Oyster Box
Jersey
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Shoehorned in between the coastal road and the promenade above the strand at beautiful St Brelade's Bay, the Oyster Box makes the most of its location. There are spaces indoors and out, with tables on the terrace strip particularly covetable. A cool, relaxed feel pervades the place, in large measure attributable to the brigade of friendly, on-the-ball staff. Naturally, there are rock oysters, regardless of whether there is an R in the month or not (there were battalions of them in late June), and a lot of good fish too. A starter of scallops with pancetta appears in a green-and-yellow swirl of pea purée and garlic butter, and there is fine sea bass with an array of summer greens in a deep Thai-scented broth of lemongrass, kaffir lime and coconut milk, to which the painstakingly crisped fish skin soon surrenders its crispness. The shellfish bisque, served in a saucepan, has a slightly singed, overly brackish note, but something as simple as battered haddock with a lemony salad of fennel and cucumber offers plenty of satisfaction. Dessert could be passion fruit cheesecake with red fruit jelly, mango compote and heavenly coconut sorbet. Cocktails, including non-alcoholic variants, are a strong suit. Wines by the glass are from £6.75.
