John Long’s

John Longs was recommended to me by a Belfast friend, so I was going based on his word. Easy to find coming out of Belfast Grand Central, just a few minutes walk away and you can see the red brick with the name up high. Diner style inside, got a table straight away and a sit-in menu. Service was quick and staff were friendly, despite being busy. Ordered the fish & chip supper and a pot of tea. It all arrived piping hot and looked and smelt delicious. The fish was so fresh and tasty and the batter brought back memories of my local childhood chipper. The chips were good and proper chips..as they should be! Black and white pics and info adorn the walls inside, give yourself a bit of time to look at these and soak up the atmosphere in this iconic building.

We went here after seeing that it was the Chipper from Derry Girls. We even saw their photo on the wall! There are also photos of other celebrities who have eaten here. It's an order at the counter style place, serving mainly fish and chips. It was pretty good, but we went for the experience more than the food

Absolutely the best fish and chips I have ever had—so good, in fact, that I’m already planning a return trip to Belfast just so my parents can experience the magic of this legendary chipper. John Long’s is, without a doubt, the finest in Belfast. From the moment you take your first bite, you can tell this isn’t just any fish and chips—it’s an institution. The curry sauce is packed with flavour, thick and rich, the perfect balance of spice and savouriness. The chips are fried to absolute perfection—golden, crispy on the outside yet fluffy inside. But the real star of the show is the fish: beautifully moist, flaking apart with the lightest touch of a fork, all encased in the crispiest, most golden batter imaginable. Every bite is a perfect harmony of texture and taste. It’s honestly ruined fish and chips for me back home—my local just doesn’t come close. I have no idea what I’m going to do on Fridays now! John Long’s sets the bar so high that anything else feels like a poor imitation. If you’re in Belfast, this place isn’t just a recommendation—it’s a must. 10/10, no question!

Great fish and chips served hot and fresh! If this is what you want then go to Longs! You can take away or sit in. I recommend that you sit in to soak up the atmosphere of this restaurant which is a real throwback to the past. There's nowhere else like it in Belfast. Both the exterior and the interior of this building have a certain charm and character which is specific to Belfast. With that in mind and the promise of an excellent fish supper, Longs should be on the bucket list of any food lover!

A nostalgic Belfast gem. Still standing and doing great fish and chips. Traditional food and original interior. Tangible Belfast history for satisfying food. Great value for money too. Give it a go and make it part of a visit to Belfast. David Allen.

John Longs is a bona fide Belfast Institution, and it's easy to see why. The food is really good but I was massively disappointed by the amount of chips we got with our orders. My Dad and I ordered the fish goujons meal deal which came with a side, bread and butter for £11. There was tons of fish but legitimately about half a scoop of chips to go with it. They serve meals for sit in on small plates to make it seem like you're getting loads. Service wasn't great, we got seated, and it took quite awhile for us to even get given menus. My friend ordered a fish supper but they only brought a fish to him, so we then had to order the chips separately, which they charged £4 for. While I'm glad to have finally gotten round to trying Longs, I don't think I'd rush back.

First time I tried fish and chips and I loved it. I ordered a Fresh Buttered Fish Supper (£11), getting both fish and chips. I was impressed by the great quality of the fish. It wasn't oily at all and allowed me to enjoy the flavour of the haddock. Quite filling dish, delicious fish, fast and friendly service, highly recommended.

I’ve been here a couple of times before and truly wondered what all the fuss was about! I went to school right beside it 35 years ago and it had the reputation of being the best chippie in Belfast. U2 and Take That had dined here; and yet, every time I’d been here the place was almost empty and the food was just okay. Nice - but not amazing. This time - however- the place was rammed. Every seat taken and people queuing, waiting for a table. And the service was A1 - friendly, chatty, quick and interesting. And finally the food. I ordered the cod bite supper and I said to my wife, “I might have to take some of this home as I don’t really feel like eating the whole thing.” But … surprise, surprise… every mouthful was so delicious I polished the whole meal off! Truthfully, an amazing visit … now I can add my voice to those saying, “John Long’s - Best Chippie in Belfast!”

This was the best fish n chips restaurant I visited in the UK. The service was excellent, servings were very large, and I loved the restaurant. Service was quick, and the place filled quickly. It had a great local feel and wasn't touristy (apart from us).

Got so lucky and met John Long himself! Perfect crisp, flaky fish with malt vinegar, salt and tartar sauce on the side included! And the mini chips/fries were crispy as I like it! Beers, soda and tea were there to order--I got my hot tea order with milk. And it is always nice to support local!

Great place that should deserve a lot more attention. A little difficult to find, and definitely need a second pair of eyes... The outside of this place was an industrial-looking building that nobody would have thought it's a fish n chips place. Parking was TIGHT! So be warned!! The moment you walked in, it gave out an old harbor diner feel (not sure if that's how you describe it)... Tile flooring, straight 90-degree wooden booths. They have both takeout and dine-in service, so we decided to enjoy the moment and sat in for our fishy. Most of the items have both regular size or what they called a "supper" size, which just means more on the chips... or fries for us North Americans. We ordered the classic Fresh Battered Fish and a Pastie (huh?) As you wait for the goodies, you could hear the sound of fish or chips being fried, that's really music to my ears! The fish was LONG! Fried to perfection with minimal batter, just the way it's supposed to be to showcase the main character- FISH! Despite ordering the regular fish n chips, the portion of the fries was perfect for us... those fries were THICK CUT and the size of my thumb!! And then, our mystery Pastie arrived. My first thought was "a flatten ball of..." FISH PASTE and potato (pure guesses on the potato part, not 100% sure). It was a very interesting fried loveliness for us... it tasted a little like those Asian fish sausages with onions. Overall, CHEAP and WORTH THE DRIVE! Both of these combined were only GBP 8 something (about CAD$13)! If you ordered the exact same thing back home, the fish n chips along already cost more than $13.

Lovely stuff lol keeping pace Xxxxxxxxx....fab would go again lock down us hurable but in these times I worked here still do at times looks good fab all soon

Very plain decor inside and out. Absolutely need your GPS to find this local fish and chips favorite. Even when we arrived, we were not sure we were where we were supposed yo be except the GPS said, "you've arrived." Place had so little ambiance that the lack of it made you feel like you were in the Real McCoy! Owner said they had been open 108 years!!! The restaurant is an easy walk from a dozen close by high rise hotels. Filled with locals at a Friday lunch. We ordered the standard fish dinner with chips. Got curry sauce on the side for an extra shilling and a half. Other items on the limited menu too.

Absolute perfection. They do fish and chips and that's about it. Why would you eat anything else? Mushy peas were on point. Full of locals on lunch break so you know they have got it going on.

Fast service and very friendly. Fish and chips was delicious! I got gravy on my chips which was really tasty. Greasy for sure, but that's to be expected. The batter was tasty and it was definitely an Irish classic to be remembered!

The battered fish filet is big - a good portioned fish. They batter it when ordered. I also ordered the onion rings which they gave a good of. I did takeaway and found that it was quite greasy, the oil was leaking right through the bag by the time I got it back to my hotel (easyHOTEL, 0.2 miles, 4 min walk). It might have been different if I ordered it for table service at the restaurant, where it would have had time to drain at the fryer. Overall, the fish tasted fresh, though simple. Overall, a good value for money if you're looking for cheap its and big portions.

This place feels like such a staple, which I guess makes sense l given it's been around for 100+ years. The fish and chips is very solid and the prices are super reasonable. The fish is a bit oily but the exterior is so crisp and the fish itself moist and soft. The potatoes are the mushier, more-filled side but not really so it works well, but they also give you plenty of them.

Recommended by an architect who lived in Belfast in the 70s. Knew it was real when we walked behind the carpark and saw the battered brick building. Still going strong after all these years! Basic but clean as a whistle- exactly what we expected! Waitstaff was warm and friendly; fish and chips was incredibly light and fluffy. Feel like we experienced a historic landmark of traditional dishes.

Several people recommended Long's to us when we were visiting Belfast. On our last day there, I finally got the chance to go. It basically sits in the block behind the Europa Hotel, but it is world's apart from the that heavily traveled street. Instead, it sits amongst, well, the backs of buildings and not much else. They don't take credit cards, so we had to run to a money mover, but luckily there was one close by. The woman who made our meal (fish and chips and a burger) was super nice and chatted with us for several minutes, asking us how we liked our visit to Belfast. The fish and chips were fantastic. The lightest batter on the fish I have ever had. Crispy, light and tasty. And the french fries were very, very good. They almost seemed like they had a light batter on them, but I know they didn't. They were very unusual in a good way. And they gave you a ton of fries! The hamburger had a potato bun that was very fresh and tasty. The burger itself was OK, nothing special. But really, we didn't expect it to be great since were afterall at a fish place. My husband ordered it because he was afraid he wouldn't get full on the fish and chips. But of course, he did! It was really fun to find this off-the-beaten path restaurant with wonderfully friendly employees. Go if you have a chance!

Everything you ask for in a "chippy" and conveniently close to the hotel. Kind service and enormous portions.

I went there on the recommendations of many locals. It was OK -- not cheap by American terms but relative to other local places it was cheap enough. Fish & chips were greasy but that's part of the attraction. Isn't it? Not much atmosphere -- Formica tables & florescent lights, but it seemed clean enough. They weren't much in the way of service. Don't they get tired of trying to act busy when they're not? Hours are kind of strange (i.e. closes before dinner).

I was going on a trip to Belfast and on all of the websites this place was a recommended place to go to, so I went out of my way to go and give this place a try. This place is supposedly known for its Fish and chips so what better place to try Fish and chips for the first time (it is strange that I have never tried Fish and Chips before as my Dad used to live in London and did so for years and I have lived in Dublin now for over a year). Let me just put it this way, I do not know what the fuss is about when it comes to Fish and Chips. Everything was bland in flavor, even the chips, this was not worth the trip nor the calories. As I will probably will never go to Belfast again in my life I will with certainty not stop by this place again but I will never order Fish and Chips again in my life. I am not sure if the Fish and Chips are supposed to be so bland in flavor or it was just my expectations that were off, but it had no flavor and it was way too greasy to be enjoyed. The service was lacking as well, they barely spoke and seemed more annoyed with us rather than having a smile on their faces they looked angry and their replies were very short and not really what I expected. I had high expectations but they crashed and burned.

You wouldn't even know it was there if you weren't from Belfast, but everyone here knows Long's. In a side street in the shadows of Belfast city centre, one of only two buildings in this teeny-tiny 'nothing' of a street, houses the fast food institution that is Long's Fish and Chip Restaurant, or 'Johnny Long's' as the locals call it! It hasn't changed one jot since the days my Dad used to take my brother and I there for a treat after we went swimming as youngsters...yes I hear what you're thinking - Gillian McKeith would be very angry! It's got the typical Formica coverings and chipboard on most surfaces, along with a slightly strange collection of paintings and prints that don't really seem to belong on the wall and look like they've been nicked from your Granny's front room... But that's not why Long's is popular. And popular it is. No-one who visits cares about the 'look' of the place....it's the chips, and in particular - the fish that they come for. On a recent visit I had a pastie supper with curry sauce...absolutely 'moreish' and to die for. Massive portions and hot, satisfying 'chippy' food - exactly what you would expect from a good 'Belfast Chippy'. It's not the sort of place to take your hot date if you want impressive surroundings, but it's a great place to go to if you want proper 'chippy' food. Never fails.

From the outside this place looks like a dodgy, dirty little cafe in a row of houses. Inside however, you'll find one of the best fish and chip shops in Belfast. Hands down. My dad was a particular fan and used to go for their cod all the time. I'm not a fish eater, but I'm told it's worth recommending! I'm a sausage supper girl myself and I've never had a bad one from Long's, so my advice is to forget that it's in an area you wouldn't go into. Forget that it looks dank from the outside and just go in and enjoy the best bad-for-you food Belfast has to offer!

As I boarded the A300 en-route to Dublin I remember thinking to myself "I don't care if it's 0400 AM when I arrive, if there's a chippy to be found at that hour I'll be having fish for breakfast." Some might say I have a problem -- and for all it's worth I can imagine that my fellow average American foodies wouldn't quite understand my motivation for something as culinarily uninspiring as battered and fried cod and fries. -- especially curry chips! Fast-forward about 170 kilometers up the M1, (driving on the wrong side of the car and wrong side of the road), I arrived in the neat little town they call Belfast. The outside of the building is more reminiscent of an antiquated factory of sorts than an eatery, and walking through the door the plain and simple decor does not appear to have changed in nearly one hundred years. But the fish! There's the reason Long's Restaurant has been a County Antrim icon for as long as it has. The fish may even be the explanation for why this modest yet spectacular chipper looks so anachronistic in a modern city landscape -- simply put, if it works, if it isn't broken, after this long -- you don't change a thing. Thankfully they haven't: The cod fillets were perfectly prepared, flaky and moist beneath a perfectly browned (if not a little greasy) mantle of batter. The chips -- well lets face it, they are fried potatoes after all -- were about all you could ever expect from a fried potato. Add to this the liberal application of some malt vinegar and wow. Just. Wow. Moral of the story: If you're a fan of fish and chips (and who isn't?) and you find yourself in Northern Ireland, this is one establishment you will not want to miss. If you are not a fan of fish and chips (seriously?!?) then you'll likely want to head elsewhere. -- While they do have a menu which includes steaks and pasties and burgers and chicken I cannot speak to their quality. ...because I will never make it past their fish.

If a fish & chip shop could be awarded a Michelin Star for its quality, this would be the one to take it Its a long established restaurante that anyone local in Belfast knows off Friday is the busiest day with city slickers rubbing shoulders with just about every other profession A must if you are visiting Belfast!

Extremely greasy! I've been advised by many to try this place out (damn you all). It wasn't good, actually it was terrible. The portions are huge which was not welcomed as half way through I found my life slipping away which was a huge indication to stop.

Longs looks a lot more like an old factory building than it does a restaurant. You could walk by it and never even know its there, and if you did, it would be a pity. Because Long's has some of the best Fish and Chips in Belfast. Inside its very plain, with white booths and to get to the rest room you have to go through the kitchen. I love this about Longs. It doesn't need style to keep its customers, its food does that all on its own. The prices are fine and for fish this perfectly cooked, frankly, its a steal. Love it! 5 Stars!

Could there be a better chippy in Belfast? I'm not sure, but if there is, it's got seriously tough competition from Johnny Longs. Located fairly near the centre of town, it is in a small side street that is far from a main thoroughfare, but people come from all sides of town for what are widely regarded as the best fish and chips in Belfast. They offer a sit in and a takeaway service, and the décor is very basic but that doesn't matter as once you've tasted their fish and chips you know that is the only reason you are there. Full, fresh cod fillets in a lovely light batter with plenty of fish. They even do a great cup of tea and super fresh bread with real butter, of course. If you're of the ilk who enjoy curry sauce with their fish supper, I'm told that Long's is superb. On another note, rumour has it that Take That visited Long's when last in Belfast, so if you hang out there, you might catch a glimpse next time they're in town.

First trip to Belfast in 1984, a local I stopped on the street directed us here. Still love this place. Great food and it is very nice and clean.

One of the very best Fish and Chip places in Belfast. Old style; highly recommended. Sit in and takeaway.

Long's is the quintessential fish and chips shop in Belfast. You'd be hard pressed to find better quality. Service is excellent, the place itself is spotless and it's actually quite nostalgic sitting inside. As much as I enjoy the likes of Bishops, I don't think this particular chippy can be beaten.

Ive been here once and i have to say when i seen the outside i was half expecting some hookers to pop in to pay they're pimp, with its dirty walls and caged windows it leaves allot to be desired but when i got inside that all changed. It was like taking a step back in time so full of charm and charisma that i was taken back. I had of course the fish and chips and i was not disappointed the batter was crisp and the fish was fresh and soft you could not wish for any better; i would go back in a heart beat.

Some may say a chippy/chipper/chip shop (?) Call it what you will... can't be that different from place to place. Ok, they all share a few common qualities, mainly selling fish ...and chips... I guess, but Long's chippy is phenomenal! It's the one frequented by many a celeb when they grace the shores of Belfast and I'd say it doesn't fail to impress. If you like fish then you gotta try one from here. They're A*! They can rustle you up a mean pasty too, none of your English nonsense either, a proper Belfast style pasty please! The girls who work the chip shop are typical Belfast craic, welcoming, good banter and get on ninety with their regulars (of which there are many!) You'll notice the reinforcements along the windows...can you figure out why? I know it's not the prettiest building in the world, but it's been through a heck of a lot, what with the Troubles and all that, least they were sensible enough not to bomb their dinner diner!

This place is an institution! Want to know why? It has the best fish and chips in Belfast. The friendliest staff and owner and a great vibe inside - especially at lunchtime on a friday as belfasts office bunch get out for an hour of chat and chips. Highly recommended!

This is a REAL Fish and Chip shop. Fantastic fresh food. Don't let the outside appearance put you off, this is truly one of Belfast's hidden Gems.

Fish was under cooked and swimming in grease, batter was slimy and tasted of flour, chips were good, once bitten.........