What the hell is that green stuff?
Christ, why did I read this an hour before I can eat? I’m literally drooling here*. On the plus side, I now know what I’m having for my tea.
- For the second time today after reading the Indian food thread
Bastard.
Cole slaw.
To make you feel a little better, the local chippie isn’t all that great.
What?
Grude, you haven’t given your location, but if you’re close to the Canadian border, our salt and vinegar chips aren’t going away any time soon. Try the dill pickle and ketchup flavours while you’re at it. 
HE SAID COLE SLAW!i!
Why sprinkle the vinegar on? The few times I’ve been in the UK, I’ve just shaken a huge puddle of vinegar on my plate and dipped. You get more vinegar AND things don’t get soggy. Win/Win
Hello world. Long time lurker and ageing Londoner.
I’ve eaten a lot of fish and chips. The image linked by amanset PBase.com is is what I expect to see from a chippy anywhere in Britain.
Crisps (potato chips?) never taste like the things they’re named after. The crisp flavour is OK for crisps I suppose.
To the OP, I would suggest: poke a few holes in the fish batter first, sprinkle salt and vinegar over all to start; then add more as necessary. I suspect vinegar mostly runs off and takes salt with it, at least that’s how it seems to me. And beware of battered fish lying in vinegar pools.
I remember as a child, eating fish and chips wrapped in newspaper but there was always a layer or two of greaseproof paper between the food and newsprint. By the time I was old enough to buy chips on my own (for six pre-decimal pence!) the chippys I knew didn’t use it. Having a folded paper container gets round the vinegar pooling problem - because it leaks out.
But I only liked cod and rarely eat chips now.
I prefer the new traditional English meal: curry.
Why?
Because that is how it is done. Next you’ll be asking why milk goes in tea and Geordies take their tops off when it gets cold.
Are you asking why cole slaw with F&C?
It’s common here in the US to serve cole slaw with fried seafood, seafood in general, and many other dishes. I recall in England they offered me some mushy peas or something like that. At my restaurant many people said ‘no thanks’ to the cole slaw even though it was served with every dish.
Many people like vinegar on their fish, some on their chips, but tartar sauce for fish and ketchup for fries is the more popular.
Are you in England?
Whoosh.
Purists don’t acknowledge the necessity of anything but the chips, salt & vinegar. The fish is negotiable.
No, but I am British.
The post above this one explains it all, although I would make allowances from some things, like curry sauce.
You ate fish and chips off a plate? 
Chips and curry sauce is a whole other topic. In my extensive experience, the best chips and curry sauce are to be found in Chinese takeaways.
Classic seaside resort restaurant meal! Fish, chips, garden peas, buttered bread and mug of tea.
Edit: a quarter lemon, for the squeezing
This is true. Even though it’s a bit posh to actually sit down and eat off a plate at the seaside, I have done so. But TBH it’s always felt a little wrong to me, like eating a roast dinner or curry or stew out of paper would be wrong. And vinegar for fish and chips is not a dipping sauce.
Just curious if you, or anyone else, has ever been to Malin’s of Bow Street in London