Apart from Stoneydown Park, the jewel in the crown of the Pretoria Avenue area is not the Clock House, but the chip shop. It is at the corner of Pretoria Avenue and Northcote Road.
Outwardly, it is like many other chip shops. There is a slightly splendid black and white geometric tiled area just before the threshold, but other than that, Bonner's looks just like a chippy. A sign in the windows even tells you they sell Pukka pies, which they do,though if you like fish at all you would be advised to opt for that. It is good fish: usually fried to order, and never in a hurry. They have the usual stupid notices for people to read while waiting and a couple of plastic garden chairs to sit on as well.
The cooking fat is shaken off properly; the fish often wrapped separately from the chips to keep it in good condition for when it gets home. Elsewhere in London they could add pounds to your bill and still have queues. (That is not an invitiation to put the prices up, just a hymn of praise for good honest value for money).
The chips are way better than anything the frozen food companies try to con people into thinking are acceptable chips. Empty your deep freeze and eat here instead. Bonner's chips come in two portion sizes - small and large. Small is large and large is enough to feed three with chips left over.
Fish also comes in small and large sizes. A small cod is quite enough. A large one sticks way off either end of the plate and leaves no room for the mountain of chips you will find on your hands. Cod, Rock and Haddock are ₤3.70 for small and ₤4.40 for large portions. Place is ₤3.50 and ₤3.90. The most expensive fish is Skate, which is ₤4.50 for a small portion and ₤5.40 for a large. Skate Knobs are ₤3.50. If they have them, squid rings cost ₤2.40, scampi is ₤3.00, cod roe ₤1.30 and fish cakes ₤1.10 each.
The costs of a fish cake is the same as a sausage, whether battered, saveloy or normal. Jamaican patties are ₤1.20, mushy peas or curry sauce 60p. And the mountainous chips? ₤1.20 for small, ₤1.90 for too much.
Bonners does not open on Sundays. On Mondays they open at 4.00pm and shut at 9.00pm. For other weekdays, they open for a lunch time session from 11.30am to 2.30pm and again at 4.00pm till 10.00pm. On Fridays they fry for eleven hours straight from 11.30am to 10.30pm. On Saturdays they also stay open throughout the afternon, but closing time is 9.30pm.
Tel 0208 520 5471.
There are other chippies in Walthamstow - the fish bar in St James's Street, and Captain's at the top of the High Street, and they are convenient, but to my mind, not quite up to Bonners' standards.
A very fair and detailed assessment of one of Walthamstow's best fish & chip shops - I wouldn't expect any less from a blog entitled 'Archipelago of Truth'!
I love reading the blog as an E17 native who left Wellington Road as a youngster, having called Stepney home for the last decade. It's great to be back, and re-discovering my old neck of the woods through your observations of the area is wonderful, as the place has changed a hell of a lot in 20 years! I am particularly enjoying the sections about every shop on Walthamstow High Street, (are you sure you don't work for Trading Standards as your day job by the way?!) will you be covering Hoe Street & Forest Road in the future?
I digress....back to fish & chip shops! Bonner's is up there, no doubt about it, I grew up on their rock & chips in the '80s and the food is just as good as I remember it. But I reckon there's a new kid on the block...Nemo's, at 617A Forest Road, literally around the corner from The Bell. I think the fish is a bit more expensive than at Bonner's, £4 for a small rock, cod or plaice & £4.50 for large. However I would argue the batter & the chips are better, the fish is always fresh & there is barely a trace of oil in the boxes that the food is served in. The BBQ chicken is also very good, as is the fried chicken. They cook virtually all the fish to order, ready in 10 minutes if you phone ahead and I must mention that the staff, especially the owner Hassan, are very friendly guys. Worth a visit if you're passing.
Keep up the fantastic writing.