Dean’s comes from chef-owner Jess Shadbolt and co-owner/beverage director Annie Shi. The two were behind a restaurant called “King” in SoHo, and they pay homage to coastal heritage cooking with the name being an inspiration from “Dean Fryer”, who is a childhood fisherman from the chef’s hometown in Suffolk, England. This restaurant has been garnering some trends for a while because it is an ode to the British pub, and I had the opportunity to try this out. I walked in around 7:30 PM on a weekday evening and sat solo at the bar.
Ambiance & Service
I noticed the restaurant is definitely on the smaller side, but I sat at the bar. The bar is thankfully not super tight, but you can experience the wait staff going in and out for drinks. I found the noise level to be very high, so it will be difficult to have a date night. It’s definitely a very casual environment.
The service for drinks were fast, but the food itself took about 20 minutes or so. Regardless, I was in and out quick enough.
Food
This is a half pint of Guinness. A draught of guinness is $11 off the tap. I didn’t want that much, so I asked for half. I am guessing it’s 50% the cost of the full tap, but I am not sure.
The Fish & Chips ($34) came with exactly what it says. The fish was actually pretty good. There’s a good ratio of batter to fish, and I like how crispy the batter is. The fries (or chips) were pretty good as if they were double fried, but I still prefer Lord’s. The price for this could be considered on the pricier side, but it was definitely filling enough. Overall, I found that these fish and chips were good enough.
Overall Impression
Dean’s signature dish of fish and chips was good enough, such that I’d be interested to come back solo to try some of their other foods. Other than the social ambiance though, I think the food generally doesn’t really warrant a special trip unless you really want British food.
Yelp & Google Jabs
fish and chips: the reason I came here! Truly some of the best fish and chips I’ve had in my life. Photos are misleading and the portion is pretty generous. The fish fillet is perfectly battered outside, and tender, flaky inside. You could tell this was very high quality fish by its freshness.
The fish quality was definitely high, but some of the best fish and chips in this Yelper’s life? I guess the Yelper hasn’t lived enough.
One of the best meals I’ve had in NYC this year. We had the majority of the menu and loved every bite. It’s a small space so the energy level is high but there are so many waiters that you receive excellent service. Standouts were definitely the scotch egg (especially the mustard), scallop, and stargazey pie.
I have to compare this restaurant to Lord’s, and I feel the latter is just a much better British restaurant. I prefer the chips more at Lord’s because there is more potato, and it’s perfectly crispy for me.
Revisions
- Aug 5, 2026 - Initial revision.