disappointment for me was the tartare which didn’t have the bite and acidity to cut through the rich batter. At £7.50 it is a price point above most of the competition in Nottingham but for me the quality and additional offerings justifies this extra cost.

Overall 8/10 – it’s only fish and chips but they are the best around!

Food 8/10

Value 7/10

Restaurant website: http://codsscallops.com/

Opening times: Mon – Thurs: 9.30 – 2.30 & 4.30 – 9       Fri & Sat: 9.30 – 2.30 & 4.30 – 9.30

Date of my visit: May 2013

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