Masters Super Fish Often, it is in amongst the offices and housing estates of central London where many a fine eating establishment can be un-turfed by an adventurous wonderer. It is how I came across this restaurant, bustling in the nether regions of London’s Waterloo Road. Waterloo Road is not an area where the hungry would go in search of good nourishment, however, two hundred yards beyond the Old Vic Theatre lies Masters Super Fish - purveyors of some of the finest fish and chips imaginable.
A recent visit to Masters Super Fish did not disappoint. We arrived just after 6pm on a week day and the sizeable restaurant was already heaving with theatre goers, visitors who had dared to explore beyond Covent Garden (or just got on the wrong bus) and many a faithful London taxi driver - those whose patronage is often rightly considered a clear indication of a hearty feast within. With an old fashioned, functional café interior (fortunately with chairs that are not screwed to the floor- why do places do that?) the walls of the eatery itself are adorned with picture posters of fishes and lobsters, fish facts about the fish of the world, their sizes and family groups. The menu has a choice of standard chip shop fayre plus the more unusual delights of grilled halibut and dover sole. The great thing about Master’s is that all frying is done in groundnut oil which I think is unusual. As a result of this, the batter, in my humble opinion, is much lighter on the stomach. My former ‘macho’ boss who believed that everything should be fried in lard found this despicable and refused to eat at Master’s; but then again he also coined the expression ‘you can’t have chips without bread’, so feel free to make your own mind up here. After ordering, the waitress brought over a complimentary side plate of three (not four or two) pink prawns as a token starter. It is genuine little things like this and the complimentary gherkins and pickled onions brought to the table by the waiting staff that can intrigue, amuse and please me in an eatery. For my main course I had ordered traditional battered cod. It really was a fine slab of chunky flaked white fish that was bought freshly that day from London’s Billingsgate Market. Proper chips seemed to come with everything, as you might expect and are prepared using the traditional method of knife chopping potato as opposed to hand slicing through plastic. The choice of tea, beers or wines to wash down one's food is adequate. Masters Super Fish is a fine dining experience in its own right. It is a restaurant that has based its success around high quality simplicity. No ‘tempura loins of cod with potato batons and garden pea puree’ to be seen here, thank goodness. I am secretly pleased to report that I was previously met with a look of disgust that I feared might lead to me being asked to leave the ‘Super Fish’ for having tried in vain to order baked beans. My lesson is learnt, but I still find it hard to eat mushy peas. But, at around £8 a dish it could be said that they are aware of their success. However, this in no way stops people flocking there at meal times. Friendly and swift operating staff round off a restaurant suitable for many occasions, whether you are popping in for a quick feed en route to something else or you wish to take your time and think a lot, think of everything you’ve got, let’s hope Masters Super Fish will still be here tomorrow, though your waistline may not. 4/5 
Main £8-10 191 Waterloo Rd London,
London, SE1 8UX
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