Provisions

Oxford’s 10 best restaurants for Winter 2009

LOCH FYNE

LOCH FYNE BAR AND GRILL – REVIEW
Author: Paull Hammond-Davies

Published: November 12, 2009
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Although Loch Fyne Bar and Grill is one of around forty restaurants and oyster bars across the UK, it is by no means an impersonal eating experience. A great deal of attention had been paid to ensure that Loch Fyne, Oxford has its own identity and style, whilst still adhering to the company brand and ethos. And that ethos is certainly unique, because the company has built its reputation on produce taken from a loch in Scotland after which it takes its own name. The emphasis is on freshwater shellfish sustainably sourced and responsibly farmed, a pledge which has become a cornerstone for the company since it opened its first oyster bar in 1988. The fresh ingredients are also sourced from local farms, so that a visit to Loch Fyne is an eating experience both mindful of the local economy and the environment.

Loch Fyne Bar and Grill can be found in the North Oxford suburb of Jericho, a somewhat bohemian residential quarter that has great character. The interiors of the restaurant are bright, clean, and airy, with the main dining room located at the back. The kitchen is glass-fronted with wooden crates of vegetables and there is an ice-bar filled with langoustines and oysters, providing a homely feel to the restaurant. Having undergone a recent refurbishment, the main dining area is less formal, less uptight, and the emphasis is on comfort and cosiness, which really does lend itself well to the simple food on the menu. The staff are friendly and warm without being artificial, and their efficiency largely goes unnoticed because their work is often done by engaging you in conversation.

The menu is dominated by fish (it is ostensibly a fish restaurant after all) but they have recently introduced meat dishes in their ‘grill’ section – perhaps a sign of the need to broaden their appeal during the current economic climate. Shellfish are the order of day from the starters menu, and no visit to Loch Fyne would be complete without ordering oysters on which the business has built their name. Served on a platter of ice, Loch Fyne’s oysters really are exquisite. They do not possess the meaty plumpness or salty brine of sea oysters – these fresh water oysters are slender and astonishingly clean tasting (they are washed with loch water when being prepared) and served with tangy red wine vinegar, a salsa, and Tabasco sauce. The only discrepancy was the lack of an oyster fork to detach them from their shell, but this is a minor criticism.

The bone-dry Muscadet “Tiré sur Lie” Domaine des Dorices was the perfect accompaniment, a very crisp wine that cleansed the palette, particularly for the oilier fish of the main courses. The new ‘grill’ section of the menu contains mostly meat dishes, but the whole char-grilled sea bass with salsa verde was perhaps the most appetizing of the fish mains. The sea bass was sensationally moist and tender within, whilst still having a deliciously crisp skin. The whole South Coast sole with lemon and caper butter from the specials board was also exquisitely cooked, the contrast of the sharp lemon and richness of the butter perfectly balanced.

The desserts on offer were notable for their generous servings. The sticky toffee pudding consisted of a light sponge, accompanied by an equally light caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. The lemon posset was excellent and again, the contrast of tangy lemon and cream was delicately balanced. Loch Fyne has everything to offer diners, whether on an intimate date during the week or a large, boisterous family wanting to be fed on a Sunday afternoon. Their menu is simple and incredibly tasty, but it really is the shellfish by which Loch Fyne excels, marking them out from the crowd of other restaurants in Oxford.

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