Short answer: Havener's for the best version overall (book for a waterside table), The Ship Inn for value and atmosphere, and the Fishermans Arms at Golant if you don't mind the short drive.
Fowey's genuine working harbour heritage gives its fish and chips real credentials — here's where to actually get it.
Havener's gets specifically praised for the best fish and chips reviewers say they've had — catch of the day, perfectly crisp, right on the estuary. Book ahead for the waterside tables.
A genuinely good-value fish platter with a lively, self-service atmosphere — order at the bar and carry your own drinks, which suits a relaxed lunch well.
A short drive out to the village of Golant, this pub does what reviewers repeatedly call the best fish and chips they've had anywhere — genuinely worth the detour.
Readymoney Beach, a short walk from the centre, is a genuinely lovely spot to eat fish and chips looking out over the estuary mouth.
Given Fowey's genuine popularity with sailors and second-home visitors, tables at the more popular spots fill fast in peak season — booking ahead is worth doing rather than hoping to walk in.
If the main harbour-front spots are full, the short drive out to Golant genuinely rewards the effort with both quieter surroundings and equally excellent food.
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