Eleanor Crow’s East End Fish Shops
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Victoria Fish Bar, Roman Rd (Gone but not forgotten)
I try to eat fresh fish at least once a week and so, as I travel around the East End, I tend to navigate in relation to the fish shops. Illustrator Eleanor Crow shares a similar passion, witnessed by these loving portraits of top destinations for fish, whether jellied eels, fish & chips or fresh on the slab. “These places are a reminder of our river-dependent history,” Eleanor informed me, “I love the look of London’s famous eel shops with their ornate lettering and wooden partitions. Nothing beats having a proper fishmongers’ shop or market stall in the neighbourhood – not only do the shops look good, but these guys really know about fish.”
F.Cooke, Broadway Market (Gone but not forgotten)
The Fishery, Stoke Newington High St
George’s Place, Roman Rd (Gone but not forgotten)
G. Kelly, Bethnal Green Rd (Gone but not forgotten)
Mike’s Quality Fish Bar, Essex Rd
Davies & Sons, Hoe St (Gone but not forgotten)
The Fish Plaice, Cambridge Heath Rd (Gone but not forgotten)
Mersin Fish, Morning Lane
Dennis Chippy, Lea Bridge Rd
Kingfisher, Homerton High St
Mersin 2, Lower Clapton Rd
Golden Fish Bar, Farringdon Rd (Gone but not forgotten)
Tubby Isaacs (Gone but not forgotten)
L. Manze, Walthamstow High St (Gone but not forgotten)
Sea Food & Fresh Fish, Chatsworth Rd
G. Kelly, Roman Rd
Steve Hatt, Essex Rd
Jonathan Norris, Victoria Park Rd
Downey Brothers, Globe Town Market Sq (Gone but not forgotten)
Barneys Seafood, Chambers St (Gone but not forgotten)
Billingsgate Market
Illustrations copyright © Eleanor Crow
You may also like to read these other fish stories
…. And who remembers Johnny Isaacs with their wafer thin chips??
Davies and Son, Hoe Street, are also now gone but not forgotten.
Davies in Hoe St went about two years back, much to my regret.
Similarly, the frontage of Manze’s in High Street is still there, but it is no longer doing pies & eels – the ownership has changed, radically.
Both your Walthamstow entries, Davies & Manze’s, are now closed ……..
Wonderful, wonderful images. Frozen in time! I love Eleanor’s work, so thank you for introducing it to your readers.
I remember very clearly when I ordered my first fish and chips in England 45 years ago: the good man in his shop prepared everything very fresh by first taking a large potato and cutting the thick chips out of it. These were then deep-fried and brought together with the fresh fish.
This experience of enjoying it for the first time was a revelation I have never forgotten!
Long live King Charles III, who is in Germany today and in whose honour the Union Jack is waving on my car!
Love & Peace
ACHIM
Finally we are realising fish as a health product in this country.
Theres also a rather up market, touristy fishand chip resturant in Covent Garden. The end product is exactly the same except you are asked to pay double the price.
Fish and chips will always be a part of the british staple diet in all its cliches. Lovely drawings.
Great illustrations as ever!
While not strictly east end, the ‘Fryer’s Delight’ on Theobalds Road, near Holborn, is a real classic.
Unaltered in what must be 60 odd years, with booth seating, great sign and cool atomic mid century coat hook… Well worth a visit!
Charming images!
Alas, Davies of Hoe Street now also gone but not forgotten…