Oyster Box Beach Bar & Restaurant Review: Seafood Heaven in Jersey

I’ve said it many times before, but having visited Jersey four times now – not once have I ever experienced a bad meal on this beautiful island. The seafood is some of the finest you’ll ever come across, the meats are always delicious and the vegetables when they come into season can rival some of the best in the world.

Showcasing the best that Jersey has to offer is a restaurant we recently fell in love with from our Winter escape to Jersey – Oyster Box Beach Bar & Restaurant. Located on the gorgeous St Brelade’s Bay on the south-west part of the Island, this is one restaurant everyone should add to their must visit list – especially for those sea views.

Enjoying panoramic views of the bay from our table, we started our evening with a celebratory glass of bubbles, a bottle of my favourite Viognier wine and this starter of Buffalo mozzarella salad with roasted figs, sweet & sour walnuts and watercress. Every single item on this plate was packed with flavour which made for such a satisfying dish. The mozzarella was oh-so creamy, the figs were sweet and smokey, the walnuts added both texture and flavour – while that watercress offered a little spiciness.

Second of our starters, and arguably the winner was this crab cake with chilli salt squid, tomato and tamarind chutney. The crab cake, packed with local Jersey crab of course was coated in a crunchy golden crumb and surrounded by chunks of well-cooked squid which cut through like soft butter. I loved the delicate tingle of chilli and tamarind flavours in this dish too – two ingredients which can do no wrong when crab is involved.

Being within such close proximity to the beach, we couldn’t resist a shellfish platter for one. Priced at just £25, you get an awful lot of some of this islands and its French locals best seafood. Six Jersey rock oysters, French crevettes, Jersey Chancre Crab claw and marinated scallops. All served with a good helping of shallot vinegar and Marie Rose sauce. Dishes like these are why I love Jersey so much.

One dish I was really looking forward to after scouring the menu was the Thai green monkfish curry. Just a few days before back in London, I’d tucked into what was probably the worst example of this curry I’ve ever come across and so I really hoped for good things here. But of course like I said, a bad meal in Jersey really is unheard of and this version pulled out all of the stops. A thick, rich and glossy curry sauce, expertly cooked monkfish, steamed rice and a little garnish. Not to mention a generous helping of some rather huge grilled king prawns. A side of truffle & parmesan chips couldn’t be resisted.

We had barely any room left for dessert, but in the name of research (of course) we tucked into two of our favourites. A melt in the mouth hot chocolate fondant with crème fraîche ice cream, followed by an utterly delicious apple tart tatin with vanilla ice cream. Both were very well worth the extra 1000’s of calories and loosening of the trousers.

While we’d heard of Oyster Box before from friends back home, we had no idea how much we’d end up loving this restaurant. This isn’t avante garde dining or particularly complex cooking, but it offers a showcase of what Jersey and its locals has to offer when it comes down to quality ingredients at good prices in a stunning location. Top that off with a team of some very lovely staff and you have a restaurant we’ll most certainly be returning too when next in Jersey and so should you too.

NB: Our meal was complimentary. All views are as always, my own. My views are not influenced by anyone other than my own palate and slightly poor eyesight.