Fish and chips are a quintessentially English dish, but of course, the Irish will try to lay claim to its origins. It’s just like how Australia and New Zealand will argue over who first invented the pavlova (obviously Australia), but will both try to get rid of Russell Crowe.
Leo Burdock Fish and Chips in Dublin (there’s a few different branches) claim to have the best fish and chips in Dublin, in Ireland, in the British Isles, and even the world. Their fame has spread far and wide, attracting luminaries from all around the world who are now immortalised in the Leo Burdock Hall of Fame.
We dropped into the Temple Bar branch of Leo Burdock’s while in Dublin, as K had a hankering for old-fashioned fish and chips, without any frills or fancy trimmings. There’s definitely nothing fancy about Leo Burdock – while they offer some extras like burgers and fried chicken strips, plain old fish and chips is the main item on the menu. There’s not that many varieties of fish to choose from either – in fact on the day that we went, only a smoked cod and a fresh cod were available, so we ended up getting one of each.
K’s Smoked Cod Fish and Chips was a case of there being too much of a good thing. While smoked cod in smaller quantities can be extremely delicious with a salty smoky flavour, eating an entire battered fillet of it ends up being much too salty on the palate especially as the batter is also flavoured as well. When dining at Leo Burdock, I think it makes more sense to choose a fresh fish as the batter they use is quite tasty already with a good amount of salt used throughout.
With that in mind, my Fresh Cod Fish and Chips was a much more enjoyable meal as it was flavoured just right, and enhanced by the drizzle of tartare sauce I put over it. I loved the chips as well – they were short, stubby and full of the flavour that can only come from a fish and chip shop’s deep-fryer. This is definitely the meal to order, but keep in mind that it is a huge serving that can probably serve two people if you’re not feeling particularly peckish!
Leo Burdock is a traditional fish and chip shop in the very best way possible – they don’t deviate too far from the classics and don’t mess the menu by doing too many different things. They stick to what they know, and they do it well. Make sure you order the fresh fish options when you go, and don’t be shy about asking for lashings of tartare sauce to go with the fish!
Leo Burdock is located at 4 Crown Alley in Temple Bar, Dublin Ireland.
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