The restaurant hosted a special event with Cloudy Bay wines to celebrate the opening day of the season, with ''all you can eat oysters'' proving a drawcard.
However, those lucky enough to be passing by while experienced oyster-opener
Norman Irwin, of Bluff, was hard at work were some of the first people in Queenstown to taste this year's harvest.
Mr Irwin, who has been opening oysters for more than 35 years and can open one dozen in 20 seconds, said 100 dozen had been transported from Bluff on Friday morning for the special event, and the standard of oysters this year was second to none.
''The last three years the fish have been getting better every year.
''Three years ago I could open 100 dozen and probably get 20 rejects. Tonight I'd be surprised if I got five.''
Diners were offered raw oysters either straight from the shell or with their choice of condiments. However, Mr Irwin was quick to offer advice - ''you must chew them''.
