Camelot Fish and Chips, Pacifica

After living in the UK for several years, I really grew to love fish and chips as a comfort food. Sometimes on a cloudy, cold and drizzly Friday night, I just wanted to pick up an order from the chippy on the way home from the train station and just gorge myself on fried goodness (and mushy peas) with some white wine. It’s definitely something that isn’t the same in the US. The chips aren’t right, the fish is usually a small finger instead of an entire fried fillet, and there won’t be a mushy pea in sight, but that still doesn’t stop me from dreaming about it, and with the cold and rainy start to the year that we had been having, my cravings just grew. Then someone told me that Camelot Fish and Chips was as close as I was going to get to that authentic British experience, so one day while I was out running errands, I detoured a bit to Pacifica on the coast to give them a try.

It’s a pretty tiny spot with a few tables inside, and it’s definitely set up to look a lot like an English Pub inside. (Even if most of the good fish and chips in the UK is not found in the pub). The decorations were a bit overboard of course, as I don’t think any pub in the UK has that much British paraphernalia, but it was a friendly reminder of things over the pond. Given it was lunch, I opted to not have any beer, but they did have a few British names I recognized. I chose the standard fish and chips with two pieces of fish and, of course, chips ($20). Sadly, they were lacking mushy peas, but when asked, claimed that Americans generally weren’t huge fans, so I gave them a bit of a pass. They also have other fried food on the menu, including some chicken and fried seafood, as well as combos of chicken and fish and seafood and fish, but since I had my heart set on fulfilling my craving, the fish it was. They also do a single piece of fish ($14) and a triple piece of fish ($29) depending on your hunger levels.

The fish looked spectacular when it arrived, and after absolutely drenching it in vinegar, I dug in. The fish was perfectly cooked, with a really crispy batter and soft, flaky fish inside. And the chips were a dead ringer for the chips you would get in a chippy in the UK. I don’t know how to describe them, as they generally aren’t too crisp, but also not too soggy, yet they are still perfectly fluffy and wonderful inside. Honestly, I was in fish and chips heaven.

And thankfully, they are not at all close to my house so I won’t be eating more fried goodness than I should be. I’m not going to lie, the two pieces was a bit much for lunch, but my craving had gotten the best of me. Next time, I’d definitely try one of the combos to discover if their fried seafood is equally as good. I might also find someone to drive me so I could have a pint or two to have the full British experience.

Score: 5/5
Recommendation: Whatever you get, make sure it has some of the fish!

Camelot Fish and Chips
70 West Manor Drive
Pacifica, CA 94044