restaurants

Algarve Fish and Chips – The Cheeky Chippy

The Cheeky Chippy - Algarve Fish and Chips

I make no apology for reviewing a British style fish and chip shop on this blog. Sometime us expats fancy “a taste of home,” (see this post for more on this!) and fish and chips are one of the things we miss. So when we found out there was a “proper” chippy under new management in Almancil, we decided to pay them a visit.

When we walked in, we were surprised to be the only diners in this surprisingly smart establishment, but it turns out we were just in there quite early for the peak of the summer season, with the tourists yet to return from the local beaches.

Service from the gregarious female owner was very friendly without being overbearing, and the lady took our order (cod, chips and curry sauce for me and fishcake, scampi and chips for my wife) swiftly. She also “cross-sold” us some tasty home-made coleslaw!

The Cheeky Chippy - Algarve Fish and Chips

The Cheeky Chippy – Algarve Fish and Chips

I’ll be honest and say that when I first received my plate of food, I was unsure of what to expect, as everything looked a bit too crispy and clinical compared to the the “soggy fish and chips in a bag” that I had been craving.

I needn’t have worried. The taste was spot on; delicious batter on the fish, chips that tasted perfect, and scampi (stolen from my wife) that was some of the best I have tasted. The home-made coleslaw made a nice addition too.

If I had to criticize at all, all I would say is that next time I might be tempted to order two pieces of fish for myself. However, that is probably just a combination of greed, and the fact that we have recently returned from a wedding in Yorkshire, where I treated myself to a preposterously proportioned fish and chips from the famous Wetherby Whaler!

Unfortunately we had no physical capacity left to try any desserts, but will be sure to make room next time, as home-made rhubarb crumble did sound appealing.

We really liked the Cheeky Chippy. The owner is clearly enthusiastic about making a success of the business and was really keen to hear about how much we enjoyed our meal. They also offer take-away, but, as the owner was proud to tell us, they charge no extra to eat in the restaurant so “you may as well let us wash up.”

Not only is the Cheeky Chippy the perfect place for us to cure our occasional fish and chips cravings, it is a really positive sign that by thinking about what people want and delivering it with a smile, businesses can thrive in a challenging economic climate. I hope the proprietor does well, because she clearly deserves to.