Gillardeau No.2 Oysters in Riga
Oyster Festival, all year round
At Doorsea, our Oyster Festival runs all year round, with all oysters on the menu offered at cost price.
You can discover Gillardeau No.2 at your own pace, compare it with other oysters or return to a flavour you have come to love.
Gillardeau No.2: The Character Behind the Name
The distinctive “G” on the wooden box is the signature of Maison Gillardeau. Behind it are generations of family craft and an oyster known for its generous flesh, delicate sweetness and clean finish. Even the “No.2” beside its name tells you something useful about what awaits on your plate.
A family tradition since 1898
Gillardeau takes its name from the family behind the oysters. Henri Gillardeau founded the house in 1898 in the Marennes-Oléron basin on France’s Atlantic coast, beginning a tradition passed from one generation to the next.
In 1978, Gérard Gillardeau developed the house’s signature oyster, placing particular importance on its appearance and generous flesh. Those qualities remain central to the Gillardeau identity today.
Flavour and texture
Gillardeau oysters are known for their plump flesh and firm, lightly crisp bite. Gentle sweetness accompanies their sea flavour, with subtle nutty notes adding another layer to the experience.
Texture deserves as much attention as flavour here. Taking a little time to chew allows you to appreciate the flesh and explore how the savoury and sweeter impressions develop.
For a first tasting, these are useful things to look for: the initial salinity, the firmness of the oyster and the flavours that remain afterwards. Your own impressions are part of the discovery.
The care behind the character
The house’s roots are in Marennes-Oléron, while its growing locations include the waters of Ireland, Normandy and Portugal. Maison Gillardeau selects these environments for the conditions they offer its oysters.
Care continues through to preparation for dispatch. The house checks the oysters’ shape and flesh content, monitors water conditions and sorts the cleaned oysters by size by hand before packing.
Behind the familiar name is a succession of practical decisions, all contributing to the consistency of the oyster that reaches the table.
What does No.2 mean?
No.2 identifies the oyster’s size grade. In the French grading system for cupped oysters, it corresponds to a whole weight of 86–120 g, including the shell.
The numbers run from larger oysters at the lower end of the scale to smaller oysters at the higher end. A No.2 is therefore larger than a No.3, giving you a useful reference when choosing from an oyster menu.
Gillardeau identifies the producer; No.2 tells you the size.
The small G on the shell
Before packing, Maison Gillardeau laser-engraves a small “G” onto each oyster’s shell. Introduced to help identify authentic Gillardeau oysters, this discreet mark is the house’s signature.
It is a small detail to look for before tasting, connecting the oyster in front of you with the family name behind it.
Enjoying Gillardeau No.2 at Doorsea
We suggest tasting your first oyster plain. This gives its natural salinity, texture and sweetness room to express themselves.
You can chew gently, taking a moment to notice how the flavour develops. With the next oyster, a few drops of lemon can offer a different impression, letting you explore your own preference.
At Doorsea on Antonijas iela 9 in Riga, we invite you to take your time with Gillardeau No.2 — to enjoy its texture, discover its balance and find the details that make it memorable for you.
Discover oysters on the Doorsea menu
Doorsea Restaurant
Antonijas iela 9, Riga
+371 28 702 317
