Did you ever visit a branch of Bimbi's with your family? It occurred to us that there is now nowhere quite like it in Newcastle City Centre - and yet it always seemed to be busy!
While other places sell fish and chips, there is nowhere dedicated to the fish frying art and the North East's most famous eat-in fish and chip shops are mostly at the coast. Outdoor seating doesn't count considering those chilly winter months.
Nothing wrong with a trip to the coast, of course, but popularity of these cafes might make you wonder why the city has only takeaways or places where it is simply a choice on a very varied menu - though George's Great British Kitchen in Eldon Square do claim it as their signature dish.
Riley's Fish Shack made a brief appearance at Newcastle 's Quayside Seaside one year until it found a home in Tynemouth .
Bimbi's was in the old Newgate Shopping Centre and close to the Odeon, as it was, on Pilgrim Street and also in Sidgate, Eldon Square. Our pictures show the Eldon Square cafe in 1993 and the old Pilgrim Street cafe back in 1981.
Do you miss a sit-in chippy? Burger shop fries aren't the same thing. Share your memories of these cafes in the comments below and whether you remember any other sit-in fish and chip restaurants or cafes.
