San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op: Fresh Fish & Chips Straight From The Sea In San Remo, Australia

More often than not, when we think of food in Australia, aesthetic cafes and hipster coffee spots come to mind. 

But beyond the mature cafe scene in the cities is actually a gastronomic heaven which not many people know about.

This time, my quest to conquer Australia’s food haven led me to San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op.

Located a two-hour drive away from the heart of Melbourne, it’s located in the small town of San Remo.

The spacious and naturally bright eatery boasts a huge menu of well-loved seafood dishes, but that’s not all.

True to its name, they also source their seafood straight from the surrounding waters of San Remo!

They even have a mini-market within the eatery itself offering their catch of the day.

You can be sure that their seafood items are all super fresh, as such!

Being a fish and chips fan since I was young, I was looking forward to trying their take on it. As it was also my first meal of the day, I figured I’d go for something hearty.

As you can probably tell, I went big and got myself a Single Pack (AUD$14.5O).

Unequivocally, the star of my mini seafood platter was the sizeable gummy shark fillet.

They certainly couldn’t have deep-fried it more perfectly — just look at the beautiful golden-brown crust!

Besides, the locally-caught gummy sharks are San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op’s standard choice of fish. So I guess it’s certainly fair to expect nothing less than perfection.

To my delight, the fish was ultra-juicy and glistening on the inside.  Just pressing my fork against the flakes made it oozed sensationally with juice.

However, the fish wasn’t as tender as I was expecting. It had a slightly chewy texture which I actually didn’t mind as it was just so juicy.

Meanwhile, the gorgeous batter on the fish gave a delightful crunch too. It made for an excellent contrast with the tender fish.

With its refreshing and natural oceanic flavour, I could have simply devoured the fish on its own. However, the platter also came with a side of their homemade tartare sauce, as most traditional fish and chips would.

Tangy and with a nice zestiness, it was to die for.

It complemented the light seasoning of salt on the fish very well.

On the platter was also a hefty-looking calamari ring.

San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op actually coats the squid ring with panko crumbs before deep-frying it. This gave the ring subtle notes of sweetness.

I appreciated that the calamari ring wasn’t rubbery at all too. In fact, it broke off rather easily with every bite.

The deep-fried goodness didn’t stop there, though. The platter also came with a deep-fried potato cake!

I bet you’re wondering, what exactly is a potato cake? Well, it was essentially a chunky slice of potato covered in batter and then deep-fried. 

The potato within had a good, satisfying crunch to it. However, as a whole, the snack wasn’t anything much to rave about.

Instead, what I couldn’t resist constantly helping myself to was the bed of British-style chips beneath all the ingredients.

For one, I absolutely loved how thick and fluffy the chips were on the inside.

The soft skin became slightly soggy from soaking up all the juices from the fish.

Since I love my fries soggy, you can probably imagine how addicted to those chips I was. 

The last item we got was a VEGO (AUS$9.50) burger.

Is that a vegetarian burger in a fish and chips restaurant, you may ask? Well, yes, but it was by no means a mock fish burger. This was simply a good ol’ vegetarian burger with a vegetable patty.

In it were the quintessential cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce, as well as a homemade aioli sauce. However, what stood out was the delightfully hefty vegetable patty.

A mix of mashed potatoes, pea, carrots and corn, it packed a duo of decadent and umami flavours. 

Not only that, but the patty wasn’t crumbly or dry at all. This allowed us to indulge in the burger without making a mess.

San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op is aptly located right opposite the popular Australian day-trip destination, Phillip Island. If you’re planning a trip to Phillip Island, this is the perfect stopover spot for “refuelling” your belly.

Besides, with a view that stunning and food so fresh, what’s not to love?

Expected Damage: AUD$1 – AUD$42 per pax