Emilia reviews a fish and chip shop ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest
Press PLAY to hear Emilia’s full review
When trying to find the best fish and chips in Melbourne, this Ivanhoe fish bar kept appearing in every search. It piqued my interest because for those of us staying in Melbourne over Christmas we need a taste of an ocean holiday!
There’s a couple of things that make Theo’s stand head and shoulders above your regular suburban fish and chip shop. Firstly, the sides are endless, the fish is so fresh, they expertly prepare the food with freshness as their number one priority and coeliacs don’t have to miss out. Their gluten free batter is made with three different flours and two secret ingredients.
There’s a couple of things they do to protect the quality of their food; they specifically box the food up at the last minute to ensure that they remain fresh, this stops the sogginess that you sometimes get with wrapped fish and chips that sit under a lamp. They also are very particular about the oil they fry in and how often they change it. I used to work next to a fish and chip shop, I can assure you – you can tell and you can smell the difference even from the outside.
There are a couple of things a good fish and chip shop needs to get right to earn themselves their stripes – obviously the fish and chips themselves have to be elite, but they also have to nail a burger, dim sim and potato cake. If they can’t nail that, don’t bother. Obviously, Theo’s ticks all those boxes. Their family has been in the fish game for 30 years.
When you walk into Theo’s there’s chairs on the street and inside to encourage you to stay around and eat there, the seaside motifs flow up the walls with nets and shells, naturally.
Let’s talk about the menu. I obviously had to try the battered and grilled fish – I tried the barramundi and flathead which were both wonderfully fresh. The batter is crispy but not heavy.
The dim sims were delicious, I actually preferred the gluten free dim sims to the gluten filled ones. The ones that look like a little parcelled apple, browned perfectly on the outside and ambiguous on the inside. The potato cakes were giant, oval disks. I loved that it wasn’t too thick like some can be. The chips were a little thicker than your general fish and chip store, which I liked.
They also have a fish taco on the menu which I would 100% recommend. Hot tip – don’t sleep on the fish taco!
The burger was simple, understated and everything a burger should be.
There were lots of sides I also tried; chicken nuggets, calamari rings, prawns, fish bites, scallops. They were all battered, which I should’ve picked up and was probably a bit much on my part.
There were a couple of special things I also tried that I’ve never tried – a battered sausage. I know it sounds disgusting but don’t knock it until you try it. Imagine, a sausage in a thin layer of bread.
I also tried the pineapple fritter and the lukumades.
If you’re in Melbourne this summer, Ivanhoe has you covered. If you’re a gluten free eater or love a gluten free eater … take them here!
Theo’s Fish Bar
165 Heidelberg Rd
Ivanhoe