Where to eat on Guernsey’s west coast: Vazon Bay Café, Crabby Jack’s & Fleur du Jardin

August 30, 2009 § Leave a comment

Three very different places to eat if you find yourselves on Guernesy’s west coast. We were on holiday staying at the Vazon Bay Apartments just across the road from the beach so became regular visitors to the Vazon Bay Café.

This is a totally unreconstructed beach/transport café very popular with bikers who can overrun the place at times. Fantastic for big mugs of tea, instant coffee (don’t even think of asking for a cappuccino here!) sticky buns and of course huge fry-ups. A wonderful example of its type and very welcome after a hard morning’s surfing. Here’s husband Tim showing how it’s done:

Crabby Jack’s is a restaurant and bar just across the road and is something of a local institution. It’s also a favourite with the local surfing and beach crowd but is more of an evening than a lunchtime place.

A shameless American pastiche but the locals and our children love its. Menu is steak, burgers, pizza, pasta and the bland end of seafood (ie nothing still alive on your seafood platter). It’s permanently busy – you must book during high season or expect a long wait. The atmosphere is relaxed, service is slick and portions are generous.

Finally, the Fleur du Jardin, inland in Kings Mills, the closest thing to a country village Guernsey can offer. It’s a small hotel, restaurant and bar. We chose to eat in the bar on the last night of our holiday and were lucky to find a table as it was packed with St Peter Port after work office crowd. You won’t find a traditional pub on Guernsey – somewhere like the Fleur du Jardin is as close as you’ll get but the atmosphere is more posh yacht club – lots of bleached wood and slate – than boozer. The menu is gastropub: I was very happy with my choice of sea bass fillet, crushed new potatoes and roast tomatoes. They do burgers, steaks, shell-on prawns too and have a good choice of beers and a sensible mainly Antipodean wine list. A pleasant place to spend a summer evening. Booking definitely recommended during high season. Sorry no pictures so you’ll have to take my word that it is indeed a picturesque spot.

Vazon Bay Café

Vazon Coast Road
Castel
Guernsey

01481 252 513

Crabby Jack’s

Vazon Coast Road
Castel
Guernsey GY5 7BF

01481 257 489

Fleur du Jardin

Kings Mills
Castel
Guernsey GY5 7JT

01481 252 513

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