Named after the Scottish island where chef-owner Jackson Boxer holidayed as a child, Orasay combines big flavours with some of the best British produce. Opened in 2019, the restaurant takes the form of a small and elegant bistro with low lighting combining with a hazel colour palette to imbue the dining area with a sense of intimacy.
Originally, Boxer honed in on seafood sourced from the Western Isles, but has since widened his net, so to speak, with Orasay now championing produce from across the country. They include oysters from Lindisfarne and whelks from Dorset, which both make regular appearances on the restaurant’s ever-changing menu that combines small and large sharing plates served alongside a list of fresh and lively wines available either on tap or by the bottle.
The menu is predicated on freshness and seasonality, with a selection of shellfish and seafood delivered daily and vegetables sourced from Boxer’s organic kitchen garden in West Sussex. European and Asian influences are both discernible and dishes are artful in appearance, but there’s a simplicity and elegance in the cooking that avoids overloading the plate with complex flavours and instead concentrates on getting the best it can out of just a few main ingredients.
As well as Orasay, Boxer operates Brunswick House in Vauxhall and Below bar in Soho, alongside his brother Frank. Orasay is most personal venture, though, offering an elevated neighbourhood experience.
