Alexanders, John Street, Ryde

What's the way to find good fish and chips on the Isle of Wight? It's simple - follow Matt and Cat's easy guide.

Alexanders, Ryde

Are you right next to the sea? No good chips here - and no good prices either. Are you within sight of the sea? OK, maybe some edible chips, but keep a hold of your wallet. Within sound of the sea? You might just get something decent. No sign of the sea? Then you're probably on course for a really good fish supper. There are a few exceptions to buck the trend but it seems to be a general truism that to get the best chips, simply you must turn your back on the coast and head inland.

Review continues:

Taking this advice to heart, fish and chip specialist Matt went off in search of supper. Just off Ryde High Street, at the top of the hill is Alexanders, a big, town centre chip shop with eating-in facility too. Matt took junior reviewers Bill and Jack to see how it fared. An amiable queue of customers chatted with the friendly staff - this is a shop that local people obviously patronise - a good sign. Standard chip shop fare was on offer at very reasonable prices. Matt chose haddock, Jack went for battered sausage, Bill made a brave break from custom, and chose one of the temptingly large steak and kidney pies. With minimal delay, the meals were parcelled up, and Matt and lads were on their way home with the delightfully hot, damp parcel.

Alexanders, haddock and chips

Back at chez Matt, the eager diners unwrapped the meal and served it up. The heady scent of hot paper and vinegar filled the room as they tucked in to some excellent chips. These were real, fresh potato chips, Matt and lads saw them being brought in to the fryer - nothing frozen there. If further proof was needed, the tasty, soft white insides and browned but not over-greasy outsides of the chips were second to none. Portion size was beyond reproach, with more than enough chips for everyone. Matt's haddock was one of the biggest fish portions he'd ever had, perfectly prepared and cooked without a hint of bone or skin. On unwrapping, the thick coating of batter proved to be cooked right through, not sticking messily to the paper and not dripping oil either. Jack gave his sausage a thumbs-up, and Bill was particularly delighted with his pie - a good choice as it had piping hot, crisp pastry with no soggy bits, containing a really generous allowance of meat filling. It was soon consumed.

Alexanders serves up a good value meal, and it's well worth making the short journey inland to enjoy some of the best fish and chips in Ryde.

PermalinkPublished: 8th August 2008
3203 views
Categories: We like, Restaurants, Take aways, Ryde, Fish and chips

10 comments

Comment from: jackie
i would just like to say if catt and matt think that the best fish and chips in ryde are at alexanders then i suggest they give up food reviewing immediately. alexanders has one of the worst places to eat on the island the whole of the town centre stinks when they light their fryers so please if you are going to give reviews be honest,. and i suggest anyone reading this review ask a few locals where to eat and they will tell you and it wont be alexanders.
01/09/08 @ 22:24
Comment from: mary(resident)
look at the state of the food on the picture, you are surely joking about it being b est chip shop, i thought at one time your website was quite good and honest but please you cannot reccommend this place using that photo, its horrible, this place has got such a bead reputation that i wouldnt bother anyway
19/09/08 @ 15:59
Comment from: Anon
Have you actually been there? No? Then don't assume to know what the food tastes like!
the amount of people who eat there and tell the staff its the best fish and chips they have ever had is ridiculous.
Not only this but there is new management so any bad reputation this restaurant has is most likely completely out of date, as i for one love to eat here and I know many people who come back regularly to enjoy the food served and the wonderful atmosphere created but the kind staff who work there.
09/10/08 @ 22:32
Comment from: Troy(Local)
Just gone to get Fish and Chips in my regular,after finishing work the girl behind the counter was moaning that she wanted to go home.
While serving she done herself a little tray of sausage and chips putting tomato sauce on them and getting it everywhere plus the grease on the paper she was going to serve our food on .
Then she ate them at the till,while preparing a roll without washing her hands
We have been going to you for years,not anymore we will go to Wights much cleaner and better.
I advice people not to go there....
11/10/08 @ 16:26
Comment from: The Billo-bob
Mmmm, as stated, I really did enjoy that pie. It was the pie you always dreamed of. It wasn't a dissapointing "air pie"
It was a pie filled with nice meat, would recommend!
^^
-Billo-bob out
08/11/08 @ 12:58
Comment from: mike

wights fish and chips is the best I have ever tasted!
You can see that they work very hard at what they do
I would like to know how much Matt and Cat were paid to give the review that they did.
As you can see from the picture the fish and chips at Alexanders is tummy turning.

Matt and Cat if you go recommending this kind of rubbish to people
you will give the island and yourselves a bad name.


M & C respond: we don't take money or favours from restaurants and we don't care to be accused of it either. Please confine your remarks to criticism, not insults.
07/01/09 @ 20:37
Comment from: Mike
I am not the mike who made the comment on Alexanders.Must be someone with a grudge I think.Personaly I've never had any problems with Alexanders.
09/01/09 @ 08:13
Comment from: bridget
i think this place is awful , you only have to smell when your shopping around ryde when they are frying , but to say wights is any better is totally absurd - theres only on the island i would go thats judes plaice, chipmunks and chip ahoy, in no order -
17/01/09 @ 00:25
Comment from: David Szatter
Easily the best chippy in ryde a large portion of chips is more than enough for three people and the fish is cooked fresh and if you order a large cod or haddock its easily enough for two unlike the rest of the chippys in ryde(beleive me ive tried them all)when are they going to learn a large cod isnt an 8 inch tiddler keep up the good work.Dave.
22/08/09 @ 19:45
Comment from: The Howley Family
Hi Matt and Catt - I can only applaud you're recommendation - 8 of us ate at Alexander's today, 31-12-2009, and we had 8 fantastic meals. Thanks.
31/12/09 @ 17:42

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