Butley Orford Oysterage Reviews

Please disregard the uncomplimentary reviews below, this place is fine. No problem with the service, sufficiently attentive but not obtrusive - I daresay being pleasant to the staff goes a long way. Food is not Michelin, but very good, fresh, and fairly-priced. Wine list is a little on the expensive side, but they do wines by the glass if you prefer. Tap water is cheerfully supplied. We would definitely visit again.

I read one of the reviews about this place, and based on that I decided to pay this restaurant a visit because it sounded so good. On the day my wife and I attended we felt we had got lucky because it seemed without a reservation we might not get in. I wish now we had not. We ordered twelve oysters to share to start with, and cod in parsley sauce and skate in brown butter for the mains. The oysters were served without ice. With the heat of the day, they tasted quite warm. Without wishing to labour the point they were disappointing. Things did not improve with the mains. The skate wing was bland as was the cod.

The side order of salad for £2.90 was served up in a glorified ash tray with no dressing or option to put your own dressing on. The only vegetables on the whole menu were boiled potatoes, which to my mind was to say the least very poor. By this point all I wanted to do was pay and leave which is exactly what happened next. This order along with two slices of pre buttered bed and a bottle of sparkling mineral water for two came to £43.50. I did not leave a tip. I will not be going there again. I got the distinct impression for an outfit that invests a lot of time and money trading on this thing called freshness, there is no pride in what they actually do with the food and how this restaurant presents its food to the customer. It was dull, uninspiring and downright disappointing. I would not recommend it to people living locally, let alone anyone further afield.

A dining experience for fish lovers not to be missed. This delightful establishment is the only fish restaurant I know that has its own day boat. The menu consists of the day's catch which of course is seasonal but guaranteed to be absolutely fresh and simply cooked - to present the natural flavours and textures of the fish at their absolute best. Smoked fish (from the smokehouse behind the restaurant) is also served and is equally delicious. I can recommend the smoked eel (starter) and sea bass, which is plain baked and unadulterated by sauces.

Well worth the effort to seek out this "gastro-cafe" and be sure to book.

The Orford Oysterage is split across 3 dining rooms. Each room has its own style, varying from the comfortable pine upstairs room, through the cafe style small dining room to the Mediterranean style main room. All offer the same level of service, which although pleasant enough can at times be lacking the "polish" you come to expect. That said, the main reason for visiting Orford is the food.

The Oysterage has its own oyster beds in nearby Butley and also has it's own smokehouse. The menu always include oysters and smoked salmon, both of which I have never tasted anything that compares to it. The basic menu also includes some regular items that are always available, with the emphasis on good seafood - cooked simply - served with simple vegetables. There is always an extensive specials menu, which lists all of the fish that has been caught that day by the restaurants own 3 fishing boats. Some of these items may run out during the day, but you do know it will be freshest possible seafood. The wine menu is extensive, and is oriented towards dry whites to suit the fish. There is also a small charge for corkage if you wish to bring your own bottle. The emphasis of the restaurant is on the best seafood, as fresh as possible. This is illustrated by the Oysters being kept in water behind the counter as you go in, and being opened as you order them. The same applies to the home smoked wild Irish salmon, which is sliced as you order it. Despite this attention to the best food, the prices are very reasonable - typically £14-£20 per head excluding wine for 3 courses.

If you really enjoy fish, then I can thoroughly recommend the Orford Oysterage, and despite the distance I have to travel to visit it, I do try to at least 6 times a year. The added benefit is that there is also a small shop behind the restaurant, which will sell you the same salmon and oysters to take home. The one downside is that once you have tasted their fare, nothing else ever seems quite as good as it o