Fish & chips

Sole or cod

Take a seat at the Cat & Fiddle English pub in the heart of Hollywood and order up a pint and a bit of fish. Here fish and chips are prepared with either cod or sole, depending on your preference. The fish is dredged in a beer batter, then cooked until crisp on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside. (Fish and chips, sole, $13.25; cod, $11.75).

Cat & Fiddle Pub & Restaurant, 6530 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 468-3800.

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A light batter

Stop in at Malibu Seafood, a small roadside shack with unbeatable views of the Pacific, for a plate of fish and chips. Chunks of sweet Icelandic cod are battered in flour, soy sauce and a touch of baking soda, then fried in canola oil until golden. The fish is served with hefty thick-cut fries. (Fish and chips, $3.80 to $7.50.)

Malibu Seafood, 25356 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, (310) 456-3430.

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Bass ale recipe

Make yourself comfortable at Whale & Ale, an English pub where Irish folk music plays in the background. Enjoy the ample portion of fish and chips, made with a seven-ounce piece of Icelandic cod dipped in a frothy Bass ale batter and served with big English-style chips. (Fish and chips, lunch, $7.75; dinner, $14.95)

Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro, (310) 832-0363.

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Thick, flaky

The Olde Ship restaurants are warm, friendly pubs that serve bangers and mash and sticky toffee pudding, but their most popular item is fish and chips. The restaurants use very white, thick flaky Icelandic cod, which is tossed in a beer batter and fried in peanut oil. The crispy fish is served with a pile of thick-cut fries. If you like English beer, there are more than 20 on tap. (Fish and chips, one piece, $8.95; two pieces, $11.95)

The Olde Ship, 709 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 871-7447; 1120 W. 17th St., Santa Ana, (714) 550-6700.

-- Jessica Strand