Palombos of Balloch, Loch Lomond

General information

A family business…

Ernie Palombo fried his first fish and chips in 1934. He started his trade in Renton, then Glasgow, Bonhill, Alexandria, Italy, and then back to Balloch. His son Franco has carried on the tradition since 1990, working with his family to ensure the tradition carried on for many years to come.

My dad’s favourite saying was: “You’re only as good as your last fish supper.” He arrived in Scotland in 1934 aged 14 after leaving Villa Latina, a small village in Italy that is about 60 miles from Rome. My parents, Ernest and Ida, were married in the 1950s and my dad opened the first Palombos in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, in 1966. I took over the running of the shop in 1990, then six years later we moved to Balloch, near Loch Lomond, and opened this place. My dad has since died but my mum, who is 87, lives two minutes away from the shop and still pops in every day.

Our trademark is fish and chips and we have never tried to dissuade people from that. It is mostly haddock we sell but sometimes we will put cod, hake and lemon sole on as a special, but only if I am certain it is plentiful. By that I mean they are not taking fish out of the sea in a way that becomes unsustainable.

Sustainability is incredibly important to my business. Fish is not only my livelihood, but the livelihood for many other people, including seamen and the processing plants. If we run out of fish, that is it done for all of us. If there is any doubt or uncertainty about certain species of fish, there is no way I would take it.

This is the second time we have been shortlisted for the National Fish & Chip Awards and it is fantastic to be recognised for your work.

Bed & Breakfast

Palombo’s bed & breakfast is the prefect accommodation whether you are visiting the beautiful shores of Loch Lomond or need a pit stop before traveling on to the highlands and isles of Scotland,

Palombo’s of Balloch offer the most competitive rates with rooms starting from £45 and prices include full-cooked or continental breakfast, wifi, heating, ensuite facilities, and digital television, CCTV controlled public parking, public use laptops.

Chip Shop:

See above.
N.B: Palombo’s are one of very few chip shops in Scotland with an extensive gluten-free menu. We serve the tastiest gluten free fish and chips. Ask in shop or email us to hear more about our menu.

We also do home deliveries from 12pm – 9pm.

Restaurant:

The restaurant opens early, 11:30am in the winter and 11:00am in the summer, serving a wide range of food. Breakfast ranges from a full Scottish breakfast to hot filled rolls, or just enjoy a cup of tea or a freshly ground Italian Coffee.

We have an extensive lunch and dinner menu with great Scottish favourites such as homemade lentil soup, lasagne, steak pie and macaroni, to chip shop favourites, haggis, black pudding (with our special whisky sauce) and of course fish and chips! Our stone baked Italian pizzas are also not to be missed!

Palombo’s of Balloch is fully licensed so enjoy a nice glass of wine or one of our many choice of beers with your meal and leave room for one of our fresh baked cakes