Overview
Bringing together coast, countryside, photogenic harbour towns and fine food – all on an easy-to-navigate island – Jersey is a shrewd choice for a few days away; and making the Moorings in Gorey Pier your base, an astute move. This restaurant with rooms is all about the food, you might say: popular with locals and guests alike for its Gallic-flavoured fare. But the Moorings is about signature cocktails (barrel-aged negronis, Moorings campari spritz), too, and a celebration of bonhomie that begins with apéritifs at the bar and culminates in nightcaps after dinner. It’s about cosy, luxe rooms and owners Matthew and Iselin’s local knowledge, which means making the most of your time here becomes effortless. The hotel’s location in the island’s scenic east puts beaches, castles and cliff-top walks right on your doorstep.
Highlights:
Top-notch dining in situ
Lively Gorey Pier locale
Run (and loved) by locals
Smith extra
A glass of house champagne or Vinada non-alcoholic sparkling wine on arrival
In the know
Also need to know:
With no lift, sadly there’s no access for wheelchair users due to the age of the building.Owner Matthew is from the third generation of a local family of restaurateurs. Unearthing old hotel guest books tucked away in dusty cupboards, Matthew and Iselin discovered the hotel’s starry past amid entries from David Niven, Susan Hampshire, Chay Blyth and Gerald Durrell.
Packing tips:
You’ll want to channel fisherman chic: pack chunky knits, hardy denim, big-pocket coats and serious boots. For nights in the restaurant, add glamour with a change of footwear, plus cashmere, layers of shimmer or statement jewels.
Dress code:
Shimmering layers or cashmere over trousers, rather than the full dress-and-heels combo – the mood at the Moorings is laid-back glamour.
Accommodation details
Address:
Gorey Pier, Jersey, St Martin, England JE3 6EW, United Kingdom
St Martin
United Kingdom
Location:
3.9 mi / 6.3 km from city centre
General facilities
- Onsite laundry
- Spa
- Exercise gym
- Internet services
- Restaurant
- Lounges/bars
- Room service
Dining information
Restaurant:
Have a cocktail, graze, contemplate, take your time: there’s an implied conviviality to any menu that begins with snacks to accompany apéritifs. Start with drinks such as kir royale or barrel-aged negroni and nibble on salted chicken crackling, whelk fritters and Grouville cockle popcorn while you peruse a menu of seasonal, French-influenced cuisine showcasing Jersey ingredients. At linened tables with Designers Guild velvet upholstery, foliage-print Thibaut wallpaper and walls adorned with framed photography of Gorey through the ages, dine on catch of the day, island-caught scallops and oysters, as well as aged beef and several options for vegans. The chefs confidently throw in Asian twists in dishes such as chancre (brown) crab, Madras curry and crispy galette, and nods to Norway (co-owner Iselin is Norwegian) with Gorey Beech smoked salmon (with Knekkebrød if you wish). A highlight of the dessert course is the South African chef’s malva pudding – not that the revels stop with dessert; after dinner, guests tend to move next door to the bar for another cocktail or nightcap as the lights dim and the music turns up a notch. Make sure you book in advance, the restaurant is popular with locals... it is listed in the Michelin guide after all.
Top Table:
Tables against the left-hand wall of the dining room, served by a blue-velvet banquette, combine cosiness with a perch from which to survey restaurant comings and goings. At Maddie's, the high table next to the bar offers sociability alongside breakfast.
Last Orders:
Breakfast is served at Maddie's daily and the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, Wednesday to Saturday, and Sunday lunch in winter.
Room Service:
You can order drinks for delivery to your room, but no food.
Hotel Bar:
The blue-hued restaurant bar decked with fairy lights and at the entrance to the restaurant is one of two bars and it is the place for apéritifs ahead of dinner, as well as cocktails afterwards. Order a French 75, kir royale, signature Moorings Spritz with campari, or barrel-aged negroni. A largely French wine list – Louis Latour whites, Sancerre and Chablis, plus Fleurie, Bordeaux, Haut Médoc and St-Émilion reds – is carefully curated, too. By day, the second bar, Maddie's, serves as a cozy coffee shop, transforming into a cocktail bar by night. Featuring bistro tables, corner sofas, and poseur tables, Maddie's offers the perfect spot for everything from breakfast and lunch to cocktails and a laid-back dinner. Be sure to sample some of the small plate dishes such as Maddie’s escargots or patatas bravas too.
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