Welcome to Balaclava Fish

“ Perfectly breaded and fried fish with nicely seasoned chips. We grabbed a bit of everything, but our favorites here were the prawns and the trout. It's run by just two guys, and they were great to talk to. ”

“ Don't just take our word for it, read the other reviews. We ordered the basket for two with coral trout which would easily have fed three people. 12:15pm on a Wednesday, plenty of parking and no wait time. At $38 the price was great for the serve sizes and quality received. Balaclava Fish isn't the trendiest place or connected to the Cairns CBD (which is what we were looking for), but the quality is exceptional. The fish was freshly, lightly battered before our eyes, cooked to perfect time and temperature in clean oil and presented a crunchy and decadent coating. Just the right amount of salt. The fish within was slightly opaque, juicy and melted in our mouths. Chips were crunchy, smothered in chicken salt at our request and fluffy within. The prawns and calamari similarly lightly coated, crunchy and cooked to gentle perfection. If you want a trendier, cosmopolitan experience, and at a higher price tag and smaller serving size, then head into the Cairns CBD. But if you want genuine surburban fish and chips cooked better than you remember as a kid on a Friday night, the heading over to Balaclava Fish will see you richly rewarded. ”

“ The best fish and chips I've had in at least a couple of years. I had spent the whole day in Palm Cove and at the end of it decided I'd finish it off with some good fish and chips so I googled best fish and chips in Cairns. And these guys came up. I read the reviews and decided I give them a try. Best decision I made. Do yourself a favour and visit these guys. Sensational!! ”

“ First time ordering from here was a few months back & now we don't go anywhere else but here. Everything is always fresh & cooked very well, perfect every time we always say. Staff are always super nice & friendly. Best place in town for fish & chips, highly recommend ! ”

“ WOW !!! I can't remember having a better piece of Battered fish and the chips crunchy outside not soggy. I ordered over the phone ,got there went in , collected order got back in car started reversing out ,I grabbed a chip out of the bag, unreal crunch, so I ended up sitting in the carpark and ate the whole meal.... Again BEST TASTING PIECE OF FISH ,NOT GREASY OR OILEY. next time I might actually get home with the order.. WELL DONE GUYS. ”

“ One of the most popular fish & chips shops in Cairns and for good reason. Always fresh fish, cooked to perfection in a light golden batter and generous serves keeps us coming back on a weekly basis. Due to their popularity, I highly recommend placing your order by phone. This evening it took an hour for our order to be cooked and ready for pickup! ”

“ Basket for two was delicious - all cooked to perfection! Staff all super friendly and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Now we found our new local, we will definitely be back! ”

“ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely the Best Fish & Chips in Cairns! Every visit here is a reminder of how good fish and chips should be. The grilled fish is always fresh, juicy, perfectly cooked, and served in a generous portion. Chips are spot on — crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, and never greasy. I also love that you can order an extra-small portion if you’re not feeling too hungry. The potato scallops are another highlight: beautifully golden, crisp, and non-greasy — basically perfection in a bite. Service is always quick and friendly, which makes the whole experience even better. This place isn’t just the best in Cairns, it’s one of the best I’ve had anywhere. No oily aftertaste, no regrets — just delicious, satisfying food every single time. ”