Fish and chips is as British a delicacy as they come. Some might even say it is more British than any other dish. For that reason alone, everyone has an opinion as to where the best fish and chips shop is, and what exactly makes good quality fish and chips. For that reason alone, I am not going to try and argue that this is the best fish and chips restaurant in Britain but I am going to say that it is among the best takeaways in Edinburgh!

Offering a much improved online booking system L’Alba D’oro has won widespread acclaim for its quality and this is what made us decide to try it originally (as well as being too tired to go out!).

In terms of choices on the menu, there is more on offer than at your standard fish and chips shop. They offer a nice selection of fish suppers, scampi and the like, as well as more unusual options like a hot and spicy prawn dish. They will even deliver a pickled onion (one of my favourites!). One thing that they don’t offer is one of our standard favourite fish supper dishes: mushy peas. We actually ended up going out to buy some in advance, which is one of the many benefits of being able to order online and pick your delivery slot!

In terms of pricing, the suppers and dishes (as well as sides) are all really excellent value. I have paid more than £10 in the past for sit in fish and chips and haven’t even got close to the kind of delivery levels that L’Alba D’oro offer.

With four of us ordering, we went for three fish suppers and a hot n’ spicy prawns supper for me. I had requested that my prawns came with a little extra spice which seemed to get lost in translation but other than that everything was piping hot and the portion sizes were more than adequate. Even the little extras like the option to choose an extra little pot of brown sauce (not to my taste but a unique part of fish and chips in Scotland!) really added to the takeaway experience.

Flavour-wise, the prawns were succulent and coated nicely in breadcrumbs without being too oily or dripping in fat and the fish was cooked to perfection, with the fish flakes falling away from our forks. The batter as well was not too oily, had a nice taste to it, and was not so overpowering that you were left wondering if the fish should even be included in the description.

For many people, the true essence of fish and chips is the chips. The ones delivered to us were fantastic. Still nice and warm, beautifully cooked, and not wet and weedy as so many chips can be, they were extremely tasty.

Bearing all this in mind (and the added bonus that you can even order wine), the whole concept is fantastically done and for those of you who fancy a lazy evening in and want a quality takeaway in Edinburgh, you really need look no further than L’Alba D’oro.