A new building development along Field Street will see the introduction of 5 new eateries and form an extension to the popular Gouger Street cafe precinct. One of those new places is the Metro Oyster Bar, which for it’s name sake, offers oysters to be eaten in their natural form or cooked with a variety of toppings. As eating oysters by themselves really doesn’t constitute a meal, there is also a selection of Greek inspired dishes on the menu.

Each tenancy along this new development has their own mezzanine level. While some of the neighbours have used this upstairs level for seating, this place has used it for the kitchen area. By doing this, the customers are protected from the cooking fumes that you get from the downstairs open plan kitchens.

The ground floor is nicely decked out with a combination of sofa, and bench and bar stool seating. The polished concrete floors, low hanging light fittings and timber furnishings give this place an industrial feel. I particularly like the large gas fired fireplace which is a distinguishing feature. During the day, there is plenty of natural light that flows through its frontage, and like their neighbours, it does get a bit dark at the rear.

To start off with, I had the Oysters Diablo which consisted of tomato, chilli, onion, garlic, oregano, honey, red wine and parsley. They also threw in a natural oyster so that I could taste the freshness. The oysters were fantastic and not overly cooked. The sauce used on top had a nice sweetness and really packed a punch in terms of heat.

The lunchtime serving of Chicken Souvlakia comes with 3 skewers and a side of chips and salad. The chicken was well marinated, tender and succulent. The slightly charred flavours of the meat were to die for. The salad was was fresh and crisp with a light olive oil dressing. The chips were of medium thickness and cooked to perfection. Their exterior was nice and crisp, while the inside was soft and fluffy.

The service here was very good, particularly from the owner. I was informed the cook hadn’t arrived, but the owner went ahead and prepared my lunch anyway, and the good news was he did a very good job. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was reasonable. The cost of the oysters was $12, while the Chicken Souvlakia was $9.90. Each oyster worked out to be $2 each which is average around town, while the main dish was fairly good value considering I’ve paid a lot more for less at other restaurants.

It’s certainly a nice change from all the Asian eateries in the Chinatown precinct. The quality and freshness of the food here should see it do well.

WHERE: 27 Field St, Adelaide