The Puffin and Oyster

 Hello my lovelies. 

Yup, it’s that jumpsuit again! 

Are you tiring if it yet?

But there’s a reason you’re seeing it here yet again. 

It’s because of where I took it!

I took it to a new restaurant on the island.

We left the house so I guess this can be called a Date Night.

Why don’t you join us?

But don’t worry, we’re not teenagers so you won’t feel like a gooseberry!

So there’s a new restaurant on the island.

And what was the first thing that struck me?

A fire extinguisher!!

Not literally.  

No Pout was injured in the partaking of this date night. 

But yup, I was immediately impressed by how they’d taken an obligatory health and safety item, a fire extinguisher, and made it into a design feature!  This copper extinguisher is a thing of beauty, and I never thought I’d find myself saying that!

Shall we move on in?

The Puffin and Oyster is its name. 

Pub and Dining is its claim. 

Let’s check it out.

This is a long-established beachside restaurant (previously The Hoummet Tavern) that has had a recent makeover.  In fact, a makeover by stealth!

Through The Covid Years it had seemingly laid closed, dormant and discarded and seemed like it would never open its doors again as a restaurant.  Each time I walked or drove along here along Le Hoummet,

 there it was, dead as a dormouse, and as it’s a coastal location I’ve gone passed pretty often

 these past three years.  

Then I go on holiday for two weeks and come back to this!!

How they managed to make these changes without any external sign of activity or work vehicles parked outside, well it beats me!

As well as the amaze balls extinguisher, I was impressed with the decor everywhere I looked. 

And believe me, I LOOKED!

So impressed was I from my looking that it appears I abandoned TP (bottom left) to find his own entertainment as I went a-photographering!

The structure hasn’t changed, the place hasn’t been extended, yet they’ve managed to create additional dining areas seemingly out of thin air!

Note to self: check if the designer can work the same magic with Chez Pout!

The reception and bar area.

 

More dining.

But where’s the pub?

And then this area totally flummoxed me.  

How did they create yet another dining area without extending, I asked myself?

Then I twigged, I was standing in the old public bar! 

Could this be cruelly the “pub” in “pub and dining”? 

I say cruelly as it looks nothing like it used to.  Nothing like a pub. 

So I did stop to mourn the loss of yet another island pub. 

The old pub was so popular with locals within walking/cycling reach, and as a coastal bus pub crawl destination, and its Friday night meat and seafood draws were legendary.

The pub’s patrons would have provided all year round income to support the restaurant side in winter months, so it will be interesting to see if that loss of income will have an affect on the restaurant’s coffers over time. 

But let’s move on. 

Because I guess there is a drinking only area 

in the far right of this picture.  It’s not exactly pubby per se but I guess this must be the “pub” bit of wot it says on the welcome mat. 

 But fortunately the view is unchanged!

They’ve maxed out in the outside dining space too. 

So both inside and outside patrons can soak

in this view as they soak in their wine or pint. 

Now on to the food, for a restaurant can’t be judged on decor and view alone eh?!

TP is looking happy so let’s check out what he ate. 

A fabulous lobster pizza.

Who would have thought to put those two together?

But it worked, I’m told.  

It came highly recommended and it didn’t disappoint. 

Now I feel a restaurant should be judged by its chips, for I don’t eat them at home so I treat myself when out and I don’t want them to be mediocrely meh.

And these weren’t.  Light and with a flavoured crispy coating.  We ate them all, which amazed us as between us we don’t usually get passed half way in the shared pot.

My only criticism of the restaurant would be the mayo.  Served in a sachet 😱.  

However it is no doubt a health and safety choice and these Stokes sachets provided a more decent serving of mayo than the paucity of offering in the ubiquitous Heinz pack. 

So on second thoughts, I’ll let that one go. 

Oh and me, what did I eat?

A roasted peach caprese salad with a side

helping of Guernsey crab. 

It was BIG. 

Again, I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt here as the peach didn’t taste or look roasted in any way, but I’m telling myself that all the roast flavour was in the discarded skin. 

Still, it would have been nicer to skin the peaches first in boiled water then roast them without their clothes on.  IMHO. 

I just may suggest that to them next time, for there definitely will be a next time.

Now let’s see how these plates fared. 

No surprise, some pizza went home in a doggy bag as it was a much larger pizza than TP would normally order (and there is no sizing option).  Never mind, TP said it was delicious cold the next day. 

And mine?

Well, it may have been BIG but this is what’s left of my salad.  It seemed embarrassing to ask to take home two pieces of mozzarella and a scrap of salad!

So, nice meal, nice service. nice decor, nice view. 

Puffin and Oyster, nice. 

Alright, let’s upgrade that to LOVELY!

And just in case you are getting jumpsuit withdrawal symptoms …

… here’s another peak!

As we sat near an open window, I wore the cardi at the start of the meal until the place started filling and got warmer. 

The cardi has rust coloured embroidered flowers and edge stitching (echoing the base colour of the Primark jumpsuit) and is very pretty; it’s an old fave as it has stuck around for 22 years and is from Principles. 

And I chose a complementary coloured wine!  

Pinot Grigio Rust Blush.  It’s The Pout’s S22 drink of choice. 

Now let’s hear what TP has to say about his meal in this two minute video. 

If the video doesn’t play for you, follow this link

by clicking:

https://youtu.be/nA25kNOI-AQ

I hope you enjoyed your Date Night with The Photographer and I. 

And if you enjoyed this post (and I hope you DID!) then 

don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and to my YouTube channel so’s you don’t miss a post.  

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A la perchoine,

Mary xxx.