Liz Nicholls and co are happy as clams after sampling the chic style and delicious seafood on offer at Loch Fyne

Some people are just hooked on fish – and nothing else will do.

My father is one of them: a man who’s never happier than when he’s lording it up in front of a huge platter of crustaceans, like an especially greedy King Neptune (minus the beard... and the abs: sorry, Dad!).

But Oxford, for all its beauty, charm and culture, is as far from the coast as it’s possible to get, so what do you do when his birthday rolls round again on the Ides of March?

The ever-classy, ever-reliable Loch Fyne chain has a branch in Jericho with a blackboard sign outside proclaiming: ‘Freshest Fish in Oxford!’ So, I followed it, like a siren’s call, to book us in.

And when I rock up to Walton Street, there he is in the windowseat, devouring oysters (six £11.95, a dozen £19.45) like a man possessed, and I know it’s the perfect choice.

Styled as a chichi yet informal brasserie, Loch Fyne hits the nail on the head.

It’s all Scandi woods, gorgeous copper and navy pendant lights (I want them), bare brick and an atrium which somehow manages to be cosy yet huge.

After pouring yourself past the impressive bar at the front, the square dining space is ruled by the open kitchen at the end where shellfish nestles on a bed of ice and chefs are busy rustling up feasts.

Oysters are not my bag (I won’t put you off by telling you what they remind me of) but these beauteous plump fruit were indeed the freshest on the block and guzzled with a crisp Laroche 2012 Chablis, ambrosial.

Loch Fyne’s menu is surprisingly polyglot and so I decided to test its mettle with a robust King Prawn Masala main (£13.45) which didn’t disappoint — it had a pleasing tamarind and ginger tingle, basmati rice and Indian flat bread.

It was a million miles from an Indian takeaway job with subtle flavours and plump prawns.

My sister’s Whole British Lemon Sole (£18.95) was delicately, translucently white and pure, with just a mellow tang of nutty butter for naughtiness.

But the star of the show was undoubtedly the birthday boy’s Whole Baked 1lb Lobster (£23.95).

Unctuous and sweet in garlic butter and mayonnaise, there were a fair few crispy chips poked lobsterwards and I fell on to the shell a little before he’d finished (that’s what you get for being a slow eater in our family) to get cracking and extract the claw and leg meat.

In spite of all this feasting, it felt rude not to order dessert as we had a second bottle of Laroche to finish, so we had a Creme Brulee (£4.95) for more sweet unctuous goodness.

While Dad flirted clumsily with the Lyonnaise waitress, who handled this with grace and was very polite, I joined in the French theme ordering an Apple Tarte Tatin (£5.95) with clotted cream and made with pastry as thin and flaky as any sinner’s Lent willpower.

As we bobbed out on to sunny Jericho, we felt we’d definitely had the catch of the day and plenty of Fyne Dining.

Loch Fyne, Walton Street, Jericho.
Call  01865 292510.
lochfyneseafoodand grill.co.uk