Rib and Oyster

A restaurant adored by Marco Pierre White will certainly pique the interest of most.

You’d be forgiven for assuming it’s somewhere in London, with Michelin stars, a chef with a French name, champagne fountains in the foyer, and maybe even some golden hens that lay eggs 5-minutes before they’re cooked and sent to your table. But you’d be wrong - it’s actually a tiny venue run by husband & wife, Gavin & Lucy Davies, in the minute town of Kilgetty, West Wales.

Things have moved at lightening speed for Rib & Oyster in the last couple of years. Gav, previously a local fisherman, started the business by selling fresh caught fish off the back of his van during the pandemic. This was something he was forced to do after the hospitality industry dried up during those turbulent months, meaning he could no longer provide fish caught on his trawler to restaurants. He quickly realised that he needed to expand from the back of his van after the popularity of his venture, so opened a fishmonger and butchers alongside his wife, Lucy.

They now run a counter/shop in the morning, which has supplied chefs such as Marco Pierre White and Pierre Koffmann, and a restaurant in the afternoon through to the evening.

It’s a wholesome prospect, centred around fresh produce - fish comes in daily with a high turnover from the shop and restaurant. The fish that is available locally to Lucy & Gav is utilised: lobster, crab, bass and mackerel all come from friends boats in Saundersfoot. But the fishing industry is still battling with (amongst other things) Brexit issues, meaning hake, cod, bream, and monkfish is delivered from Cornwall. Despite Lucy admitting this is frustrating, it doesn’t impact their ethos. These fish land in the evening and are in the counter the following morning. Mussels are sourced from the highest quality beds in Scotland, and cockles are the highest grade in Swansea Gower.

Their meat is sourced from local Welsh suppliers. The chalk board in the restaurant indicating for that particular week: lamb from Saundersfoot, beef from Haverfordwest, and pork from Chepstow.

Specials change daily in high season due to the extensive availability of produce, one of the many benefits of using such wonderfully fresh ingredients. The choice of fish is certainly not limited, as depicted by their specials board. A whole bream, plus fillets of hake and bass are listed under the fish of the day options.

Rib & Oyster main menu.

So how did Marco get intertwined with this couple from West Wales? Gav was supplying a restaurant Marco dined at in Bath. He resides just outside of Bath in Corsham, where his hotel & restaurant, The Rudloe Arms, is based. During lockdown, Marco needed a quick delivery of fish for a live recording on ITV’s This Morning which was taking place at The Rudloe. He managed to get Gav’s number from the restaurant in Bath that Gav was supplying, and gave him a call on a Sunday afternoon. Lucy tells me that at first they thought it was their friends taking the piss, but they soon realised this was the real deal. And the rest, as they say, is history.

They have since formed a strong relationship with Marco, and not many days pass without a phone call from him. Lucy says that he is “part of the Rib & Oyster now” often advising, checking in on how things are going, and popping in for some food. Lucy describes him at “one of the most humble, honest, loyal humans we have met since entering the world of hospitality.” Even adding that he cooked for them and a few friends at The Rudloe one weekend.

I had a nose at the menu prior to arriving, and was instantly swooned by their huge surf ‘n’ turf platter. I called up to check if I needed to pre-order - Gav chuckled and responded: “definitely not, that’s what most people ask for when they come”. And it’s not hard to see why.

This platter is enormous, served in a large paella pan: the option of fillet or rib-eye steak, your choice of a catch of the day from the specials board, half a lobster with either thermidor sauce or garlic butter, tiger prawns in a garlic butter sauce, mussels steamed in white wine and garlic, a lobster velouté & prawn or chorizo & heirloom tomato sauce, chunky chips, onion rings, and a grilled tomato.

I’d be lying if I told you that I was looking forward to the chips, they were a mere side note amongst all those glorious options on the platter. They blew my mind. I asked Lucy for the recipe, or at least a hint at how they make them so delicious, she tells me that she is sworn to secrecy.

The medium rare fillet steak was tender like butter, with a rich golden crust from being seared in a hot pan.

A fillet of hake nestled below a cluster of samphire was beautifully paired with a lobster velouté & prawn sauce. The soft, white lobster flesh popped out of it’s shell with consummate ease. A clutch of prawns were sweet, firm and juicy, but it should be noted that they weren’t deveined.

Their oysters are worth a mention too: natural with a citrus salsa, and grilled with pear & horseradish.

This is a gorgeous little spot, on a quiet little street, in an unassuming village, run by a lovely couple, in an unpretentious setting.

There’s something fairytale-esque in the story of Gavin & Lucy opening this place and earning an ever growing reputation, under the tutelage of one of the worlds most famous chefs.

If you’re holidaying in this beautiful part of the world, near Tenby or Saundersfoot, it’s more than worth stopping by.