Joe Warwick
THERE'S still something undeniably glamorous about ordering oysters in a restaurant. To me oyster bars speak of a more effortlessly decadent era, call me a ridiculous over-the-top tart, but a dozen oysters with a glass of stout or champagne is the kind of grown-up treat that reminds me why I’m still glad to be alive. There's nothing else that tastes so delicately of the sea and - although their aphrodisiacal properties have no doubt been overstated over the years - there's something uniquely sexy about the texture and mouth-feel a raw oyster and the way it slips down your throat.
Although oysters were a working class staple through much of the 18th and 19th centuries, when they were cheap and plentiful and used to bulk up things like steak and kidney pudding. Oysters began to garner their reputation as a luxury item at the beginning of the 20th century when blight reduced the numbers and put up their price.
Although oysters are increasingly fashionable and found today on the menus of many London restaurants, you are best going to a specialist for your oysters because, although there are no guarantees with this occasionally volatile shellfish as the recent fuss at the Fat Duck demonstrated, somewhere that serves oysters on a regular basis and who have built their reputation on doing so is much less likely to ever give you a bad one.
Filippo Salamone, Bentley's head oyster man, takes us through the particulars of shucking.
Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill
The most English of restaurants,dating back to 1916, Bentley's has been reborn since it fell into the hands of an Irishman. Richard Corrigan's refurbishment of this classic West End oyster bar and grill, where he worked as head chef back in the early '90s, restored its lustre and stellar reputation for shellfish and seafood. Its cosy ground floor oyster bar, where marble counters meets red leather upholstery and the seasoned shuckers in white jackets know their business and their oysters, feels particularly special.
www.bentleys.org
Bibendum
This South Kensington landmark was Michelin's headquarters from 1909 to 1985 before Terence Conran transformed this fine Art-Deco building into a fine culinary destination in 1987. The oyster bar, which has one of the best selections of you know what in London, is on the ground floor, doesn't take reservations and is open all-day from midday seven days a week.
www.bibendum.co.uk
J.Sheekey
J Sheekey has been serving oysters bar a few breaks for world wars and refurbishments, since the late 19th century. Smack bang in the centre of Theatreland, but cut off from its hubbub in a quiet courtyard, seats at its oyster bar are at a premium at peak times. Lucky then that last year they opened a new 30-seat oyster bar in an adjacent premises to serve waifs and strays without bookings.
www.caprice-holdings.co.uk
Liberty's Champagne & Oyster Bar
Hidden in the basement of Liberty's, a treasure that few seem to take of advantage of, despite its prime location and the oasis it provides from the West End bustle. A horseshoe-shaped white marble bar with black leather stools, a good champagne list and a decent oyster selection.
www.liberty.co.uk
Scott’s
This classic Mount Street oyster bar and fish restaurant reopened in December 2006 after a costly refurbishment and it looks every inch the part. If you can, cadge a seat at the green onyx-topped oyster bar, guzzle some oysters and champagne and watch all the goings-on in the bustling, star-studded, oak-panelled dining room.
www.caprice-holdings.co.uk
Wright Brothers
From their roots importing high quality French oysters, Wright Brothers' provenance of delicious molluscs goes back many years, making their Oyster and Porter House in Borough Market one of the best places in London to indulge in the ultimate taste of the sea.
www.wrightbros.eu.com