One needs a good reason to visit the spectacularly bleak Queensmead outside parade of shops in Farnborough, unless you are looking to buy a second hand suit or place a bet. However, if you take a deep breath and walk quickly to No 77 you will find a chippie called The Lemon Plaice. Believe me, you will not regret it.
As someone brought up in the 1950s, I know all about good fish and chips. In my hometown of Kingston upon Thames I lived within easy walking distance of three chippies.
Chain restaurants and pubs like Wetherspoons and Browns offer dishes called fish and chips, but these are usually pale imitations of the real thing I grew up with.
Not so Farnborough's Lemon Plaice. To enjoy it at its best you must eat on the admittedly rather cramped premises, and best of all have a large piece of cod freshly fried, served with chips. The batter is exquisite, the cod a joy, and the chips divine. And never have I been offered the northern obscenity of mushy peas.
We tend to think, nowadays, that good food only consists of food you need to bring an Italian or French translator with you to know what you are ordering. And, to be fair, Italian and French cooking can be exquisite.
But if you feel hungry and want a satisfying meal that will put a smile on your face, and at a reasonable price, The Lemon Plaice is the place for you! read more
