Social media star Paul_IsItWorthIt, also known as ‘Ireland’s most honest food reviewer’, visited Anstruther Fish Bar in Scotland and he spotted major differences
Liam McInerney Content Editor
08:30, 14 Dec 2025
Paul wanted to see what Scottish takeaways were like (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt )
A Dublin lad journeyed all the way to Scotland to sample what a critic recently dubbed the “best chippy in Scotland” – and he found the grub tasted entirely different from Irish takeaways.
Social media star Paul_IsItWorthIt, self-proclaimed as “Ireland’s most honest food reviewer”, paid a visit to Anstruther Fish Bar in Fife, and the experience left him nearly lost for words.
His hopes were sky-high, especially given a sign above the entrance proudly declaring it a “UK Fish and Chip Shop of the year winner”. As if that wasn’t enough, another sign on the window boasted: “Awarded Takeaway of the year fish and chips Scotland 2019-2020.”
Kicking off his YouTube video, Paul declared: “This is your bucket list if you are a fish and chips connoisseur, this is a bucket list destination.”
His total bill amounted to £22 after ordering haddock batter and chips, homemade curry sauce, mushy peas, whitebait and an Irn Bru.
The award winning fish and chips (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt )
Unwrapping his meal, he exclaimed: “Oh my God, does that not look unbelievable? And the chips, the chips look like they have some serious character to them, don’t they?”
Taking a bite of a golden chip, he continued: “Now I have tried some chips in my time, I have tried hundreds of chips, I think that’s the best chip I’ve ever tasted.”
He then detailed how they tasted distinct from chips back in Ireland, and added: “If I am wrong I am wrong, but I think they are cooked in beef dripping, I would be flabbergasted if they are not.”
Regarding his haddock, he praised its appearance and taste, and after dipping it in tartar sauce, he was almost lost for words: “I’m almost speechless here. It doesn’t get much better.”
The Anstruther Fish Bar (Image: Anstruther Fish Bar and Restaurant by Richard Sutcliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0 )
He also tried the curry sauce, noting that it was “so different” from the Irish version. Despite finding it “really nice”, it didn’t quite hit the spot for him.
However, when he sampled the mushy peas, he noticed another difference, commenting: “I dunno, they do something different with the mushy peas in the UK, they are much better over here.”
Engaging with locals passing by, they confirmed his belief that Anstruther Fish Bar was indeed the “best around”. Summing up his meal, Paul enthused: “Just spectacular, the locals are the ones who will tell you. This is unbelievable fish and chips man, I just want to keep eating it.”
Paul also described it as a “lovely little town”, stating that the two-hour drive from Glasgow was well worth it.
Those familiar with Paul’s channel know that he doesn’t hand out high scores lightly, so he took a moment to ponder before rating his experience out of ten.
He was mightily impressed (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt )
Finally ready to deliver his verdict, he said: “The fish is unbelievably fresh, the batter is exactly how I like it, almost translucent, you can see the little flaky bits here.
“I think it is exceptional, I am going to go, what have I had that’s better than this? Oh my god… 9.7 out of ten for Anstruther.”
Following the video’s release, which can be viewed in full here, viewers were quick to share their thoughts, with one commenting: “That Anstruther Fish Bar is a real treat and going in November is a good move, as in the summer, you can sometimes be queuing down the street.”
Another enthusiastically declared: “Best chippy I’ve ever had definitely 10 out 10 for me.”