A FISH and chip shop has been crowned the best restaurant in Basildon.

Customers have flocked to popular review website TripAdvisor to praise Hilton’s Fish Bar, in the Eastgate Centre, for its tasty food, good value and impressive service.

The family-run business, which has beat off competition from 103 other eateries in the town to be rated number one, has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor in recognition of its consistently positive reviews.

Hilton’s was also awarded Blue Ribbon accreditation from the Good Food Guide in December 2014.

Owner Mick Hilton said: “We go out of our way to provide the best possible food and service for customers, and it is great for the team to be acknowledged in this way for all their hard work and devotion to duty.

“They can all take great pride in making our restaurant tick so many boxes and diners wanting to come back.”

Of 78 reviews on TripAdvisor, 68 customers gave the shop an “excellent” rating, and five rated it “very good”.

Hilton’s offers a home delivery service and specialises in glutenfree food every Wednesday afternoon.

Ian Clark, Eastgate Centre manager, said: “We constantly receive comments from shoppers that the food and ambience at Hilton’s Fish Bar are unbeatable, and congratulate Mick and the team for achieving such high standards.

“This positive news is thoroughly merited.”

Plans for a major revamp of the Eastgate Centre, including the creation of a state-of-the-art cinema and four new restaurants, were given the go-ahead earlier this year.

The Greedy Chef, based at the Manor Koi and Garden Centre, in Pound Lane, Bowers Gifford, Robins Pie and Mash, in Market Square, Basildon, the Coriander Indian restaurant, in Whitmore Way, Basildon, and the Roadhouse diner, on the A127, are among Basildon’s top-rated restaurants on TripAdvisor.