You must remember a time in your life when you thought “I could just live on chips and dips!” (Just to be clear here, we are talking of the kind of chips that are called crisps in the UK, and I will call them crisps for the remainder of this article, though our friends in the US and in Europe, know them as chips). Over the last few years there have been many gourmet crisps on the market and you can buy a range of dips, but what about turning the idea into a restaurant with crisps handmade freshly on the premises and a range of savoury and sweet dips?
Then HipChips came along at the end of last year and made this possible. With recipes from head chef Scott Davis (Providores, Mirabelle, Fifty St. James), HipChips was born out of a dream to create the best tasting crisps in the world and combine them with a range of fresh dips to create new flavour combinations and experiences.
The potatoes used are heritage and vintage varieties grown in the North of England, resulting in crisps that are not only full of flavour but also very colourful. The potatoes used include: Highland Burgundy 1936 – deep red flesh, Salad Blue 1900 – skin and flesh are a deep blue, Shetland Black 1923 – yellow flesh with blue vascular rings.
You have a choice between salted crisps and crisps covered in cinnamon sugar. “Crisps covered in sugar?”, I hear you say? Okay, I am more of a fan of the savoury variety myself, but George really liked them. He says they remind him of a German dish I sometimes make, Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen (depending where you are from), a kind of potato rösti served with apple sauce or a sprinkling of sugar. And he is right, it does work!
There are many dips to choose from, including a warm smoky cheese dip, a rich and fruity tomato sauce, a Katsu curry, veggie ceviche, a spicy Moroccan and a jalapeno coriander dip. The offer in dips changes regularly and seasonally, but the absolute favourites stay around.
Sweet dips include chocolate (including a vegan variety), cheesecake, caramel and more.
For this summer there are two brand new flavours, both with a very British theme: Coronation Dip & Mango Chutney and Strawberries Pimms & Vanilla Cream.
I can attest that both are wonderful, but for me the Coronation dip wins. I’d be quite happy with just that one for my crisps – in a little bucket. Saying that, I honestly enjoyed all the ones I tried.
HipChips is ideally positioned in Old Compton Street on the south side of London’s Soho, a hop and a skip away from theatres and cinemas, this place is the ideal spot to meet up and share a box of chips with friends before going to a show. Decide on the size of the box (small with 2 dips, medium with 3 dips and large with 6 dips, on the flavours of the dips and grab a seat or take them away.
Portions are generous. We had the large box as we wanted to try as many flavours as possible and we took about a third of the crisps back home.
HipChips
49 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 6HL
020 7287 3114
team@hipchips.com @wearehipchips
Monday – Saturday 11am – 9pm
Sunday 11am – 6pm
London-Olios 