The Scallop Shell

We’re visiting Bath for the Russell Howard show and randomly picked this restaurant as we fancied some fish - what a brilliant choice it turned out to be! We ordered the haddock and chips, and it was beautifully presented. The fish was big and flaky, perfectly cooked, and for the first time in a long time I actually ate all the batter - it was that good. Light, crisp, and absolutely spot on. The chips were proper chunky chips, cooked just right, and the mushy peas was amazing! Usually mushy peas tastes a bit bland, but this was packed with flavour - so much flavour! Really stood out. Even the bathroom deserves a mention - not only was it squeaky clean, but it had fish wallpaper, which was such a fun and cool touch. Great atmosphere, good choice of music and not too loud. Staff very polite and friendly. Very impressed overall and would happily come back again! 🐟🍟

Cozy two storey eatery with plenty of seats. Its popular and getting pretty crowded during peak hours. Plentiful of fresh seafood selection and good wine list. Staff were friendly, attentive and helpful. Tried the cod lion. Crispy on the battery, moist on the inside, delicious to taste. Elderflower drink was refreshing. Definitely worth a visit in Bath

Loved it! Warm, friendly welcome on arrival. I had the fisherman's lunch, which was great value. It was a delicious, flaky fish in a light, crunchy batter, beautifully seasoned mushy peas, lovely chips, and a great tartar sauce, all washed down with a nice mug of Yorkshire tea. Comfort food at its best! The sourdough bread was lovely too. Thank you.

The Best Crab I’ve Had in a While 🦀 Everything about this meal was spot on the crab was perfectly cooked, juicy, and full of flavour. The seasoning struck the right balance between spice and sweetness, letting the natural taste of the crab shine through. The freshness was undeniable every bite felt like a reminder of why I love seafood. Paired with buttery dipping sauce and a cold drink, it was pure satisfaction. Easily one of the best crab experiences I’ve had in ages

Lovely food but very pricey so maybe one for special occasions. The grilled fish options are excellent, highly recommend going for those. We had the John Dory and Skate Wing and both were lovely. The scallops in the starters were the highlight, perfectly cooked. The sourdough with anchovy butter was disappointing - 2 small pieces of bread for £3.50 with no option of ordering additional bread without the butter.

Amazing seafood!! Great service and atmosphere. 9 of us had wine with fresh oysters, lovely scallops, mussels, fish and chips, prawns, baked fish and yummy potatoes and crabs was really delicious . The starter consomme was delightful!! Highly recommend the sticky toffee pudding - yums yums!! Will definitely come again.

We heard about this place from friends so decided to try out. What an amazing staff, service was excellent and very friendly. As for the meals, we got salad (amazing), grilled prawn (must try), scallop (the best with wonderful presentation), and for the main course we ordered grilled Monk Fish Tail, perfectly cooked to perfection. Highly recommended.

The food was lovely and tasted really fresh. We were seated at a great table, and the staff were incredibly kind and went above and beyond. The fish cake balls starter was a little salty, but the mains were excellent and full of flavour. The complimentary dessert for graduates was a very thoughtful touch. A wider choice of soft drinks, maybe including post-mix, would be great. Overall, a fantastic experience with fresh food and brilliant service!

Wow! Just, WOW!!!! I should stop my review there, but I'll give more so that you get the full picture. We arrived at 9pm, not understanding the restaurant closed at 9:30pm. Luckily a table was leaving and after the table was cleared, we were seated. Water, cutlery and menus appeared quickly; with the waitress giving us a heads up that orders needed to be sent to the kitchen in 10 minutes. Fortunately, I'd scoured the pictures in Yelp! and we knew exactly what we wanted (thanks Yelpers!!). We ordered the prawn linguine appetizer, the haddock & chips, cod & chips, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Yes, I ordered dessert when I ordered my entree! Firstly, the linguine was incredible. The pasta was cooked perfectly, with a generous portion of well seasoned prawns. I will get this as my entree on a future visit. The cod and haddock were both wonderful. The fillets were fried perfectly, with a crunchy exterior that steamed the fish inside. The fish was very moist and superbly fresh. I am not a tartare sauce person, but their tartare sauce was delicious and paired well with the fish. The chips were out of sight delicious....crispy exterior and soft inside. The dessert, sticky toffee pudding, was delicious and brought back serious memories of my time living in England. I love a restaurant where I can see the action in the kitchen. While the restaurant is not huge, the tables are well spaced to allow private conversation. We sat at a booth which was large enough to accommodate a party of 4 - 6 easily. The specials were on a board near the rear of the restaurant and on the poles in the interior of the dining room. While we arrived late, the staff neither rushed our food nor us. We enjoyed our food to the max, and simply loved our time! This was assuredly a highlight of our stay in Bath! This

The interior is quite large. There are lots of seating indoors and even more on the second floor. Noise level is quiet-average. Wild seabass fillet (5/5): the fish was a bit light on the salt but the texture was absolutely perfect. The chips and mussels were even better. The mussel easily separated from the shell and the chips were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Overall The Scallop Shell has some delicious seafood. They have a good assortment of fried and grilled fish. The portions are superb and prices are fair.

Pretty good fish and chips place, but not our favorite in UK. Credit to the server who got us in despite not having a reservation if we promised to be done in an hour and a half. Pretty expensive but, bump to 4 stars for letting us use the reserved table.

We had the Atlantic cod fish and chips and oysters and it was delicious. We also got the haddock filet and it was perfectly cooked with the skin. The service was a bit slower but this is a nice sit down place. We loved the fish decor and sea faring theme. The food hit the spot with the cold weather and we had a great time warming up with sea food by the sea.

While, yes this is the best fish and chips I've had in the UK, it's still fish and chips. The real hit of the night was the sticky toffee pudding (STP) we went to UK specifically to find the best STP there. Did lots of research and hit 12 of the highest rated places. This was the winner! Runners up were Gilbey's in Windsor, and Hawksmoor in London.

The best restaurant in Bath hands down! You MUST come here on your next trip to Bath and if you love seafood. The food was a 5/5 and inside had a cute casual ambiance/atmosphere. I'd recommend making a reservation as the restaurant itself was small. With a reservation we were seated immediately and really liked the vibes inside. Small wood tables and booths with minimalist decor, gave a comfortable vibe. The small details were cute like the water pitcher and glasses. No frills but classy. It's an open kitchen concept so it was really neat to see everyone working behind the scenes and hearing the head chef yell out orders and when food was ready for pickup. Felt like I was in an episode of The Bear (if you know you know). Service was friendly and average. Our waiter was very friendly and sweet but we did have to ask for refills or sides a few times. Wasn't a big deal. He was always quick to bring us what we needed just noting it was 100% proactive service but again, totally fine as they were busy and he seemed to be the primary wait staff running the floor. I was impressed with the menu, it wasn't too big but still had a fabulous amount of options. Starters ranged from fresh seafood to light finger foods. The main menu consisted of different variants of fish and chips, with some cooked seafood dishes and plates. Also a nice wine menu to pair. At the end of the day you are coming here for fresh seafood and a 5/5 meal. The food was Fantastic! Some of the best seafood I've had anywhere. The oysters were giant and super fresh. Loved how meaty they were and really the focus was all about the oysters and not been paired with a bunch of unnecessary sauces. If you are an oyster lover they were perfect here. The mussels though are the best bite I had in Bath hands down. Mussels are usually "just okay" to me at most places. I never crave them but will order them from time to time. Here though the mussels blew my mind! The broth was buttery and flavorful (I regretted not ordering bread to soak up the sauce). The mussels themselves were so tender and cooked to perfection. Big mussels too may I add. A great value and the flavor was out of this world. Again, my favorite dish. Lastly you can't go wrong with the fish and chips. They seem to be known for them here and after trying a bite I can see why. The fish was beautiful and cooked well and it's the crispy non greasy batter that is what makes this a delicious fish and chips. I don't know how they make they batter so light and yet so flavorful. Really everything here was fantastic and delicious. A must for a foodie traveling through this part of England.

Europe 2023 - Bath After reading all the reviews I had to try what everyone considers the best seafood place in Bath. F.A.S.T. Food: my wife doesn't like fish so this was a treat for me to go get some seafood. I ordered 1 scallop, 1 Fishcake and the Hake with chips. The scallop & fishcake were cooked great with a lot of flavor. We also ordered a couple of beers and sparkling water, which was served in a pitcher. BTW everywhere has mashed peas, but this was the first time I liked them, tasted almost like a mini pea soup. Atmosphere: you walk in and see the chefs cooking, lots of waiters helping, and you can here everyone enjoying their meal. Service: excellent! It may be a UK thing but they all seem to ask for allergies, which is nice because my wife is allergic to onions. But the service is excellent, didn't have to wait for anything, and the check arrived in a cute treasure chest style box with chocolates, was a very nice touch. Tip: everything on the menu looked great, I don't think you can go wrong here, great choice.

Lovely evening in an equally lovely setting. We sat in the upstairs patio. Our server was very attentive, and sensitive to our dietary restrictions. Fish and chips were simply outstanding, and delicately battered. Sides like smashed peas had great flavor. We can't wait to go back!

Amazing food! Fish and chips were great - large enough to share if not starving. Service also fantastic.

The food at The Scallop Shell is some of the best we have had in England. Five stars!

Without a doubt, the best meal we've had while in the U.K.. Bath is a wonderful place and made all the better by this little gem of a restaurant. Great atmosphere, great team of servers, great everything. You are mistaken if you come to Bath and don't come to this place - for then you didn't come to Bath! People should say they're coming to eat at the Scallop Shell, and they'll stop by Bath afterwards.

Because this restaurant was highly recommended, we decided it was worth trying. We left feeling that the hype was greater than the delivery. The service was ok, nothing above and beyond basic expectations. We had the fish and chips. My wife didn't like their tartar sauce. Both servings of fish had not been drained properly and had a good amount of oil left on the fish.

Such a great spot in Baths! We were hungry for lunch and walked right in at noon. Not crowded at all. We decided family style to share so we can taste more! Hence we ended up with: 1) scallops 4 1/2 stars in its shell 2) fish cod with chips-- love the firm flesh. It was fresh and excellently prepared with ultra light batter. Signature dish! 5 stars 3) Hake filet fish and chips 5 stars nicely fried and moist All above served with freshly made tartar and ketchup It was an awesome lunch

The best Fish & Chips we've ever had! I was doubly happy as they had Gluten free battered Cod and Chips - light and crispy crust that wasn't overly greasy unlike those heavy thick batters you get in the US. Absolute perfection! Everyone else loved their dishes - classic Battered fish and chips (cod) and grilled sole. Appetizers of scallop and fresh oysters - excellent - fresh and scallops had some lovely sauce on top. Upstairs is spacious and quiet. Would definitely recommend!

The best thing we did in Bath was eat here! We shared several appetizers. Scallops (yum), oysters (good, but not where this place really shines; it's a raw oyster so not much going on), roasted clams (stellar -- get chips so you can soak up the juice), crab salad (lovely and refreshing), and a side of SEA ASPARAGUS! I had been wanting to try this veggie for years, and it did not disappoint! Add a glass of Prosecco on the pretty terrace, and you're all set for a relaxing hour of deliciousness.

Great service and great food in a trendy and casual dining room Fish, lobster and shrimp are throughout the menu

Amazing fish and chips, very fresh ingredients. The service was kind and friendly, and the atmosphere was fun, stylish and casual.

Outstanding place, the food was exceptional. The fish & chips were some of the best that I've had.

Our first meal in UK for sure had to be fish and chips given all its praise. I had eaten an extra meal due to the time zone change, so picked a grilled fish instead of fried as my main. ----- Whole Cornish Sole: with fresh-cut chips, lemon, caper, parsley dressing (grilled) (£23). I was disappointed that the name of the dish had "whole" but instead just a fillet was served. Previous social media posts by the business had pictured the entire fish. Besides that, the fish was juicy and the skin had a slight crispiness. Overall flavor was nice especially after squeezing lemon juice over it. The pool of oil underneath did not make the fish overwhelmingly oily either. A large bowl is given to discard the bones. As for the chips (fries), they were magnificent. Crisp on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. Honestly the winner for me. ----- Prime North Atlantic Cod Loin: with fresh-cut chips, mushy peas & tartare sauce (fried) (£19). I tried a bite of the fried fish: light and airy with a thin yet crispy coating. The fish was definitely fresh and paired nicely with the tartar sauce that had a subtle difference in taste than I was acquainted with. The pea mash was just okay in my opinion. ----- Quite a busy restaurant during our entire Monday evening, which we had reserved in advance for 6 PM. When booking a table, we had chosen Ground Floor to see the open kitchen and ice-filled bath tub. It was towards the end of the day so the fresh seafood on the ice was a bit lacking. The bill comes with mint and nut chocolate wrapped as gold coins in a treasure chest.

Great food! Great staff! Great service! Popular for a reason! We had fish and chips and were not disappointed! Amazing!

Tried the restaurant and the Prime North Atlantic Cod Filet based upon the prior reviews. I didn't regret that decision. As I like to tell others: "that didn't suck!" Along with great service (albeit a long wait), that was possibly the best fish and chips I've ever had. Simply amazing. We never experienced Baldy McGingerbeard. Felt a little let down that I couldn't evaluate for myself. That seems like a good way to remember the quaint little hamlet of Bath.

I was seated right away, and had my food within 15 minutes!! I think this was a fluke, but my dinner was fresh, warm, and delicious. Great service!

The respect and attention to the food and its preparation distinguishes this restaurant. The best fish and chips, the best everything. Prices are fair at dinner and a steal at lunch.

I was in London for 3 weeks for business, and took a day trip to Bath on a day off. The food was amazing, probably the best fish & chips of my whole trip. Also, tried the scallop and prawns as an appetizer (both were delicious). The staff were wonderful and super friendly. Such a wonderful meal and restaurant, which is an open concept kitchen so you can see them making your food.

Great food, excellent service. But be sure to make a reservation, since it is a small place.

The Scallop Shell served us an excellent lunch and had a great selection of food on the menu. We went for the lunchtime specials; fish cakes, fish and scampi, all of which were delicious. All came with chips, mushy peas and a cup of tea! The desserts were just as good, especially the sticky toffee pudding. The place is wonderfully decorated with a fish theme and is lots of fun. Has an upstairs as well as down so lots of seating, both spacious and airy. Highly recommend

Made reservations and came here under the recommendation of "Regulars" we met at #StarInn.The food here is amazing and the ambiance as well. Ordered the Shellfish Platter (for 2) and the Bath Ale which was amazing!. Waiter was very helpful in choosing drinks and also recommending we start with the platter and can always order more later.

The food was great but overpriced. We had fried fish and chips, some salad, an app, and a couple glasses of wine. The fish was excellent as was the salad. I'd give the food, chefs, and waitstaff 5 stars but the bill with a tip was over $200 usd. It's not worth that much.

Simply the Best. I'd eat here every day if I could. My cod was perfectly prepared and tasted even better than it looks. Service was wonderful and welcoming. Loved the ambiance of the restaurant. Run, don't walk to have lunch or dinner there. Will always be there when visiting Bath. 10 stars.

Best fish and chips, Ever! My wife and I had both the monkfish and cod. Extremely light and crispy without all the oil. Enjoyed a nice bottle of Pucpoul. Great wine list.

My husband and I had dinner at The Scallop Shell. The hake fish and chips was great. The place is a little pricier than your typical fish and chips place, but the atmosphere and service were nice.

This place is amazing! One of our favorite places to eat from our England trip. The staff was very friendly and provided good customer service. The seafood was FRESH. The prawns and scallops were perfect. We ordered the fish and chips plate also and it was the best fried fish I've ever had. The sauce they give you to go with the fish is the best ever! Highly recommend!!!

Booked a table for lunch to take advantage of the lunch specials for £12.50. Definitely did not disappoint. Dined on a Friday at 12:30. Still plenty of tables left but soon filled up quickly so reservations highly recommended. A private corner table was reserved for us downstairs and we got to enjoy the chefs at work in the kitchen. Very cute sea decor throughout and Friendly staff. We all ordered the lunch special fried cod and chips that came with mushy peas and a cup of hot tea. The fish is suppose to be slightly larger if you order from the main menu but trust me, get the lunch special because the portion size is plenty large! This is the best fried cod I've had because it's not viceroy breaded and the fish is large and fresh. Highly recommend eating here!

I've never had a fish cake before. I'm just going to go ahead right now and say it was heaven. I chose cod for my fish and it was divine. They mixed herbs and potatoes in with it and fried it up in the best tasting batter. Fries were awesome. I even tried the mushy peas and they were good (for being peas)! Tarter sauce was awesome too. I wish I could have another one right now. Our server Jake was an absolute treat to have take care of us and our meal. The hubs got the fish and chips and said it was amazing.

We had a great experience. Our first item was the Shrimp Cocktail which was awesome. Our main entrees were the monkfish and chips and the cod and chips. Lastly, are desert was a wonderful bread pudding.

The best mussels I've ever had, and that's saying something!!!! Make sure you order the bread because it doesn't come with it. In fact I wiukd order two breads.

I grew up in a fishing port, good seafood is always near and dear to my heart. This one passed the test, everything was top notch... granted we only had the fish and chips and the sole, but the seafood is fresh and cooked just right. You won't regret coming here if you like seafood!!

Giving five stars for the fish and chips. Service was slow paced, so would not come if time is short. Not much seating for the four of us. Happily, we were sat in a table we were told was reserved. Otherwise, pretty sure we would have left.

Stumbled upon this gem after a quick tour around the ancient Bath site. Thank goodness for Yelp! Small restaurant with a second floor. Cozy, clean and very chic! Tableware was very pretty and the decor was simple and tasteful. They had a lunch special for £10 that came with entree of fish and chips or goujons and chips plus a Yorkshire tea, buttered bread and mushy peas. A great deal! The buttered bread was yummy, bread was so soft with a good amount of butter spread all over. The fish was nice and crispy with a thin coating of batter. The portion of the fish was very generous. And the chips were pretty good too. However....the highlight of this meal was the Yorkshire tea. It was sooooo good, it tastes like Hong Kong milk tea (strong black tea with condensed milk) and was so delicious. I love tea and I'd never heard of this Yorkshire tea before and now I'm hooked. Thank you, Scallop Shell! Yorkshire tea is basically a working man's milk tea you enjoy before starting work outside on a cold blustery day. It may be a usual cuppa to the average Englishman but I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the meal. Service was great and super helpful! This restaurant rounded out our 1 day Bath trip very nicely and so happy we came in :)

What a delightful dinner. I know this is a big statement, but we were served the best fish and chips we've had during our whole England trip so far. We also ordered an assortment of sides that were unique to us and as much the star of dinner as the entree. The service was great, the wine was good, and we just couldn't be more happy with our experience there. I'd go a thousand times more if I could!

Excellent fish and chips place in bath. The wine selection is good and the food is delicious. You order at the counter and they bring it out to you. I highly recommend this place if you are in Bath

Amazing food, friendly staff. Worth the wait. Will definitely keep this on the visit again list!

Wonderful food. Excellent service. A good location close to all the sights and sites in Bath.

A gem of a find with delicious food to write home about! We are taking a few days to relax in Bath after running the London Marathon, and we were having a hankering for some good fish and chips. Rick Steves recommended The Scallop Shell in his Great Britain travel guide, so we thought we'd give it a try. This eatery is a little off the beaten path, but it's well worth the extra 5 minutes out of your way. Tucked away in a non-touristy neighborhood, the main dining area has less than two dozen tables. The host asked if if we had reservations. When we said no, we were afraid he was going to turn us away. Instead, he took us upstairs, where they had even more tables. Upstairs, you go to the bar and order your food from the bartender rather a server coming to your table. The upstairs also felt lighter (more lighter, walls not as dark) and less noisy (the music was pretty loud downstairs). But the food. The food is what you're here for. We ordered the fried prawn. The menu said 4 pieces, but we got 6. Maybe they were a little smaller than normal, but they were delightful. The batter was light and lightly seasoned on its own, so you could just eat it with lemon juice. The sauce it came with was delicious. Lightly sweet and packed with flavor. The prawn was cooked perfectly--tender and moist. Not over cooked and rubbery, or underdone and fleshy. For our entree, we split an order of fried cod fillets and chips. It was the cheapest "fish and chips" on the menu but it was absolutely wonderful. The fish was well-cooked. Moist and not dry, with just a touch of meatiness to it--rather than some fish, which feel mushy or TOO flaky that just fall apart. The batter was also great. Light and crispy, it never felt greasy or heavy. Even the tartar sauce it came with was tasty. One thing we didn't realize (because we didn't pay enough attention to the menu) was that the fish and chips come with something called "mushy peas." It turns out this is a British dish. In this particular case, mind blown!! How could something as simple as mashed up peas taste so good?! The mushy peas had the consistency of mashed potatoes, but it included some texture in the form of some peas that hadn't been completely mushed. It was well-seasoned and stood on its own. In fact, I'm going to look up mushed pea recipes to see if I can make some. They would be a great alternative to potatoes, and higher in protein. All in all, a delicious place we highly recommend. If you're ever in Bath, definitely give The Scallop Shell a try. You won't be disappointed.

I'll say it: Best of the four+ Fish & Chips I had over 8 days in England. Even better than Poppie's famous fish & chips in London. Excellent attention to detail: even the chips were thoughtfully sculpted and gently fried to light gold perfection. Kind, hard-working service. Good wine prices. Hip setting.

So glad we came here. On our day tour to Bath, we looked up local eats and since we had not tried fish and chips yet (which I kept my expectations very low for) we decided to find the Scallop Shell. It's not in the heart of the touristy Bath area, which I appreciated since we wanted a quiet and intimate sitdown...just a short walk from the square. After being seated, you can order at the register and they will keep your tab open. You go back to there to pay your bill. We ordered their 10 pound lunch special, which was a huge serving to share between three of us ladies. They gave us a huge fried fish, chips, tartar sauce, mashed peas, sliced white bread with butter lathered. On top of this, we ordered three side salads (cucumber, fennel and dill blend) and ginger beers. Everything was delicious, not overly salty, fried to perfection and plentiful in portion. The staff also came to check on us twice. Definitely stop by here is you are craving a classic fish and chips in a modern, laidback ambiance!

We walked in without a reservation. A quick glance indicated that every table was occupied. Fortunately, they had an upstairs level and an outdoor area, which will be great in summer. Our party of four had the seafood platter, separate haddock and skate wings plates with chips. Side orders of mushed peas and season vegetables (heritage carrots). Everything was fresh. The fish batter was crispy crunchy. There were oysters, cockles, prawns, half crab. Everyone enjoyed the meal and there was sufficient portions. The entire meal came up to Pounds 82 before tips (seafood platter was Pounds 48). We did not order any drinks. We noticed a number of families with kids too

Worth every star. Ordered Mussels with shallots, garlic, and parsely and the Fisherman's Lunch: Cod and Chips, Mushy Peas, and Yorkshire Tea. The mussels were fresh and plump with no duds. Delicious! At £10, the Fisherman's Lunch is a spectacular deal! The portions are large, even by my American standards. Even though the chips were perfectly fried and came with a great homemade tartar sauce, the cod steals the show. The batter was light and crisp and the fish was flaky and perfectly cooked. Service was excellent, all food and drinks came out promptly. Note that customers need to go to the counter in the back of the restaurant to order.

Great meal! One of the best we've had out of our week in England. The cod and chips were as good as the other reviewers said. Sticky toffee pudding also so delicious. Definitely try this place out!