Lil’ Britain

Three years ago, my friend and I took a trip to Bennington, Vermont and looked up a few places to check out. One of the places was a British fish and chip shop called Lil’ Britain. Unfortunately, the day we were there, the shop had mechanical issues with their fan ventilation and weren’t able to cook their signature fish items.
When we were able to revisit the Bennington area just this week we stopped in and had some wonderful food! Crispy fried fish and chips, steak pie and I even learned the attraction of a real chip butty: fried potatoes on a butter roll. Persistence pays off!

Very good fish & chips, partner had fish tacos. Tasty coleslaw + tartar sauce. Will be back next time we’re in Bennington.

Ab Fab! No need to look further when it comes to authentic English fish & chips. Everything is fresh, consistent and simply delicious. This is a regular visit for my dad and I. Aside from fish & chips they have a terrific variety of other authentic English «fast food».
When it’s busy (and that’s common) seating is tight and the wait might be a little long (not unreasonably long!) because everything is cooked fresh… but the wait is definitely worth it! Watch a little European football (soccer) on their TV, relax and enjoy.

Great fish & chips. They were kind enough to recommend their gluten free batter. Simple no frills décor. Friendly service. Kids may like the selection of British candy.

Best fish and chips I have had on this side of the Atlantic. If this was closer to us it would probably be visited every few weeks.
All the options look very much like you would expect if you were back in the UK. Chips and the mushy peas were great, as was the fish!
Cannot recommend more highly!

Slightly off the beaten track but if you like F & C it is worth a little stroll. Crispy fish and thick fries meet all the basics and friendly service plus mushy peas make it a winner.

Amazing food! I have never been disappointed. Fish tacos are great! The fish and chips are seriously must try! The fish is always fresh, flakey, and thick white meat with the perfect amount of breading. The fries are freshly cut and perfectly salted, I like to drizzle my fries with vinegar. Most recently I tried the seafood special which came with scallops, shrimp, and the fish. I was blown away by the scallops! This comes with a side of your choice (I always go for the coleslaw) and tartar sauce/​cocktail sauce. The restaurant is really well kept and spotlessly clean. One of my favorite places to get a bite!

Yum! Nailed it! The place was SPOTLESS clean, much appreciated. The service was friendly and warm, and they asked how we liked things after we ate, which was so nice. The fish was perfect, tender, flavorful, nice batter, cooked to just the right color and crispness. I took the tartar sauce and cocktail sauce just to try them, but the fish is so good it stood alone with a splash of malt vinegar. Superior fries. Loved that they bottled their own label sodas. I had a little pickled cucumber salad on the side which was just right to cut the hot fish and chips, refreshing.
Would go back anytime.

Oh yeah… authentic and the fries are the sleeper. I’d probably give them four stars for trying something like this in Bennington. The fifth because it’s good and the prices are great. The curry sauce is a good add for the fries.

There is really not much to say, other than this place is excellent.
Hands down, the best fish and chips in all of New England, and I challenge anyone to try to prove me wrong.
The atmosphere is quite charming, just a tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall eatery decorated in British memorabilia. The settings are no-​nonsense, simple paper plates and plastic cutlery. This is a tiny shop run by a man who’s passion is to bring the foods of his homeland for us to enjoy, simple as that.
I usually drive at least once a month across two states merely to enjoy a plate of these delightful fish and chips, and you should to.

Really good! Fish is cooked really nice, though the coating just kind of slides off, maybe could have used a bit more crisping up, but still delicious. The real favorite was the chips with curry sauce. If you’ve never had chips with curry sauce, you’re really missing out. You don’t find it many places, this was a pleasant surprise. Will definitely be back.

We were passing through town and stopped here for a quick dinner. It is a fairly small and informal space. We ordered at the counter and our food was brought out quickly. I ordered the fish and chips and I can honestly say it was just about the best fish sandwich I have ever had. The roll was awesome and the breading was light. Usually fried food like that leaves me with regret but I was very happy with this one. I felt that the chips were a little mushy for my taste but my wife felt they were right on the money. I would definitely stop here again if I was passing through.

Pro’s: clean! Cleanest bathroom I have ever been in, in a restaurant! Very friendly atmosphere. Fair prices. Good portions. Only one in my party got fish and he rated it a 4 out of 5. That being said, the other 2 in my party got chicken fingers and chips and so I feel a little out of line to comment on them since the place is really about the fish and chips. BUT… if you offer it on your menu I guess it’s fair game. The chicken was «real» and not processed and it was piping hot.
Con’s: it’s about the chicken fingers. They had a batter on them that is similar to brown sandpaper. Other places have served this up and I don’t particularly care for it, but that’s just a preference I guess. Chicken was a little dry/​overcooked and the coating created a very tough exterior to it.
Other: I went there with my parents who are in their 70’s. Perhaps consider printing up a few menus that folks can bring back to a table to look at. Standing at the counter, for elderly folks, as well as reading a menu on a wall can present challenges.. Also, I was disappointed that the honey mustard sauce was a packet of Ken’s brand. A basic homemade sauce would have made it special.
Overall, I would go back and try other things. I pointed out a lot of cons and suggestions but I didn’t think badly of the place.

French fries were OK but I cannot say the same thing for the fish.

I had the Fish & Chips with the cole slaw and the tartar sauce.
The batter was perfectly thin and crispy! And the homemade cole slaw was fresh, delicious with not too much «mayonaise».

Great fish and chips but the fish taco offered in the summer is amazing. I cannot wait until they offer it again. If you have a big appetite, get the large. Small is indeed, small.

This restaurant was a pleasant surprise. My granddaughter ordered the chicken strips, which she enjoyed very much. My husband had the steak pie. He said it was excellent. I had the fish and chips. The only disappointment — I was expecting chips but was served french fries. But the fish and it seems everything else is made fresh for you at this wonderful little eatery.

This place is a real hidden gem. Had excellent authentic fish and chips and pies. The staff were extremely nice.
We took the small portion of fish but even that was very filling. I also tried the steak pie. It was freshly made and authentic British. I would strongly recommend visiting this place for a quick bite if you are in Bennigton enjoying beautiful Vermont.

A small place in downtown Bennington. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. The fish & chips as well as the scallops were very fresh. They don’t have alchol just sodas. Among the soft drink choices are British sodas.

Passing through the quaint town of Bennington, I became hungry for some local fare. I had read a bunch of reviews on Unilocal,attempted the Blue Benn Diner (yuck, see my other review), and settled on Lil’ Britain for some fish & chips. I had the small chicken tenders combo, which included four strips of chicken, hand-​battered and fried right on the spot. It was served with a large portion of chips (fries to us Yankees) that were thick and hearty. I chose the barbecue sauce as my dip for the chicken. While everything, including the comes-​with-​my-​meal cole slaw, was delicious, the barbecue sauce was the typical plastic container in which patrons at McDonald’s find themselves dipping. Yes, it was tasty, but unusual considering everything else here was fresh and homemade. Otherwise, the chicken strips were white-​meat and perfectly cooked.
My friend had the fish and chips with fries and cole slaw. He really enjoyed the portion size of the cod and the thickly cut fries. He said the batter was great and did not overwhelm the fish. The tartar sauce was, as he said, delicious with a tangy background, like relish.
«Small» meals are priced right and may well have enough food for a meal, but if you are even moderately hungry, get the large sizes.
Parking is plentiful in the area and I consider this place to be a gem among run-​of-​the-​mill cafes and diners in the area.