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Eating At The Oyster Bar For The First Time

Oysters are widely considered a delicacy. Many people eat them regularly and truly enjoy them. But if you have never enjoyed oysters before, you might be a little confused the first time you visit a restaurant with an oyster bar. Here are some tips to help you navigate the experience with ease — and hopefully enjoy yourself while doing so.

Start with cooked oysters, if available.

Some restaurants will set up a raw bar with only raw oysters. However, it is more common for restaurants to set up an oyster bar with oysters prepared in a range of different ways. There will usually be a few types of cooked oysters on the bar. Perhaps there will be grilled oysters and maybe some oysters Rockefeller. Try these first. This will give your palate time to get accustomed to the saline, seafood flavor of the oysters before you dive into the raw ones, which have a more intense oyster flavor and aroma. 

Grab something as a follow-up to your first raw oyster. 

Your first raw oyster may be a little intense. It won't necessarily be intense in a bad way, but the flavors can surprise you and overwhelm your palate a little. This is nothing to be ashamed of. But if you can have another type of food nearby to eat right after the oyster, it will limit the flavor experience and keep your palate from being overwhelmed. Some people like to keep French fries on the table for this purpose. The saltiness of the French fry will tone down the seafood flavors from the oyster.

Slurp away.

When you eat a raw oyster off the shell, don't be afraid to slurp. In fact, slurping is considered polite when eating raw oysters. It brings some air into your mouth to round out the flavors a bit. You can chew the oyster a time or two before swallowing it if you want, but mostly, you just swallow it whole in all of its briny glory.

Don't overdo it.

If you find you really love oysters, you may be tempted to really indulge at the oyster bar. But if you're not used to eating oysters, eating too many of them can be hard on your stomach. Take it easy your first time, interspersing the oysters with other foods.

Eating at an oyster bar, such as Felix's Restaurant & Oyster Bar, is an experience you won't soon forget. You may decide you love oysters and want to go back again! 


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