The World's Only Michelin-Starred Fish And Chips Spot Is Not In London

Although fish and chips are synonymous with British street food, London isn't where you'll find the world's only Michelin-starred fish and chips restaurant. Surprisingly enough, this restaurant isn't in the U.K. at all. Instead, Londoners will have to travel about 1,000 miles to Italy, where Brezza Fish and Chill is serving up the dish with a gourmet twist.

Located in the town of Soverato in the Calabria region of Southern Italy, chef Luca Abbruzzino opened Brezza in January 2022. Due to his informal approach to cooking, Brezza is all about simplicity and fresh, flavorful ingredients. The menu is divided into two sections, one dedicated to signature cocktails and the other entirely to fish.

Brezza, whose ingredients the Michelin website describes as "full of flavour and always simply prepared," offers items like sandwiches with tuna tartare, octopus carpaccio, and amberjack tataki. There's also a wide selection of raw seafood options, wraps, and frisella, which are open-faced Italian sandwiches.  Of course, there's also plenty of fried fish on the menu, including a mixed fried fish platter, cod tempura, shrimp zeppole, and plenty of fries. But these aren't your typical french fries — instead, Brezza offers fries with bottarga (a cured fish roe sac) and chives or fries with sardine powder and bergamot. Paired with the cod tempura or fried fish platter, these gourmet fries top off some seriously decadent fish and chips.

Despite being considered a quintessential British food, fish and chips may not actually hail from the U.K. after all. While the dish's origins are controversial, many believe Portugal introduced Brits to fish and chips in the 1500s, while others claim immigrants from Venice brought the dish over in the 1800s. The first chip shops began popping up in and around Italian communities in Britain and quickly spread across Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Giuseppe Cervi is said to have opened the first of these shops in 1880s Dublin.

While chip shops eventually lost popularity in Italian communities, the town of Barga in Tuscany still celebrates its connection with this iconic dish by holding Sagra del Pesce e Patate, a fish and chips festival. At the festival, participants celebrate Barga's connection to immigrants who moved to Scotland in the early 20th century.  

Although the exact beginnings of fish and chips remain muddled in uncertainty, it's clear that this fried white fish dinner is extremely important to many people. Today, Brezza Fish and Chill keeps its rich history alive in Italy, where chef Luca Abbruzzino turns local seafood into world-class delicacies.