Dish · 9 kitchens in 5 cities
Oysters
Oysters opened to order — natives in season, rocks all year.
Nobody paid to be here. Each kitchen is described from its own menu where it publishes one, unranked, so each note says how that kitchen makes it.
In London
Oyster happy hour
Founder PickWright Brothers South Kensington · South Kensington · ~£45 pp
Oysters shucked at the counter by the dozen, a dozen between two before deciding on the grill.
Jersey Rock Oysters
Parsons · Covent Garden · ~£48 pp
Jersey rock oysters opened to order. The opener.
This version: A small Covent Garden fish room, with potted shrimp croquettes on the side.
Pick it if: You're in Covent Garden and want oysters and a glass; drop in if tables are full.
Native Oysters
Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill · Mayfair · ~£90 pp
Native oysters, Britain's own flat oyster, in their season. We'd start at the counter with these.
Jersey Rocks
Sam's Riverside · Hammersmith · ~£45 pp
Jersey rock oysters with mignonette, a shallot vinegar, and lemon. The opener for the table.
This version: Jersey Rocks with mignonette and lemon in a dining room on the river by Riverside Studios, crab soufflé after.
Pick it if: You want a river-view dinner in Hammersmith with wine; window tables are worth booking.
In New York
Oyster Pan-Roast
Grand Central Oyster Bar · Midtown (Grand Central Terminal)
Oysters cooked to order in the steam kettles with cream, butter and clam juice, finished with chili sauce, on toast. Take a counter seat and watch the kettles.
Oysters Rockefeller
Keens Steakhouse · Midtown (Herald Square)
Oysters baked under a herb-and-butter Rockefeller topping. To share before the chop.
In Edinburgh
Loch Creran Rock Oysters
Fishers in Leith · Leith (The Shore)
Rock oysters from Loch Creran, by the half-dozen or dozen
Rock oysters from Loch Creran on the west coast. We'd have six to open the meal, before the mussels.
In Paris
Weekend oysters
Le Baron Rouge · Aligre · ~€18 pp
Oysters opened at the weekend through the colder months, eaten standing in the street with a glass from the barrel. The Aligre market ritual, and the plate we'd plan around.
In San Francisco
Hog Island Sweetwater
Hog Island Oyster Co. · Embarcadero (Ferry Building) · ~$45 pp
Pacific oysters from the house's own Tomales Bay farm, raw with lemon and the Hogwash mignonette, a shallot vinegar. From its own water to its own bar, which is why we'd order them first.