• South Bank Fish & Chips replaces Extra Virgin Pizza at One Holland Village.
• Menu presents Britain’s best-loved classic with five varieties of golden battered fish, served with crispy fries, mushy peas and tartare sauce.
• Also includes other favorites such as Shepherd’s and Fish Pies, Seafood Pasta and Risotto, and The Prawnwich.

South Bank in London, England is one of my favorite places in the world, so when I heard Extra Virgin Pizza at One Holland Village has now been replaced by South Bank Fish & Chips, I certainly have to give it a try. What’s more, very good fish & chips is quite rare in Singapore these days.

Except for the signboards and branding, South Bank Fish & Chips still looks practically the same as the previous pizzeria in terms of the bar, seating arrangement, affable staff and, yes, still pet-friendly at the outdoor area.

The South Bank menu is filled with enticing images but the first thing that catches your eye is the variety of fish they have for their British-style Fish & Chips: barramundi, dory, haddock, halibut and pollock (various prices). There are also Taste of the Isle items such as South Bank Fish Pie and Cheesy Chicken Mac & Cheese; The British Stack such as Fish & Bun, The Golden Coop and The Prawnwich; and The Crown’s Pasta and Risotto including Linguine Brown Butter Squid and Crab Risotto.

For Bites & Beginnings, there are the likes of New England Clam Chowder, Fried Cauliflower with Sriracha Mayo and Truffle Fries; while Sides include Crispy Parmesan Corn Ribs and Toasted Baguette with Olive Oil. Beverages wise, there are interesting selections of cocktails, mocktails, handcrafted drinks, teas and coffees.

As my dining mate was giving me a belated birthday treat, she coerced me (without much needed force really) to choose an alcoholic drink. Having tried Italian bitter apéritif Aperol before, I suggested the Aperol Spritz ($15) which was bright, fuzzy and bittersweet, and which went decently well with our food orders.

For starter and side, we opted for Whitebait and Baby Squid Fritter ($11.80) and Homemade Coleslaw ($5.80). The coleslaw was okay but we definitely had tasted better and crispier whitebait and baby squid. I mean, we are probably too used to the crunchy Chinese-style deep fried sotong kia – the South Bank version wasn’t too bad but the whitebait definitely could be better in terms of taste and crispiness.

It’s nice when you can have choice of fish for fish & chips. My pal went for the Halibut Fish & Chips ($24.80), which were two huge long, golden battered filets served with crispy fries, mushy peas, tartare sauce and a brown sauce (which our taste buds cannot figure out what exactly it was).

While my pal thought it could be better, I though it was tasty and crispy with flavor enhanced by the accompanying condiments. The fries were nice and crunchy too.

OK, I know it is a fish & chips joint, but my eyes lit up the moment I saw that there is Shepherd’s Pie ($17.80) on the menu as it is also rare to find very good Shepherd’s Pie these days (shoutout to Muddy Murphy’s for their brilliant version!)

The pie was a decent size and the potato crust was baked just nice, mushy yet crispy on the burnt bits. The beef/lamb combo, blended with carrots, onions and celery, was flavorful and meaty albeit a tad salty. Not the greatest but definitely decent. Good to know that I now have a nearby place to go to when I next have a Shepherd’s Pie craving!

Probably we had a very high expectation considering the lovely fish & chips we had eaten from London to Edinburgh, but I still dare say South Bank Fish & Chips offer decent food fare. It still has that cosy casual dining atmosphere that the previous eatery used to have, so it’s definitely a place we would come again with friends or on our own.

South Bank Fish & Chips is at One Holland Village, 7 Holland Village Way #01-03/04/05, Singapore 275748. Tel: 6263 9170. Opening Hours: 11am-10pm.