Gillardeau
Marenne-Oleron 🌎 See Oyster Map
Large, firm, claire-finished oysters from France’s famed fourth-generation oyster dynasty, which calls itself “the Rolls-Royce of oysters.” Often considered the best oysters in the world. The oysters are raised in Normandy or County Cork, Ireland for their first two years, then finished in the salt ponds of Marenne-Oleron. They are so prized that the Gillardeaus laser-engrave the shells to prevent counterfeiting.
Gillardeau (4 Ratings)
Submit a Rating
Sign up now to post your rating, or login here.
Tasting excellent in Paris in April 2024. (Way better than in Montreal the previous month.) These were heavy for their size and quite full inside, with deep cups and a lot of fat and sweetness. Really good. The lasered logo is goofy but kind of fun.
Sampled at Boite aux Huitres in Montreal in March. Still nicely mineral, but a little soft and creamy. Lacking vitality.
These really are spectacular. What’s interesting is that even though they are Pacific oysters–the same species grown on the West Coast of the U.S.–they have none of the cucumbery notes of West Coast oysters. Instead, they are intensely mineral on the finish–more like an East Coast oyster. It seems that anything you put in the Atlantic Ocean tastes like the Atlantic Ocean.
Creamy!!!