Well, fish and chips are often eaten ‘on the go’ - it’s a tradition to eat them at the seaside, legs dangling over a peer.
Oh yes I know, I was asked that the other day. And I said no thanks, because I was getting curry sauce and I just don’t think a vinegary chip goes with it. But if I wasn’t having the sauce then I’d definitely have vinegar, but I’m picky so I’d do it myself at home.
Interesting, in my experience paper is still used but our local does put the fish in a polystyrene container first before wrapping. They just use paper for the battered sausages.
I would argue Belgians are the most serious about good chips. I’ve only been to Britain a few times. I remember the fish as being particularly good, especially from coastal places. The chips? Meh, not so much.
There are chippies in my Canada town that do a pretty good imitation. I only ever saw deep fried mars bars in one chippie, but I had never seen that. It wasn’t in a touristy place.
A Lord or a Lady? Or does it depend on your, uhm, personal preference? 
They put mayonnaise on theirs, don’t they?
The first time I had fish and chips in London, the fish had skin on it. Seems to be a regional variation. Put me right off.
Grew up in the PNW. Malt vinegar for the fish, tartar sauce for the fries.
I recall a photo of a pier-side F&C shop’s sign, We are not responsible if a gull steals your meal.
I was spoiled for fish and chips when I was stationed in Keflavik. Once a month or so the USO staff would go to the docks at 5am and buy cod from a boat that had just come in off the top of the hold so it was the last caught. They’d spend the day processing the fish, filleting them so, as mentioned above, they were big pieces.
About 2pm AFRS would announce, “It’s ready,” and people would flock down to the USO club where it would be served until it ran out. It was timed so those about to go on an eve watch (1600-2400) could get some as well as the day workers and those coming off the day watch at 1600.
No sides, no condiments except salt and malt vinegar and the chips were ‘steak fry’ style Americans favored. Nothing I’ve had in the US matches up. There was an Irish pub in Tempe, Rúla Búla, that came close but alas, it did not survive Covid.
That’s fightin’ talk!
In the UK you might have a choice of fish, while in the US you might not even be told what fish you’re getting.
When I was growing up in suburban NJ there was a place nearby called the Chippery. All they sold was F&C and soft drinks. It was inexpensive, and on my mother’s way home from work. It was also my favorite dinner. I could eat the crispy ends on their own, but the fish was always flaky and delicious. They also cut their own chips, which were round with ridges and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I liked them with vinegar and salt, but I always ate the fish plain. Years later, I had a chance to try a chippy in Gibraltar, along with some mushy peas. It was exactly like what I got from the Chippery growing up, and when my mother came to visit me in Spain I took her to Gib specifically for the fish and chips. She agreed with my assessment. The peas were less of a hit, but I liked them.
By the time I got back to NJ in the late 90s, the Chippery had gone under and sat vacant for decades. A local chef bought the place 15 years ago, with the idea of reviving it. They ran into a lot of roadblocks and the building ended up not being useable because of deterioration. They moved around several times with limited success, and I believe ultimately failed. But just today I learned that someone else has revived it and they have opened 2 new locations. I’m planning a trip as I write this to see if they have recaptured the magic from my childhood. They now offer more than just fish and chips, but I know what I’m ordering.
“Let’s Do It Right:” Fish and Chips at the Chippery
Only when showing off their mussels.
The British chips were tasty. They all disappeared quickly under clouds of malt.
But fresh chips are often tasty. There was nothing super memorable about the ones that I had. They were certainly better than Burger King’s version. I still remember the fish, so assume it must have been great.
In Quebec, mayo with fries (sometimes flavoured) is a thing. The best place, Frites Alor!, a Montreal Belgian chain, serves harissa mayo and a dozen other delicious types I find delicious. These are memorable fries.
Having lived in Belgian four and a half years I can absolutely say this isn’t true. The Belgians make Fries. Not the stringy crap from MacDonalds (which I don’t believe are even potato based), Belgian “Frites” are thinner potatoes, fried twice at lower and higher temperatures, and served with Mayonnaise. These are not the same as UK chips which have variations and perhaps what the US call “steak fries”. Fries are fries. Chips are chips. Chips are always thicker.You don’t typically get chips on mainland europe, its pretty much always fries.
In the UK, like anywhere, with a small frier in say a fried chicken place, they do fries and call them chips. But a chippie wouldn’t serve them.
One additional note on modern UK chippies, is that they’re dying out in the UK. They’d typically fry gallons of fat and keep it hot for hours. This hasn’t worked well with the rising energy prices though, so they’re struggling to break even now.
Fries are fries and chips are chips, but the ‘Twain met many decades ago.
Sing it. I lived in Brussels for two years and stuffed myself with chips and house-made mayo whenever possible. Even better was a pub where I could get the best pepper steak a la creme and frites. Orgasm time. Belgians make their fries from fresh potatoes, twice fried and melt in your mouth. Damn, I miss that place.
I see @Smid beat me to it.
Umm, this American only makes brown gravy, and never saw or heard of white gravy until i was an adult. I think that’s a southern thing, not an American thing. If i went to a restaurant and the menu said, “roast beef with gravy”, or “turkey with gravy” I’d be shocked to find the white stuff on my plate.
Back on topic…I feel like the American version is called “fried fish”. (And has a choice of accompaniments, including French fries.) Or “Friday fish fry”. Or even, “fish sticks”. Or at an upscale place, “fried cod” or “fried halibut”. (Probably one of the three options for your cod or halibut, too. You can also get broiled or baked, probably.) And anyone in America selling “fish and chips” is attempting the British dish, and yes, offers malt vinegar.
I’ve only had the British stuff in the UK once or twice, and it wasn’t all that different from the American stuff called “fish and chips”. I’m sure i didn’t have the best available in either country.
We’re not taking Fish and Fries though, are we?
Oh, we are. Well, that’s easy. That is the HUGE difference between Fish and Chips UK versus the US.
There’s a Belgian-themed pub in Norwich in the UK and they used to do a top quality steak and ‘Limberger potatoes’. They were bloody delicious.
I only ate FC once in England in Marazion. We watched the gig boat races while we ate. It was fine. It wasn’t terribly memorable. I don’t like steak fries, so the chips were just adequate. Everything had malt vinegar, though. And only applied immediately before eating. If I’m eating FC on site, I’ll ask for an empty cup, pour some vinegar in it and dip my fish and chips. I hate excessive sogginess. Crispiness is why I eat fried food.
Spent three years in Scotland. There were three chippies (all run by Italians) in town when I first got there, though one of them closed during my first year there. I normally went to the one just up the street from the pub where I hung out. Most of the Americans thought the third shop was the best one, but it was at the other end of town so I never went there. I usually got a Scotch egg or two to go with my fish supper.