Find battered beauties worth burning your fingers on at this local fish and chipper in Burrill Lake. Former fisherman Zoran Praja gets his seafood straight off the boat, which is cleaned and prepared in house, for the freshest fillets around. Tear the paper to reveal golden hunks of flathead or bream and fat fluorescent chips that are well worth their chicken salt. 107 Princes Hwy, Burrill Lake; instagram.com/thefishshopburrilllake.

Follow the pelicans to Fishermen’s Wharf for the Central Coast’s best dang fish and chips. This iconic seafood restaurant and takeaway business has been slinging generous serves of market- fresh fish and hot, chunky chips since 1974, and they sure know their hake from their hoki. Grab a barra spring roll or fried pineapple fritter while there. The Boulevarde, Woy Woy; woywoyfishermenswharf.com.au.

Josh Niland has swapped fine dining for frying at this new wave a crack at the Corner Inlet chippie in Rose Bay. There’s no flathead, spectacularly sealed in a pink ling pâté here, just loaded chips, craggy golden crusted cod rolls, salt and vinegar scallops served skin-on with tangy and fabulous homemade tartare. 670 New South Head Rd, Rose Bay; charcoalfish.com.

Pelican Rocks Cafe serves some of the best seafood on the south coast, and the waterbirds agree. The Shoalhaven chippie has snagged multiple awards for its prize catch – beer battered flathead and salty, snappable chips. Splash out on the fisherman’s basket, and you’ll also get prawn skewers and calamari rings. You’ll need a pelican-sized bill to fit it all in. 117 Greenwell Point Rd, Greenwell Point; pelicanrockscafe.com.au.

Loved by the locals, and for good reason, Scottie’s serves up the freshest sustainable seafood just a stone’s throw from Newcastle Beach. You could dial up the extravagance by ordering the lobster, but why would you when the fish and chips are this good? We recommend you chuck in one of Scottie’s beetroot scallops for good measure. 36 Scott St, Newcastle East; scottiesne.au.