Mark Jordan at the Beach Restaurant Review: Revisiting My Favourite Bistro in Jersey

Every time I visit Jersey, it simply gets that little bit better. The more people we meet, the more hotels we explore and the more restaurants we eat in only makes our love for this tiny island get bigger. It also means we discover more of our favourites and one of those is Mark Jordan at the Beach. A bistro/restaurant located in one of the prettiest parts of Jersey and as its name suggests – quite literally on the beach. The restaurant is looked after by a brigade of talented staff and the brains behind it all is Michelin starred chef Mark Jordan – helped by his wife Magda Jordan, chef Tamas Varsanyi and restaurant manager Andrew Guilfoyle.

We arrived at the strike of twelve just as the restaurant opened, securing a beachside table and christening our arrival with a glass of my guilty pleasure, Champagne. Everything here is beautiful. It’s all very simple, but exquisitely presented and complimented by a modern and nautical themed dining room. Something about this place always makes me feel so relaxed too, which is exactly what we wanted after a gruelling 6am flight from London to Jersey.

We kicked off our lunch with an absolutely stunning smoked salmon starter. The vibrant salmon was topped with flaky sweet crab meat, seafood sauce, juicy grapefruit segments and croutons for added crunch. It was easily the most satisfying dish we ate during out entire stay on the island and something I’ll most certainly be trying to recreate back at home. It had so much flavour and so much freshness, that you simply couldn’t help but fall in love with it.

Main courses came in the form of perfectly cooked chunks of moist pork, smothered in a rich jus which had an incredible amount of depth to it. Though star dish was my fish. Pan-fried local caught sea bream on a bed of crushed Jersey new potatoes – topped with thin slices of celeriac and wilted spinach. The whole dish was then drizzled in a beautiful sauce vierge. Everything was screaming flavour and you could really feel the kitchen clinging on to the last of the Summer sun and seasonal produce.

One thing I’ve always remembered about Mark Jordan at the Beach – is their incredible souffles. They’re not just souffles – they are the best you’ll ever try. Last time it was an extraordinary passion fruit souffle – this time around it was a mouth salivating praline flavour with chocolate ice-cream. Light, fluffy – delicious. A visit here wouldn’t be the same without a souffle to finish.

Finishing up on some delicious petit fours, we sadly said goodbye again to Mark Jordan at the Beach with one final glass of Champagne. We had such an amazing time here second time around and somehow I think the restaurant has improved even more. The sea oddly felt closer to our table, the food was incredibly satisfying and the bubbles were flowing even more than I recall them. If you’re looking for a meal to remember then Mark Jordan and his team are here to create those lasting memories to never ever forget. Jersey is a truly wonderful place and I can’t wait to return.