Whitstable Oysters at the "Crab and Winkle"

Oysters. They are the marmite of the sea. A delicacy that doubles as an aphrodisiac or a disgusting edible live creature?

I had my first real oyster experience last night. I have been staying a few days with my parents in Whitstable and as Whitstable is famous for its Oysters I thought “why not give them a shot”.

We had a table booked at the “Crab and Winkle” restaurant on the Whitstable harbour with my dad’s friend Simon who highly recommended the place, including the oysters. But they did some other excellent seafood too, so don't think you'll just be served these critters!

The restaurant is in a great location too, in the thick of the harbour. I loved the relaxed and open vibe of the restaurant too. 

Anyway, back to the oysters...

I shared half a dozen oysters au naturel with my mum, whilst Simon went for a mix of grilled and deep fried. We also had a starter of seafood, muscles and whitebait and I tried "samphire" for the first time too!

my mum  and muscles

I braved the au naturel ones first, just giving it a squeeze of lemon.

slimy...

eyeing up the oysters...

...down in one! 

Verdict…
they are actually quite nice! I don’t think I will ever be the kind of person to find them a delicacy but I would definitely try them again and recommend them.

Oysters are a fascinating little sea creature! So I have to share these weird facts about these aesthetically challenged things. The summer home I was staying at even had a book dedicated to oysters!

whitstable...they love their oysters! 

• There are all sorts of shapes and sizes and ugliness. 
• It takes three years of growth for the oysters to reach 4 oz.
• Oysters have always been linked to love…when the ancient Greek Goddess Aphrodite, the goddess of love, sprang from the sea on an oyster shell the word “aphrodisiac” was born.
• There are only 75 calories in a dozen oysters!
• All oysters commence life as a male, then decide after 1 months if they prefer to be female 
• The male oyster also goes through the process of child birth, laying as many as one million eggs a year like the female
• Eaten alive? Apparently it’s a myth! As soon as the shell is opened and oxygen is entered then the oyster dies! A squeeze of lemon will give it that last wiggle. 
• There are so many vitamins and minerals in each one! 

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