Christchurch guide
The best fish & chips in Christchurch
Fish and chips is the takeaway Christchurch argues about. Everyone's got their shop — the one they grew up on, the one worth a cross-town drive on a Friday night. These are the chippies the city actually rates.
13 of them, ranked by the ratings locals give them — the beach runs at New Brighton and Sumner where the paper goes straight to the sand, the neighbourhood stalwarts through Papanui, Cashmere and the south side, and a proper sit-down option on the wharf at Lyttelton.
Chippy hours are their own thing: plenty take a midweek day off, most fire up from late afternoon, and the good ones sell out of the fresh catch early. Worth a call ahead if you're set on a particular fish.
The picks
- 01Hopkins Street Takeaway · Takeaway · Woolston
A classic Kiwi corner takeaway in Woolston — fish and chips, burgers and the deep-fried staples, cheap and quick.
- 02Captain Ben's · Takeaway · Riccarton
A Rountree Street fish-and-chip shop in Upper Riccarton — the classics plus a few Asian additions like sweet-and-sour on fried rice.
- 031040 Takeaways · Takeaway · St Albans
A classic St Albans corner takeaway — fish and chips, burgers and the deep-fried staples, cheap and quick.
- 04Opawa Seafood · Takeaway · Beckenham
An Opawa fish-and-chip shop — fresh fish fried the classic way, plus the usual takeaway line-up.
- 05Milton Street Takeaways (Christchurch) · Takeaway · Addington
A classic Kiwi corner takeaway on Milton Street — fish and chips, burgers and the deep-fried staples, wrapped and ready.
- 06Fisherman's Wharf · Restaurant · Lyttelton
A waterfront seafood restaurant on Norwich Quay with panoramic views over Lyttelton Harbour and the working port.
- 07Seaview Rd Fisheries · Takeaway · New Brighton
A Seaview Road fish-and-chip shop in New Brighton — fresh fish fried the classic way, plus the usual takeaway line-up.
- 08Cashmere Fish Supply · Takeaway · Cashmere
A classic neighbourhood chippy in Cashmere — fresh fish fried the old way, plus the usual takeaway line-up.
- 09Mr Fish & Chips · Takeaway · Papanui
A Papanui chippy — fish and chips and the usual takeaway line-up, cheap and quick.
- 10Master Seafood · Takeaway · Sydenham
A Sydenham fish-and-chip and seafood takeaway — the classics fried fresh and consistent, with online order and pickup.
+ 3 more on the map below ↓
Keep exploring
Common questions
- Where's the best fish and chips in Christchurch?
- The top-rated right now: Hopkins Street Takeaway, Captain Ben's, 1040 Takeaways, Opawa Seafood, Milton Street Takeaways (Christchurch). It's the genuine chippies only — no combo-box shops padding the list — ranked by the ratings locals give them, so it moves as the ratings do.
- Where can you get fish and chips by the beach?
- New Brighton has the classic chippies a short walk from the sand — Seaview Rd Fisheries and Henry's — and Red Snapper in Sumner fillets its own fish, with outdoor tables or the beach across the road.
- Anywhere to sit down rather than takeaway?
- Fisherman's Wharf in Lyttelton — a waterfront seafood restaurant on the harbour that runs its own trawler, so the fish hasn't travelled far. Red Snapper in Sumner has an outdoor area to eat in too.