Ocean Fish Platter, Ipswich: Great seafood in welcoming restaurant

Located in Upper Brook Street opposite the Sainsbury's supermarket, I must have walked past the diner dozens of times without ever paying attention to what was inside.

But the seafood restaurant has clearly made its name among the people of Ipswich - it's the top-rated eatery out of 293 in the town on Tripadvisor. And our readers agree.

For a pit stop for food at around 4pm on a Saturday, I walked inside and was swiftly escorted to my choice of table. I had actually timed my late lunch perfectly, as I was told the restaurant would be fully booked in the next hour.

Ocean Fish Platter's cod and chips almost fills an entire plate (Image: Archant)

Having already decided what I was ordering - a standard fresh cod and chips, for the purpose of review - it didn't take long for a member of staff to take my order. After around 10 minutes my food arrived, steam visibly emanating from the plate.

The perfect chips are the ones that are crispy on the outside but soft in the middle. I have had many substandard fries before from a chippy, but I'm pleased to report Ocean Fish Platter nailed the texture.

It was a plateful of chips, too. I'm not a massive eater, but I gave it a good go and felt I left a decent dent in my serving.
Another pleasing factor was that the fish wasn't exactly some small fry - the cod essentially stretched from one end of the plate to the other and came with a lemon to squeeze as a garnish.

The restaurant serves a number of drinks, including chocolate milkshakes (Image: Archant)

Some chippies have a tendency to overdo the batter and make the fish crunchy, but Ocean Fish Platter struck a decent balance between soft and crispy. The cod itself was succulent, juicy and a cut above what you might order from a takeaway.

My order, with a milkshake, came to £16.45, plus a 10% tip for the top-class service I received. This felt like a fair price considering the restaurant's welcoming atmosphere and great food.

Ocean Fish Platter is definitely one to recommend, and on the basis of my experience, it's easy to see why it's been getting top marks on review sites.