Tsarskaya No.2 Oysters in Riga

Oyster Festival, all year round

At Doorsea, oysters have a place at the table in every season. The Oyster Festival runs all year round, with all oysters on the menu offered at cost price. Tsarskaya No.2 is available at the special festival price of €2.60 per oyster.

Tsarskaya No.2: An Imperial Name, a Taste of Cancale

Above the oysters, a double-headed eagle spreads its wings across the wooden lid. The name beneath it, Tsarskaya, invites a question: how did an oyster from the coast of Brittany come to bear an imperial name?

A name chosen in Cancale

Les Parcs Saint-Kerber introduced Tsarskaya in 2004 as a tribute to the Russian tsars and their appreciation of oysters.

The family business behind it traces its beginnings to 1930, when François Louvet founded La Glacière Cancalaise. Oyster farming followed in 1944, adding a new chapter to a story closely connected with Cancale.

Three to four years in the bay

The choice of a Tsarskaya begins early. The oysters are selected as spat — the young oysters from which cultivation starts — and raised for three to four years in Cancale, in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.

This is a broad, shallow bay, where powerful tides keep the seawater in motion. For an oyster, the growing waters form part of its character: salinity, plankton and local conditions all have a role in what develops within the shell.

This patient cultivation produces an oyster with a well-filled shell, white flesh and a firm, delicately yielding texture.

What makes it a Spéciale?

Tsarskaya belongs to the Spéciale category. In French oyster classification, this refers to a higher proportion of flesh than a Fine, measured in relation to the oyster’s whole weight.

That fullness gives Tsarskaya a generous presence on the palate. The No.2 beside the name adds a separate detail: its size grade. Fullness and calibre together tell you more about the oyster than either description alone.

Salinity, almond notes and a lasting finish

The tasting opens with a clear marine salinity. As the flesh yields, a gentle sweetness emerges, accompanied by subtle notes of sweet almond.

A long finish follows, with a faint touch of astringency lending definition to the softer flavours. The pleasure lies in this balanced progression: the sea makes its presence felt, then leaves room for the more delicate notes.

A little space for the finish

One way to enjoy Tsarskaya is to allow a quiet moment before returning to your glass. It offers a chance to appreciate the delicate impressions that linger.

At Doorsea, that pause can become part of the occasion — a moment in good company, when the last trace of flavour still holds your attention.

Discover oysters on the Doorsea menu

Doorsea Restaurant
Antonijas iela 9, Riga
+371 28 702 317