Chippy chic

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Sustainable fish, moules mariniere, home-made ketchup... Tom Aikens' new-wave fish and chipper is batter by far

It's good that Tom Aikens has gone to all the trouble of sourcing sustainable fish, recycled take-away boxes and cornstarch cutlery for his new-wave chippy. It's great. The only trouble is opening it in Chelsea, where his customers come wrapped in floor-length black fox fur, clutching 1,300 Chanel calfskin totes, their black Range Rovers illegally parked outside. Talk about sustainable.

Clientele aside, there is plenty to like about Tom's Place. You have to whole-heartedly endorse a policy of buying mainly line- caught fish brought in by family-run day boats and focusing on less threatened species such as pollock, gurnard, megrim sole, mackerel and Cornish sardines. And someone has had a lot of fun putting this whole concept together. I like the tongue-in-cheek chippy references in the flecked easy-wipe tables and benches, the moulded plastic lipstick-red chairs and stools, and the bottles of Sarson's vinegar and home-made ketchup. Even the "blackboard" behind the takeaway counter has been reinvented in sexy red neon, listing the available types of battered fish, chips, big fat onion rings and battered potato slices as well as fish cakes, grilled mackerel with beetroot and potato, pan-fried, line-caught sea bass with balsamic red onions, and "bowl food" such as moules marinire.

None of this is particularly new to me, as Sydney's Bondi, Manly and Balmoral beaches did new-wave chippy back in the 1990s, inspiring Rick Stein and others to follow their example. Aikens has even sourced an Australian manager in Chris McNally, last seen at Sydney's Flying Fish, who is so can-do he probably has done by the time you finish this sentence.

Aussie fish and chips are all about freshness, with everything cooked to order and nothing kept in warming trays. That means two things: better eating and longer waiting. I settle in on the ground floor, which is buzzier than the low-ceilinged, 30-seat diner up the tin-shed-style spiral staircase. Tom isn't cooking tonight, but his twin Robert is, which, in appearance at least, is the same thing.

The gurnard's big ugly head may have saved it from being popular in the past, but it is so good deep-fried (12.50) that its future may well be imperilled. The firm, sweet meaty flesh is encased in crisp golden batter that actually has flavour; while the chips are homely and thick-cut, served with some bland tartare sauce. Oi, where's the lemon? You'd be tossed into the deep end in Oz if you served any sort of fish without lemon. Mr Can-Do immediately does, and what's left of the juice goes into the tartare to make it more interesting.

As for the rest of it: mushy peas (2) are green and sweet; fat little grilled sardine fillets on toast with an old-fashioned shallot chutney (7.50) are tip-top; and a glass of 2005 Chapel Down Bacchus Reserve (5.50) is crisp and clean without being in any way thrilling.

On the downside, breaded scampi is a waste of langoustine, crumbs and 20, the steamy little morsels bland and pale inside their thick sarcophagi; Aikens' new-found ecological evangelism seems heavy- handed when it takes the form of a documentary starring the man himself playing continuously on plasma TV screens (the volume turned down by staff); and while watching your food miles is a good thing, an all-English wine list is taking it a step too far, until global warming gets so bad that England can ripen her grapes in the sun.

I still think battering and deep-frying is the least appealing way to cook fish in the world, but if I have to eat fish and chips, I'll eat them here. Or I'll take them home: a subsequent meal of battered ray and chips and a tub of rich, thick bouillabaisse works almost as well. I might add that it was taken home on foot and by Tube, which, in these days of violent street crime, makes me the endangered species.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL FRANKE

15/20

Scores 1-9 stay home and cook 10-11 needs help

12 ok 13 pleasant enough 14 good 15 very good

16 capable of greatness 17 special, can't wait to

go back 18 highly honourable 19 unique and

memorable 20 as good as it gets

Tom's Place

1 Cale Street, London SW3, tel: 020 7351 1806 11am-11pm Sun-Wed; 11am-midnight Thurs-Sat. Around 65 for two, including wine and service

Read Terry Durack's new column at independent.co.uk/eat

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