Review Top Of The Bay - Williamstown

Not recommended - we got the family box takeaway, and it wasn’t great. We had unseasoned chips that were overcooked with bad oil, extra salad (paid $4 on top of) with no dressing, small portion of fish bites and no cutlery at all. We weren’t even asked if we needed cutlery. Also, do not buy tartare sauce. They have it listed as a purchase option but there’s no point cause they give you packets for free anyway. The one they sell isn’t special anyway!

Very fast service. Reasonable price. Food was just average I thought. We had the seafood selection pack and grill salad pack.

Fantastic fish n chips, the batter is so light and seafood really fresh. We were served by an elderly gentleman who was absolutely lovely. Highly recommend this place. We will be back.

Nice fish and chips, even if my portion of flake was a little on the small side. Cooked well. Calamari were good also - genuine not the processed variety.

Would not recommend. Very disappointing. The calamari rings were tiny, less than half the size of elsewhere yet the same price. The salad was a pile of dry pre-packed leaves with a couple of slices of tomato. Fish and potato cakes were super-greasy in what tasted like cheap oil. We will not be back.

Thie is my no1 fav fish and chip shop in Melbourne. i drive about 30km from home to go there The views across the road are great and you can find a spot to sit and eat too.. always a few seagulls looking for a chip..

Delicious food and efficient service. Hands on owner run gem. Generous portions. The deep fried pineapple as well as the deep fried pumpkin are a must try if you've never tasted them before

This place has got to be one of the nicest fish and chip shops in the area. Been here regularly and the food is always great. Not to forget the awesome views too. (food was half eaten as I forgot to take a pic).

Seafood platter was wat we had & for $42 they were wayyyyy off quality for the price..fish was ok..but scallops..mussels..prawns & calamari were all over cooked small & hidden deep in crunchy batter...shame cause service was good..it twas busy & tidy shop..

My almost 5 yr old and i ate there Thursday New Owners, it was well worth the trip FM footscray, in the coldish weather. Flake was delish everything best I've had in yrs. They even accommodate my fussy 5 yr old. These days its hard to find a beautiful family owned shop with great food Thank you so much. See you soon!

I totally agree with everything that has been said. It is disgraceful the way shop owners and staff treat the disabled. Come to think about it all shop staff should be respectful of all customers. We are the people that keep them in jobs. One can only wish that the owner has a bit of decency to apologize for the actions of the treatment these people were given.

If i could rate NO stars then i would. We went as a group of about 15 to eat and we all ended up unwell. My poor son copped it the worst was unable to move off the couch all day because of the pains in his stomach. Will not be coming back there thats for sure

Just finished eating there and would highly recommend it. The blue grenadier and chips was fantastic. Service was also great and the food reasonably priced.

We had a seafood basket but got grilled fish and it was PERFECT! The salad was amazing. Good price for the location. The courtyard was idyllic and we had a beautiful meal! We will be back!

If it is true regarding this shops behaviour towards the disabled and handy capped wether it was the owner or a staff member you should be ashamed of yourselves, maybe some re- training for the owner and staff in regards to customer service, that's ALL customers not just the ones you think deserve your respect!!! Won't step foot in your shop!!!!

Great fresh tasty food with amazing service. Highly recommend and we will definitely be back real soon.

Really did not like the batter chips were nice though but over priced

Over priced rubbish... was really oily... would never eat there again. Not very friendly either.

1 of the best fish and chip shops in melb, worth the drive every time

No idea what your food is like but just received a post regarding the DISGRACEFUL treatment of a special needs group at your establishment by your staff. Needless to say we won't be eating at your chippery and FYI the post has gone almost viral through the special education and family community. Unfortunately this site does not have a negative star rating but you really are beyond poor!

Disgraceful! you do not treat people with a disability like you have. Shame on you and your staff.

You are a disgrace as a public serving business treating people with a disability like you have. Never will we step inside your business or recommend too others

My kids have been up all night spewing and poohing. I feel terribly I'll myself. Thanks for nothing.

Best fish and chips I've ever had!! Also very nice service and a fair price.

Been to this place several times.. Unfortunately they’re using their Top Location to Cash out a lot-against the Quality of their products.. Mix&Match doesn’t work from the Menu Board,..Tooo Oily..Too Expensive..

Had lunch here a couple days ago & ordered the flake & chips pack for $10.50. Flake was perfect! The fish tasted fresh, it was piping hot and the batter golden & crunchy. The chips were also great. Only downside is that the salad in the display looked like it had been sitting there for a couple days, so didn’t order a side serve like I was planning to. Would highly recommend coming for the fried stuff though.

Was okay. Fish of the day was tasty. The chips were not your classic fish and chip shop chips - that is hard to find anyway! They were basically chicken shop chips. In saying that it did satisfy my carb cravings. The prices were decent for the area. Dim sims were average, only fried offered.

Great for grabbing some fish and chips and finding a nice spot in the park or on the pier to enjoy them. The fish and chips are good, not out of this world, but the location adds an element of enjoyment to the experience. The service is friendly and the packs are good for sharing.

Spot over food .......<br/><br/>It's the spot, not necessarily their food, mostly are cooked well, small portion for around $10 for their Fish & Chips.<br/><br/>The view will bump up the enjoyment too.

Delicious. We got the battered fish and chips, great value at 7 or 8 dollars each. I thought the serve was generous. Calamari also great. Friendly staff, very central location. We went across the road and had dinner on a bench by the water. Will be coming back :)

I was quite happy with my experience here! Staff were friendly and the place bustling as it was a warm evening. Shop is in a prime location, beautiful views to sit and eat in. Food was reasonably expensive and small serving sizes however :(. Seafood stick was definitely over cooked, super oily! However chips were perfect and fish was cooked nicely despite it being tiny. I think the location easily bumps the rating up, however Im sure when I'm at the beach again another day, i would still return.

Disgusting! Do not buy from this fish n chip shop!!!<br/>Bought grilled fish last Monday night at $7 a pop. It was wafer thin and looked like it had been sitting there for a week. Only continued with the order because I had promised my grandsons fish n chips for dinner and being a Monday night, it was the only one open. My grandsons refused to eat it as did I.<br/>The chips cost $7.50 for a box..... Couldn't believe the inflated price. No salt! No flavour.<br/>Awful awful awful!!!

Had the flake pack and grilled fish pack with salad. Quick, tasty and great value for money at under $10 each. And a nice view of the city if you get a good table outside. If you're after no frills fish and chips in Williamstown, go here!

Awful. The grilled bream had the consistency of old jelly. The commercially mass-produced chips were tasteless. The lemon was quite good though.

Overpriced. My local in williamstown was closed on Mondays unfortunately, so went to top of the bay. Was disappointed with the serving<br/>Size of the Barramundi pack . $12.50 for a small portion of fish but HEAPS of chips. Great for the waistline!!!!.... The fish was grilled , but was too floury and dry. Won't be going back it's its too overpriced. They should give you two fillets of fish ..For anyone looking at value for money and freshly cooked fish try Old Salt Fish n Chips in Port Melbourne .

Top of the Bay Fish and Chips was perfectly located in a position where we could sit outside and still enjoy the view. We went for fried sea bream and fried scallops. Both were really nice; the scallops were our favorites. The batter was nice and light, but....

Horrible!. Top of the Bay? More like Bottom of the Fryer. Soggy chips that tasted old, flake that was dry and not so fresh and calamari was disgusting oil soaked rubber. Hmmm why is this place so busy??

Too posh. went there for a meal and. NO TOMATO SAUCE they had run out. Wanted $67 for 5 people. Must have sauce for your fish OMG. we left didn't purchase. The girls attitude was so uppity went else where

Heavy on the chips, light on the fish. The chips are good. The fish is of fine quality, but the portions are inadequate: Grilled flake was the size of a Power Bar. Flathead tails (two of them, each the size of two fingers) was $13.50 with chips. Long wait time (20 minutes with three or four customers ahead of me). At least the view is nice while waiting. Friendly staff. No grill, just a sandwich press, so fried may be the quickest way to go.

TOTB generally do a pretty good job. On this occasion however, I was disappointed. After ordering 6 overpriced calamari rings, I was disappointed to received only 5. I thought the 'unwritten rule' of fish'n'chips was to give extra... TOTB obviously missed that memo. Lastly there was only one measley tartare sauce provided for the 3 meals purchased. For top dollar I expect more!

Previous owner. Interesting reviews,but the store must be doing something correct as it is now in its 25th year,with only 2 operators in that time span.

Not sure what the hype is all about. The fish was fresh yes but overpriced for what you got. Waited almost an hour for a sardine sized piece of fish and ordinary chips. Give it a miss.

Young Manager. Was shocked when i came in for fish n chips last week to notice somebody half my age working as a manager! he obviously new what he was doing, accounting for his staff, taking orders, answering the phone, and cooking the fish. I witnessed him having positive relationships with his regular customers (considering a lady gave him a birthday card). He also had a positive/constructive attitude with his staff. <br/>I am very happy about top of the bay giving management opportunities to younger, more attractive people like this young worker!

Best Fish n Chips?. YES, this is the best fish n chips ive had in years. On the tuesday night i was shown with fresh fish. i had a flake and grilled bream, and it was amazing. The prices were a bit over the top however, but the excellent service and food made up for it. The timing was fast, the chips were not oily at all. It was a sealed deal, the young staff member's service was quite amazing considering its only a fish shop, i felt like i was at The Strand (the fancy restaurant next door) i will be coming back here!

Never had a bad meal there... It's that simple ! Been travelling from Brighton and Beaumaris over to Williamstown for years. Always buy fish ' n chips at Top of the Bay. Eat it in the car either on the strand or around at the foreshore near the Botanical Gardens. Everything is always fresh. The service is usually quick, efficient and pleasant. I consider the prices to be very reasonable. But, yes, it can get extremely busy, especially in summer. I wonder why ? Once I literally couldn't get in the door and I had to try another fish shop over there. It was utterly terrible. The fish was like a piece of rubber. The service was slow and the prices were outrageous for what we got. A couple of weeks ago we went back to the Top of the Bay. Never again will I roam. I'd rather take a box of sandwiches with me (just in case) and simply enjoy the view at Williamstown in preference to having to buy my fish anywhere else.

Lack of leadership. Shame to see the supposed (manager? I question because he was seemingly quite young, tall with slightly red hair) rudely barking out orders to the rest of the staff while others and myself were trying to order! Good food, ordered 2-3 weeks ago, but a real shame to see the visual appeal of the place go to waste seeing the staff being put into an uncomfortable position and awkward to watch.

Ripped off. Ordered 6 prawns charged $15 dollars ,realised that on the board the prawn pack was $13 with a serving of chips ,pointed out that I should have been referred to the board told that the server was new ,(he was but at least he was polite) manager couldnt care less and said it was too lat eto change order had been entered into the till (Computer says no!) really really annoyed

I was told the wait would be 20 mins, so I politely asked after 25 mins about our order as our number. They lost our order and we waited anothe 10 mins. Ok - it was Friday night, no big deal, but then the chips were soggy and oil drenched.<br/>We won't be back, and there's probably other shops we will try 1st

Awful. Had to wait far too long.<br/>Service was less than satisfactory.<br/>Portion size is far too small.<br/>Price certainly doesn't reflect the quality of the food or lack of.<br/>Will never return EVER.

We have ordered here a couple of times recently and the food has been great. Best fish and chips in Williamstown. Yummy chunky flake and non greasy chips. Can get very busy though.

Just waited 35 minutes for Luke warm fish and chips. The long wait was obviously due to a full shop of customers - however no sense of urgency was shown by staff nor did they apologies.

This place could do with more staff, I can only say that the management is shocking! Staff took orders saying there would be a 15min wait whilst cooking a delivery order of about 40 people. All in all 1 hour and 20 min wait for fish and chips. That we're undercooked!

Once great, now consistently undercooked. Weirdly, this fish and chips place has gone dramatically downhill since last year. The chips were always terrific (golden, crispy and lean-cut), the fish was good, though the grilled fish has always had too much flour. But it was all well cooked.<br/><br/>The last few times we've ordered here, this year (2012), the food has been appalling. It's like it's a different place. The ingredients seem the same, but they are consistently cooked poorly. We've had to send chips back as undercooked, verging on raw, twice. (the last two times.) Twice before that, I've thrown the chips out and given up for same reason. Tonight, I asked for them to be well done, explaining my previous experience, and they came back reasonable.<br/><br/>Our grilled fish was cold in the middle and had dry flour powder on top. (It went to the dog; we give up on asking them to redo the food now, sadly.) My husband has sent fish back for being undercooked in the past, too. And when he's ordered no flour at all (he's allergic), the fish has come with flour. <br/><br/>And finally, the service ... The girl at the register who served me was very polite & lovely, but when I asked how long it would be, as we wanted to go for a walk and come back, I was told 10 minutes - it took 25. I don't mind a wait at a busy seaside fish and chips place on a warm day - it's standard - but I do mind the gap between estimated time and reality. Especially, I guess, given all the issues we've had.<br/><br/>Why have we kept going back? Because we once loved this place, it's local, it has gorgeous views and HAD great food - and we've kept hoping it would improve. But regretfully, this was our final visit. We give up. A great pity.

Fire in the belly really hit the nail on the head. Great fish, but service is definitely lacking. Prices are a little steeper than I would have liked, but big food commands big prices.

Top Fish, Bottom Service. Great location to eat fish and chips with a view of the bay and city. Really nice fish, crispy batter and fresh as can be. Chips could be better as could the young guy serving. no real interest in being there and is a shame as its not just me that its happened to. needs a wake up call because this place serves some decent food but service like that will keep people from heading back.

Buy your Chips from 'A Flock Of Seagulls'. Nice spot for chips... buy'em and eat'em in the park across the road with the city view over the bay.<br/>Food wise, its OK... regulation F'n'C.<br/>Price wise, a bit uppish to where they should be.<br/>And its very much not a classic Greek-owned Fish'n'Chipper. The young dudes working the counter were pure GenY... all glum, self interested and with the big weird hair... Haircut 100!.<br/>Welcome to Odds-ville!

Well cooked calamari rings. Came here for a quick dinner and had the dinner pack, which was a lot of food to share around; we chose the grilled fish, which seemed to be overly battered? The chips and potato cake were nice and crispy, but the calamari rings were the highlight. They were done really well; definitely not overcooked / rubbery and the batter was also nice and crispy!

The most disgusting 'grilled' fish I have ever eaten. This place is an embarassment to Williamstown.

Good food, better view. The fish 'n' chips were decent, and they tasted even better because of the view. Great place to stuff yer gob as you look back at Melbourne's CBD, which is oddly compressed with all the highrises seemingly jammed together from Top of the Bay's angle.

Decent fish n chips, slow service on a sunday and our order was missing a piece of fish. Prob better when not as busy.

We got a barra pack to share ($11.50). A moderate fillet of barra which was fresh, juicy and finger licking good. Crispy batter and well drained of excess oil. It was so good that I wanted to get another pack (but I didn't because, as nice as it was, it's still deep fried food). I'm getting hungry just thinking of this barra! The chips were thick cut and equally nice. Perfectly fried - crispy on the outside and mealy on the inside. It came with a nice wedge of lemon and tartare sauce.