09/10/2026
Cardiff did you know...? The people of Cardiff have had their say in this year’s Cardiff Spotlight Best in City Chippy Awards, and Maelfa Fish Bar has taken the 2026 Gold award.
This was not simply a case of putting every chip shop in Cardiff into a poll and seeing what happened. To even qualify, a chippy had to hold at least a 4.5-star Google rating backed by a minimum of 250 established reviews, meaning only businesses with a strong record for quality, consistency, service and customer satisfaction made it through to the public vote.
From there, Cardiff decided. Votes were gathered through community groups across the city and through direct submissions, putting the final decision into the hands of the people who actually eat there, which gives this award a very different feel from major industry competitions such as the National Fish & Chip Awards.
Those national awards use experienced judges, mystery dining, inspections and technical assessment to decide who comes out on top, while Cardiff Spotlight took a more people-powered route. First, businesses had to prove they already had a strong public reputation, then Cardiff residents were asked to choose their favourite from the shortlist, and Cardiff chose Maelfa Fish Bar by majority.
That feels quite fitting because few things inspire stronger local loyalty than fish and chips. Everyone has their chippy, everyone thinks theirs does the best chips, and the second somebody mentions batter, curry sauce or portion size, half of Cardiff suddenly develops the confidence of a Michelin inspector.
This year, though, the city was actually asked to make the call, and the result is in. According to the 2026 Cardiff Spotlight Best in City Chippy Awards, Maelfa Fish Bar is Cardiff’s Gold-award winning chippy.
So there we have it, Cardiff. You’ve spoken.
