Our Story: Gigs Fish & Chips in Fitzrovia Since 1958
A Fitzrovia Story Since 1958
Gigs Fish & Chips has been part of Tottenham Street in Fitzrovia, Central London, since 1958.
It all began when a Greek Orthodox priest named Giriagos opened the restaurant at 12 Tottenham Street. The name Gigs came from his own name, and more than six decades later it is still above the door!
From the start, Gigs was never just about one kind of food. British fish and chips sat alongside the flavours and cooking traditions of Cyprus, creating the mix that still defines us today.
The idea was simple: traditional food at traditional prices.
And, in many ways, it still is.
British Fish & Chips, Cypriot Roots
When Gigs opened, Fitzrovia was a very different place...
The streets around Tottenham Street were busy with offices, workshops, independent shops and small businesses. The area had strong connections with London’s garment trade, and it was also home to a growing Cypriot community. For Gigs, those worlds came together through food.
Traditional British fish and chips became part of the restaurant’s identity, but so did Cypriot dishes and the way they were cooked. That combination has remained with us through the generations.
Today, our menu still brings the two traditions together. There is cod, haddock, plaice and chips, alongside dishes such as souvlaki, sheftalia, loukanica, pastourma and halloumi.
Our grilled dishes are still cooked the traditional way, over real charcoal, while our fish and chips are fried using groundnut oil. It is a combination that has always felt completely natural to Gigs.
A New Chapter
In 2004, Gigs entered a new chapter when Chris and Aggy took over the restaurant. By then, Chris had already spent most of his working life in the fish-and-chip trade.
He started working in a fish and chip shop in Folkestone at the age of 16, learning the trade from the ground up. By the age of 18, he had bought his own fish-and-chip shop — a business he still owns today.
That experience mattered when he came to Gigs. The aim was not to turn it into something completely different. It was to look after what was already there, keep the traditions that mattered and make sure the restaurant continued to serve the people around it.
Gigs remains independently run by Chris today.
2008 and a Fresh Start
In 2008, Gigs was forced to close following a serious fire. The restaurant reopened in 2009, beginning another chapter in its history.
Gigs came back, and Tottenham Street once again had the restaurant that generations of customers had known. For a business that has survived for more than sixty years, that ability to keep going has become part of the story.
Fitzrovia Changed Around Us
Over the years, the neighbourhood around Gigs has changed enormously.
There was once a constant buzz from the surrounding offices and businesses. Across the road were shops including a furniture store and The Graphics Centre, while workers filled the streets throughout the day.
For decades, those office workers were an important part of everyday life at Gigs.
Then came the pandemic...Working habits changed almost overnight! Offices became quieter, more people began working from home and the rhythm of Fitzrovia changed with it.
Like many independent businesses in Central London, Gigs had to adapt again.
Today, we welcome a mixture of regular customers, local workers, residents and visitors from all over the world. Some know us because they have been coming for years. Others find us while exploring Fitzrovia, Tottenham Court Road, the British Museum and the surrounding parts of Central London.
The neighbourhood has changed, but Gigs and the core community is still here!
Generations Through the Door
Over more than six decades, all sorts of people have walked through the doors at Gigs.
There have been famous faces too, including Paul McCartney and Gary Oldman.
But the real story of Gigs has never been about celebrity visitors - it is about the people who come back.
The customer who has been coming for years. The office worker grabbing lunch. The family returning to a place they remember. The visitor who finds us for the first time and then comes back the next time they are in London.
That loyalty has mattered enormously.
Why Gigs Has Lasted
Ask Chris what has allowed Gigs to survive since 1958 while so many businesses around it have disappeared, and the answer is straightforward:
"Loyal regular customers and good-quality food, feeding people who work in Fitzrovia and the guests who visit us well!"
There is no complicated formula behind it. Look after the food. Look after the customers. Keep doing the things that have made people come back.
Fitzrovia has changed around Gigs. London has changed around Gigs. The way people work, eat and spend their time has changed too. Even Gigs has changed when it needed to!
You notice these things when you have spent over 6 decades in a community. But the things at its heart are still easy to recognise:
British fish & chips.
Cypriot cooking over real wood charcoal.
Independent ownership.
And a home on Tottenham Street since 1958.
That is our story.
Chris Jordon
OWNER OF GIGS FISH & CHIPS - EST. 1958