XL Fish Bar

Crwys Road is a fat man’s dream. Or, alternatively, a thin man-​with-​tastebuds’ nightmare. Such a bevy of superlatively delicious fast food joints throwing out scents and aromas that could make a Hare Krishna throw up his hands, say «nuts to this!» and sink his teeth into a piece of deep friend poultry with no regrets. It’s an awful, terrible, horrible place to walk up if you’re even vaguely weight conscious. And running up the street in order to maintain even a modicum of health is a test of willpower.
So, thankfully, we have the XL Fish Bar to show us that it’s not all good eating and fast living on the Crwys Road highway.
That may sound needlessly harsh, but when you’re on a street with Shah’s, and Uncle Sam’s, and Phi-​Bs, and Shah’s (not a mistake; it needs to be mentioned twice) you really need to bring your A-​game to the table, and «passable if you’re drunk and lost half your taste buds in a freak skiing/​fire accident» doesn’t quite cut it.
On a less populated street, the XL Fish Bar wouldn’t rate quite so badly. It’s only by comparison that it falls so hard. The only thing going for it is the fact that it stays open at lunchtimes longer than Shah’s. And that should be the only reason you eat here, ever.

Compared to Albany Fish bar and Shah’s Fish & Chip shop, the XL Fish Bar is mediocre. Yes it produces real chips and yes in the standard deep fried method, but do they have any real difference.
When you have such high standard competition literally on the same street with Shah’s it must be hard going because they’re food is great.
I stumble in here after 1 to many and that’s probably how everyone else find the place.

Anybody who doesn’t want to balloon to the physique of the average darts player is best advised not to walk up Crwys Road at almost any hour of the day or night, such is the mass of aromas wafting from the street’s super-​abundant takeaways. XL’s contribution to this dangerously tempting cocktail, on most days, seems to be curry sauce. And with good reason: it’s about as good as chip shop curry sauce gets. Other than that it’s bog standard stuff, although to pinch a few pennies look out for their special offers, advertised on a chalkboard outside.

There’s nothing right or wrong about this place. This was the second place that we decided to visit, the second time we walked our friend home (she got really quite drunk, both times).
Well, it was better than the Venus fast food shop but only just and it’s definitely not worth going out of your way for.
I, personally, will be sticking on my Mamas in future.
(Sorry, this is quite a short review but it’s just pretty much average in every way… so what else do you say?!)