Oliver's is a neat little chip shop and restaurant on Haverstock Hill, midway between Chalk Farm and Belsize Park tube stations.
Decorated in green, white and grey, the shop manages to look fashionable and traditional in equal measures.
Oliver's fry cod, haddock and plaice, but they also grill salmon, sea bass, sea bream and tuna. The fried fish can be ordered in batter or matzo meal. If you eat in the restaurant, expect a mark up of about £3 on the fish.
The Chip Fiends ordered a takeaway of cod, chips and curry sauce, and haddock, chips and mushy peas. We also shared a large gherkin. The fish was fried to order in the large range that stands on one of the side walls of the restaurant behind a long, open counter.
It was boxed and bagged - all in recycled card and paper (including the sauce pots) - and we went out to find a nearby bench.
The curry sauce was very thick and spicy. A great dipper for the chips. The mushy peas had been blitzed to a rich purée. Mint had been added to give them a lift. Again, this sauce made a good dip.
Both fish came in a yellowish batter. One Fiend peeled it off, the other ate it. The haddock was steamed nicely inside. The cod was strangely wet. We had not seen a watery fish like this before.
The chips were nice and chunky, but starting to go a bit wrinkly. The portions were very big. We couldn't manage everything. The gherkin helped to make the food more digestible. The overall impression was of the food not quite living up to the expectations given by appearances of the shop.
There were people eating in the restaurant and their food looked very good.
Ratings out of 5:
Fish (cod and haddock): 3 and 3
Chips: 3
Curry sauce: 4
Mushy peas: 4
Shop / service: 4
Over all: 3
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