Award-winning chef Nathan Davies is excited to announce the launch of Vraic, a new restaurant opening this July on Guernsey’s North Shore.
Named after the Guernésiais word for seaweed, Vraic will champion the island’s rich and bountiful produce, with a particular focus on exceptional fish, shellfish and the diverse array of seaweed species found along its rugged coastline.
Nathan Davies, the visionary behind SY23 in Aberystwyth – which earned a Michelin star and was crowned ‘Opening of the Year’ in the 2022 Michelin Guide – and former head chef at the globally acclaimed Ynyshir in Wales brings his passion for fire-led cooking and foraging to this new venture. His achievements at SY23, including recognition in the Good Food Guide’s Top 20 Most Exciting Restaurants, highlight his relentless pursuit of creativity and excellence.
Speaking on the launch, Nathan Davies said: “It was always going to take something very special for me and my family to leave Wales, but this new project is exactly that. Vraic represents a new opportunity to create something exciting on the island of Guernsey, a truly unique and beautiful part of the world. This restaurant will be a progression of our journey, building on the principles we established at SY23 - utilising the abundance of ingredients on our doorstep and cooking with fire at the heart of everything we do. I’m thrilled to be joined by some of the team from SY23, and I can’t wait to share this new chapter with everyone.”
The 25-cover restaurant will offer a tasting menu for both lunch and dinner. Embodying Nathan’s primal ethos, the menu will champion the finest local and British produce, with ingredients picked, foraged, and sourced from Guernsey and its surrounding regions. At the heart of the open kitchen will be a Basque-inspired, custom-built, fire-driven grill, designed primarily to cook whole fish and meat on the bone, perfectly sized for sharing. Each dish will reflect Nathan’s commitment to exploring and celebrating the island’s flavours and traditions, while also drawing on his Welsh roots, like the succulent fire-seared scallop, accompanied by hand picked seaweed from the island’s shores and charred lightly over the open flame. While the fire will imbue a subtle smokiness that enhances the natural sweetness of the scallop, a burnt butter finish will combine a nutty warmth with the salty complexity of the seaweed’s flavour.
Interiors will echo the team and restaurant’s natural philosophy, creating a space that is firmly at one with the setting within which it sits. The space will be dimly lit and drenched in dark hues, while subtle lighting and the central open kitchen’s flames bring warmth without disturbing the local flora. Textural elements like charred timber cladding, live-edge timber flooring, and handcrafted hardwood seating will bring depth to the space, while sheepskins draped over the solid wood furnishings will add a soft contrast. For a pre or post dinner drink, guests can head to the upper terrace, which offers some of the island’s most impressive views of the North Shore.
The entirety of Vraic - from food to drink; design to setting - represents a celebration of Guernsey’s heritage. Nathan looks forward to bringing his commitment to sustainability and innovation to the concept, while spotlighting the culinary delight and diversity of the island.
Website: www.vraic.gg
Address: Mont Cuet Road, GY3 5AT, Guernsey
Instagram: @VraicRestaurant
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