Mark Jordan at the Beach
Jersey
A little hidden from the coast road to the east of the harbour town of St Aubin, except for its shimmering cranberry-red frontage, Mark Jordan's place really is a seaside restaurant of the purest stamp. The beach and the briny are laid out before you, best of all from the glassed terrace when the Jersey wind abates. Everybody is made to feel properly looked after, thanks to the courteous expertise of the staff, who advise on an extensive brasserie-style menu that offers plenty of choice. A pressed terrine of smoked salmon with sun-dried tomato and tarragon butter, adorned with crab mayonnaise, guacamole and salmon caviar made a bracing opener at inspection, and there was equally appealing freshness in a main dish of local sea bream in a copious vinegar-fuelled vierge dressing. Truffle oil works its way into a fair few dishes, opulently so in a celeriac purée to accompany 30-hour braised short rib, while a brick of lightly creamy dauphinoise is the canonical partner for pinkly roasted, and impressively tender, lamb rump in garlic and thyme. If you are calorie-counting, you will not want to contemplate the desserts, each of which is a creamy, spectacular showpiece in its own right. Banana comes caramelised and sliced, with peanut crémeux, chocolate streusel and vanilla ice cream, while pistachio and white chocolate cheesecake is adorned with a scatter of griottines like huge rubies, offset by eau-de-nil pistachio ice cream. Wines, frankly, are rather run-of-the-mill, the glasses particularly so, though the house Champagne (Vazart-Coquart Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru) is excellent.
Dining Information:
Separate bar, Parking, Family friendly
La Plage, La Route de la Haule, St Peter, , Jersey JE3 7YD
01534 780180
