Hapuku Fish Shop

Our verdict

For two decades, Hapuku Fish Shop held a loyal following inside Rockridge Market Hall on College Avenue, operating as one of Oakland's few British-style seafood counters at a time when that format had almost no local precedent. The shop occupied a small footprint near the market's meat section, with a handful of outdoor tables, and built its reputation on the kind of fish and chips that regulars returned for weekly: fresh, precisely fried, and priced at $15.95 per order. The daily soup menu, served from noon to 6 PM with sample tastings available, added a hospitality touch unusual for a counter-service format. The menu extended beyond the flagship fish and chips to include shrimp egg rolls, crab cakes, salmon cakes, and chili garlic prawns, all drawing on the same commitment to fresh seafood that defined the shop's two-decade run. Patrons consistently flagged the quality of the fish itself as the differentiator, though the pricing sat at the higher end for a market stall, making it a considered choice rather than a casual stop. Hapuku Fish Shop closed permanently on January 26, 2025, after 20 years in Rockridge Market Hall. The same location reopened in early February 2025 as Billingsgate Seafood, which now serves as the current seafood purveyor at 5655 College Ave. For anyone arriving at the market in search of Hapuku, the address and the counter are occupied by a different operation entirely.

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