The Adelaide Oyster House — Restaurant in St. John's

On a recent trip to St. John's I was dragged into the Adelaide Oyster House by my wife, eager to dive into the offerings of local sea food and fusion dining (secretly I think she was heavily influenced by the Cocktail menu). On entering the establishment I was immediately taken with the decor and ambience. It was a modern take on the bar scene that St John's is so well known for. A great little date spot or place for an evening drink and some tasty bites. We ordered oysters on the half shell, I mean who couldn't with 'Oyster House' in the name, and they were promptly shucked and brought over by Sam the bartender. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the oysters, where they were from and the flavor profiles to expect. My wife was in awe with how distinct and flavorful each oyster was, especially since it's so challenging to find tasty seafood back home in Ontario.

From that point forward, we were hooked and the rest of the menu did not disappoint. I'd describe the food as modern pub fare with Korean influence. The pork riblets were dynamite, salty, sweet and brimming with umami. The Korean fried chicken had incredible flavour and the 'fried' aspect was balanced perfectly with the Kewpie mayo and savory rice. The only miss on the menu that I tried was the Kobe Beef lettuce wrap as it was dry and slightly overcooked, suffering from having been ground Kobe beef rather than a filet of beef (which I think would be the perfect fix for this dish as the flavour profile was nice). My disappointment was quickly assuaged however as the Blue Fin Crudo came out, a recommendation from our server, and was absolutely phenomenal. The tuna was light, fresh and flavourful, elevated by the cucumber and radish. The dish was accentuated by mango and serrano purees that accented the dish in a colourful, playful border that highlighted the plate.

At the end of the mains, we ordered additional cocktails and more of the delicious oysters. When they were brought to the table, again by Sam, we had the pleasure of speaking with him about the area and what brought him to St Johns. Like most residents of the area he was passionate about the city as a whole, advocating for the local music and arts scene which he is deeply connected to. We used many of his recommendations on our trip to much success.

All in all I would suggest if you're in the area of downtown St Johns, check out the Adelaide Oyster House as it is in my mind one of the best places...

Hot damn, Adelaide was an excellent experience. We only have great things to say about this spot. The aesthetic was imaginative, high end industrial, and felt big in a small space that had punchy energy. The staff were awesome; cleaning up messes as they came, extremely attentive, they worked in such a cohesive manner, allowed us to sit and enjoy our stay and were really kind. The wine list was great and had a wide variety, we ordered the Oyster Bay, NZ. For food, we had 12 oysters which were beautifully presented and adorned with edible flowers on a bed of ice. The Shucker took their time to explain the oysters origin and the sauces to us in detail. My partner especially loved the habanero sauce that was made in house…it was hella pinçante. If you like a good kick in the mouth load up your oysters with this sauce. The garlic sauce and the cocktail sauce were great as well, if you’re like me and prefer softer flavours the other two options are fantastic and provide a great complimentary flavour to the oysters (two Tabascos were provided as well). Next up, Cauliflower bites. This was the closest we could get to a vegan shareable, we opted in for being vegetarian for the meal and damn we’re glad we did. Holy heck it was they were delicious. The batter was so tasty, the Gochujang and mayo (a vegan aioli as a substitute would be great) sauces complimented and added a good kick to the bites. We enjoyed two Hubba Bubba sticks as a treat with our bill, which was pricey but to be expected and well worth the experience and the quality of the food! We will definitely be back to relish the atmosphere and food when we return to St Johns and will tell friends far and wide to visit.

TLDR: this place rocks, go here.

PS we really loved to see staff rocking their own personal styles, and not being inhibited by...

My situation is an unique one. I didn't get a chance to dine at Adelaide Oyster House. My friends told me to dine here if when I visit St. John's from Toronto. Little did I know that this resto is hoppin even on a Monday night. So, apparently, I didn't get to try the food. REASON I am writing is the fact that although I heard good food about it, service could be better as 1st impression is important. I walked in the resto this past Monday night, it was jam packed, so before I want to get on the waiting list, I want to go to the washroom, walk to the back, doors are locked, then a staff at the back kind of intervene me, I thought he wanted to assist me, instead, the look on his face gave me an impression that he thinks I am only here for the washroom use. Anyhow, honestly, he shouldn't be unwelcome about it. Anyhow, I told him table for 1, he said he is busy, told me to go to the front to be on the waiting list. Ok, I went to the front but there was a pile of peeps just came in and wanted to get a table, I waited for them to finish before I want to get my name on the list. Guess what, it's the same dude at the back who is taking the name, then, why on earth you ask me to go ask someone's else to take my name when you are also taking down names? Anyway, I didn't want to make a scene, he wrote down my name and my phone #. Then I went to yellow belly brewery to grab a drink so I can come back to the oyster house later, guess what? No one from Oyster House text or call that my table is ready, nope! So, although I heard food are great but 1st impression of how they manage the guest list and fail to even call me is a little rocky to start. So...I didn't end up dining here coz no one call. I just hope they can improve from this and take every customer seriously...