Schuck it and see

A RESTAURANT dedicated to fresh seafood has finally been landed for Cork city centre.

Despite the growing profile of fresh Irish seafood, and quality fish restaurants in such towns as Youghal and Kinsale, the city of Cork has been quite slow off the mark up to now.

And, picking the name Oysters for the new venture at the Clarion Hotel on Lapps Quay works on two levels — it smacks of seafood, and it’s also redolent of the famed steak and fish grill The Oyster, which was part of Cork’s food lore for decades in the mid-1900s.

Oysters’ proprietor is 32-year-old Donald Morrissy, who was most recently a senior manager in the Clarion. He bravely took up the mantle of running his own venture within the hotel — the 120-seat, 2,900 sq ft restaurant had been successfully run as Augustine’s by top chef Brendan Cashman, who stepped back in February.

According to Mr Morrissy, “We’re all about the seafood — fresh fish, caught in the morning and served in the evening.”

He’s joined by a team of 10, with head chef Alex Petit, originally from Normandy and who’s worked in other Cork premises such as five-star Hayfield Manor and the Kingsley, as well as in fine dining restaurants in his native France.

Oysters has a re-vamped interior, with half of the 120 seats for main restaurant use, and the other half for private dining.

Suppliers of both ocean and river fish include O’Connell’s in the English Market, with fresh daily catches from West Cork, while meats are from O’Mahony’s in the English Market, and cheeses from On the Pigs Back.

Details: www.oysters.ie