Rock oysters
Opened to order and served on crushed ice with shallot vinegar and lemon. Contains molluscs. Served raw.
Half dozen$18
Whatever the boats land, written up by ten
Harbour Slate rewrites its board each morning from what the day boats bring in. Take a stool at the oyster bar, share a whole fish grilled on the bone, or ask the floor team what came off the quay an hour ago.
14 stoolsat the oyster bar
Whole fishfor two to six
By 10:00the new slate is up
At the oyster bar
The bar runs along the windows, with oysters opened in front of you and a short list of raw, cured and quickly cooked plates. Every card names its allergens.
Native oysters, colder months
Flatter, rounder and more mineral, offered only in the months when they are at their best. Contains molluscs. Served raw.
Half dozen$26
Grilled oysters
Cooked under the grill with garlic butter and crumbs, for anyone who prefers them warm. Contains molluscs, milk and gluten.
Half dozen$20
Sea bass crudo
Thin slices of raw sea bass with blood orange, green chilli and olive oil. Contains fish. Served raw.
Plate$14
Cured mackerel
Lightly salted and cured overnight, with pickled cucumber and rye toast. Contains fish, gluten and mustard.
Plate$11
Brown shrimp on toast
Tiny cooked shrimp warmed in spiced butter, piled on sourdough. Contains crustaceans, milk and gluten.
Plate$12
Plates marked as served raw are not cooked at all. Please read the note on raw dishes and shellfish further down before ordering them.
Today's slate
This is one morning's board, shown as an example. What appears depends on the weather and the catch, so the real slate on the wall can differ; the floor team will tell you what has run out.
| From the boats | How it is cooked | Price | Contains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hake | Pan roasted fillet with mussels, white wine and parsley | $27 | Fish, molluscs, milk, sulphites |
| Monkfish tail | Grilled on the bone with romesco | $31 | Fish, tree nuts, gluten |
| Plaice | Whole on the bone with brown butter and capers | $24 | Fish, milk |
| Squid | Charred over coals with chilli and lemon | $16 | Molluscs |
| Crab | Dressed brown and white meat with toast and mayonnaise | $22 | Crustaceans, gluten, egg |
| Mussels | Steamed with cider and leeks, bread for the broth | $17 | Molluscs, gluten, milk, sulphites |
| Pollock in batter | With thick chips and crushed peas | $19 | Fish, gluten |
Prices on the slate are for that day. When the boats stay in because of weather, the board is shorter and we say so on the door by ten.
Shellfish and raw plates: please read first
Shellfish allergies can be severe, and they come in two groups: crustaceans, such as crab, prawn, shrimp and lobster, and molluscs, such as oysters, mussels, clams and squid. Some people react to one group and not the other, but this kitchen handles both all day, and many dishes share the same pans, grill and fryer.
Raw oysters, crudo and cured fish are not suitable for everyone. People who are pregnant, older guests, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system or a liver condition are often advised to avoid raw shellfish and fish; if that may be you, ask your own doctor, and choose from the cooked dishes, which the floor team will gladly point out.
- Mention any allergy in the booking and once more when seated
- Most raw plates have a cooked version on request
- Allergen rules vary by country; this is our own kitchen's list
Whole fish for the table
A fish cooked on the bone stays moist and feeds a table. Choose the size by how many are sharing; we bring the fish to show you before it is cooked, then fillet it in front of you.
For two
the fish, from$54
A sea bream or bass of about 800 g, grilled with fennel and lemon.
- Filleted at the table
- Contains fish
For three or four
the fish, from$92
A turbot or brill of about 1.6 kg, roasted on the bone and finished with brown butter.
- Ask when you book
- Contains fish and milk
For five or six
the fish, from$140
A large hake or cod of about 2.5 kg, baked with tomatoes, olives and herbs.
- Served in the dish it baked in
- Contains fish
Whole fish depend on the catch. If the boats have not landed the size you asked for, we call the day before and suggest another.
The quay, the slate and the table
What guests ask before the tide turns
Why does the menu change every day?
Because it is written from what the day boats land. Rough weather means fewer boats and a shorter slate, and a good morning can bring fish we only see a few times a year.
Can the kitchen cook for a shellfish allergy?
Often, yes, but tell us when you book and again at the table. Crustaceans and molluscs are both handled all day, so the floor team will say honestly which dishes can be kept apart and which share a pan or the fryer.
Are raw oysters safe to eat?
They are opened to order and kept cold from the boat to the bar, and the harvesting waters are monitored under local rules. Raw shellfish still carries some risk, so it is not suitable for everyone; the note above explains who is usually advised to choose cooked dishes.
Is there anything other than seafood?
One meat dish and one vegetable main are on every day, and the chips, salads and bread make a meal of their own.
Can children sit at the oyster bar?
The bar stools are high and the bar is busy, so children sit with their families in the dining room. We have high chairs, smaller portions of fish and chips, and crayons for the paper tablecloths.
How far ahead should we ask for a whole fish?
A day ahead for two to four people, and two days for five or six, so the boats know what to look for.
Book a table or a bar stool
Pick a day and a time, say how many will be eating, and choose a whole fish if the table wants one. A reply comes by phone or email, normally the same day, offering your table or the closest sitting still open.
- Oyster bar stools for two to four
- Whole fish put aside when the boats allow
- The bill is paid at the table
Notes left at the bar (example reviews)
Asked for the whole turbot when booking, and they rang the day before to say the boats had landed one. Filleted at the table for four of us, with every bone lifted out in one go.
Allergic to crustaceans but fine with molluscs, and the server knew exactly which dishes on the slate were safe and which shared a pan with the crab.
Sat at the bar on a wet Tuesday, and the person opening the oysters explained how the natives differ from the rock oysters before we chose. Came back on Saturday with friends.
On the harbour wall
Walk along the harbour wall past the lifeboat station; the slate is propped by the door from ten each morning.
Call the floor
At the seaward end of the harbour wall, past the lifeboat station and the ice house
Open these hours
| Monday and Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday to Friday | 12:00 to 14:30, 18:00 to 22:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00 to 22:30 |
| Sunday | 12:00 to 17:00 |
When the weather turns
On stormy days the boats stay in and the slate is shorter. We still open, with oysters, cured fish and whatever was landed the day before.