Oyster Shack & Seafood Bar — Restaurant in Epping Forest

Very unimpressed with this place- the food was ok but certainly nothing to write home about.

And certainly not after the three hour wait my daughter endured after really looking forward to trying the Oyster shack. We had gone to Epping Forest for a family trip to walk the dog and actually eat there. Previous attempts had to be aborted due to the length of time waiting.

This time we thought we would go earlier and try to give ourselves the time to sample and hopefully enjoy the food.

The disorganised approach was just shambolic - the queue snaked backwards and forwards and seemed to hardly move. After two and half hours waiting we finally got to the serving hatch ready to order only to be told the food would take another half an hour to be cooked. It was exasperating.

It was then clear to see the issue- the only means of cooking the food was on a single small grill/plancha that entirely inadequate and not fit for purpose. I’m sure the ownership and staff were probably trying their best but seemed oblivious to the ludicrous time people had to wait and how frustrating this was from the grumbling in the waiting queue.

Possibly part of the wait the wait is due is due the popularity of the setting but the entirely inadequate catering facilities really let this place down.

I realise I have given a damning verdict so I’d like to temper this by making a suggestion to improve the overall experience. I would say the cooking facilities need to be significantly enlarged and enhanced to provide adequate throughput for the amount of visitors to the area. I would also recommend at least one member of staff is available within the queue to both take orders and payment in advance and allow the other staff members to concentrate on the cooking and TIMELY delivery of the food. The simple solution of providing portable buzzers would allow efficient use of time and resources plus visitors the opportunity to enjoy time with each other rather than wasted in a seemingly endless queue.

Despite my very disappointing experience and negative feedback I certainly hope the Oyster shack can take this opportunity to learn and improve- I won’t be going back for a long while in the current situation but would be very happy to revisit if the customer service improves. Good luck...

Arrived to this delicious safe haven after trekking through the thick viscous yet glorious mud of the epping forest on a city bike all the way from London…yep, that’s right. I almost thought this place was something of Fantasy and that the internet had lied because why was I looking for oysters in the forest? About 2.5/ 3 hours later…the sun began to shine and this beautiful, very much real oyster shack in the forest was standing with such a glow around it. The sky was a shade of perfect cerulean blue, the sun was reflecting from the oyster shack causing a glow like halo. And it indeed deserved that halo. Maggie at the counter was so welcoming and asked why my friend and I were so muddy. We told our travel tale and they acknowledged our ridiculous life choices, we shared a laugh and then they gave us the most delicious recommendations. We started with 6 oysters, a bacon scallop roll, the fried white fish and the crab claws. We ended with another 6 oysters because they were that good. Oysters for dessert- YES please! chefs kiss Everything was cooked to perfection and everyone behind the counter was in such high spirits- and incredibly handsome. I thought I was going to find my future husband here- or at least hoping to! Then the crew gave us directions back since we had smashed about 4 perfect beers and they didn’t recommend biking back the same way.

This place was amazing and I believe I am now moving to London after this...

Visited the place since I am a big seafood fan. Reading the reviews, I had somewhat overly high expectations, and I didn't leave unhappy. 🦞🍢

Had scallops, bacon, and black pudding in tiger roll, which was very pleasant, but black pudding was a bit too much since it overpowered the taste of scallops. Would advise to stick to scallps only or scallops and bacon.

Oysters were amazing, fresh, cold, refreshing and shucked in front of me. Couldnt have asked for anything else. 🦪🦪🦪

Also had a hot seafood platter, including shrimps, mussels, tempura prawns, grilled halloumi and some other bits. Grilled mussels was definitely my favourite.

Ooh wanted to order some octopus as well, but seems like it's seasonal and served from May.

They don't serve chips, but you are more than welcome to order some from the pub next door, and they even bring it to you at the Shack table. Same goes for beer.

The staff was lovely and friendly. The place had a family business vibe and hope they'll keep it up. 💯

Overall a little gem at Epping forest. 💎 💎 💎

P.S. you will be pleasantly surprised by the seafood as long as you don't expect the same as you would get at a seaside cafe on Mediterranean...