Oyster Shack & Seafood Bar

Featured reviews

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  Emma B

  ·1 month ago

  “My husband and I visited the Oyster Shack in Loughton around midday on a Sunday, and there was already a long queue. My husband waited for about an hour and a half, so it is definitely worth arriving early! We ordered the fish goujon roll, the bacon, scallop and black pudding roll, whitebait, mackerel with horseradish, and salt and pepper squid. The food is served as each item is ready, so my husband had finished all the whitebait before the rest of our order arrived. Despite the long wait, the food was really good and well worth trying. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and happy to tell us about the produce. We would definitely return, although next time we will try a weekday and aim to arrive before opening.”

• R

  Ramona Popa

  ·2 months ago

  “Amazing food and definitely worth the wait!I had the hot seafood platter and everything was fresh, perfectly cooked, and full of flavour. The queue was around 2 hours, but it was absolutely worth it. Friendly staff, fantastic seafood, and a great atmosphere. I'll definitely be back!”

• C

  Caedmon

  ·3 months ago

  “Came here on a bank holiday for a lunch whilst on a walk. Food is great as others have said, but the place is a victim of it's own success and it took over an hour to get to the front of the queue whilst in a weather exposed line, then 25min additional wait for food. Get here first thing or avoid peak times as otherwise not worth the wait despite how tasty the food is. Hope they make improvements to the queuing system as the food is delicious and value for money.”

• M

  Max Holmes

  ·3 months ago

  “Stumbled across the Oyster Shack and Seafood Bar after a walk through Epping Forest and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish the day. Despite the grey skies and drizzle, the place had a real warmth to it — unpretentious, lively, and clearly well-loved by locals and visitors alike. The food was exceptional. Fresh oysters on ice with a punchy mignonette, green-lipped mussels with chilli and garlic butter, king scallops, tempura prawns, crispy whitebait — we ordered way too much and had absolutely no regrets. Everything tasted straight out of the sea and the quality spoke for itself. The staff were brilliant — genuinely welcoming and attentive without being overbearing. The kind of hospitality that makes you feel like a regular on your first visit. Even with a Guinness in hand and rain threatening to spoil the mood, we were perfectly happy sitting outside soaking it all in. If you’re doing a walk around Epping and need a reason to keep going — this is it. We’ll absolutely be back.”

• M

  Mike Morrison

  ·3 months ago

  “What a great place in the middle of Epping forest. Well worth a visit. The food is amazing, Oysters were delicious as was the scallops and the platter. Busy place but worth the wait. Very friendly, helpful and welcoming staff.”

• H

  hf1187

  ·3 months ago

  “The wait is as long as expected - queued for 45 minutes (with beer in hand so really not a big deal) and got the food pretty quickly after (approx 20 min). Seafood is fresh and I really enjoyed the Scottish oysters. Lots of seats around the pub outdoors which makes it a nice way to spend a couple of hours in the forest.”

• M

  Marianne Heredge

  ·3 months ago

  “It was my first time here. Luckily I came early, as there was already a queue forming. As the grt their fish delivered directly from Billingsgate, they depend on the punctuality of the delivery, which today was a bit late. They kept us informed and did a great job preparing the fish as quickly as possible. Persuaded to stay and wait by a customer who had been here before, I was so grateful as if was definitely worth the wait. They serve British oysters from Essex, Wales and the Channel Isles, all kinds of fish and seafood. My friend and I shared a seafood platter. Accompanied by a tangy sauce, it was perfectly cooked and delicious.”

• K

  Kate Conroy

  ·5 months ago

  “Went on Good Friday, easy walk from Loughton station through the forest to the oyster shack. Found ourselves in the queue, queued for an hour but that was part of the charm, you chat to folk and it’s lovely, or grab a drink from the pub or chips from next door. And I think fantastic that there is a seafood shack in the middle of the forest. And lovely team. But…..so much of what’s on sale is frozen, literally frozen whitebait, scampi, green lipped mussels, prawns, calamari and so on. To be fair the team are quite open about it (and I know a lot of seafood is frozen) but come on it’s pretty easy to batter and make your own whitebait, scampi etc and not shop bought stuff. We did have some of these bits but also monkfish (extremely small portion even knowing it’s market cost), skate (fantastic order it) and some cod cheeks (not sure about the sauce). Would I go again, yes it’s a fun experience but I’d be very selective about what I ordered…”

• A

  a a

  ·7 months ago

  “My wife and I visited this place on a Saturday morning, after a concert at the O2. We hadn't visited in ten years. It located in Epping Forest, not far from Waltham Cross. The shack was thriving, and we were looked after by a congenial Essex gentleman who goes by the name of Harrison. We were well looked after and Harrison kindly shared the scallops in ginger and garlic as a welcome gift from him. We were also served by his colleague Maggie who was very helpful. Not shown in the photos, was pan fried mackeral, delicious, and a big plate of fries from the cafe next door. For drinks you can nip in to the hotel next door (and they have nice loos too). We'll be back this weekend, as part of our 27th Wedding Anniversary celebrations. Thanks for making our day Harrison! See you soon. Philip and Ani. Warning: Pay the parking. It's a pound for first hour, then 80 pence per hour. We didn't and were fined £20. Advice: :Get there before 11:0 am on Saturdays, as it becomes very busy later, and parking may be difficult.”

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  Gargi Talukder

  ·8 months ago

  “I checked out this place with my friend a couple of weeks ago and honestly, it’s such an amazing hidden gem in Epping Forest. I’m genuinely surprised more people don’t know about it. The food is fantastic, full of flavour, generous portions, and great value for money. The customer service is also excellent; the staff are incredibly sweet and helpful, which really adds to the experience. They even give you free bread, which was a lovely bonus. The only downside is that during winter it can get quite cold. On the day we visited, the heating wasn’t working, though I’ve been told it usually does. Parking is available, so that’s not an issue at all. Overall, a brilliant spot that’s definitely worth visiting.”