I can't recall the original décor, but now the oyster bar and lounge on the ground floor is dark, with banquettes along one wall, attractive modern purple-glass lampshades suspended above each table, a wooden floor and a swooping overhead panel reminiscent of a ship's deck.
The upstairs dining room seems larger, with tables generously spaced, white brick walls and a number of windows. Each dining room has its own atmosphere. I enjoy the subdued lighting and coziness of the bar; though usually no great fan of bar-room dining, this room is quiet.
The food is the same wherever you eat. It is a simple menu and it is pricey. Entree choices are limited to eight items (no specials), and that's quite enough.
Two of us began one dinner with appetizers of sautéed Hawaiian blue shrimp and Ocean 211 crab cake. The crab cake was a small feast of lump crab meat on a bed of Asian slaw with Dijon dressing. The bigger treat were the blue shrimp, big and prawnlike complete with heads and tails, dressed simply with a spicy herb drawn butter. The waiter assured us they were never frozen, and indeed they had the taste of fresh-trawled shrimp, really superb.
With our starters came a small tray with sesame-studded flatbreads and a subtle white bean hummus. Just enough to pique, but not kill, the appetite.
My entree was Dover sole, pan-fried, deboned at tableside and arranged over pencil-thin fresh asparagus perfectly cooked al dente. With the sole came a sauceboat of tartly sour capers in butter - just what the fish needed. The whole effect was simple perfection.
Day-boat diver sea scallops on a bed of oxtail mushroom risotto with big English peas were finished in a porcini-truffle emulsion. The hearty risotto might have overpowered a lesser dish, but the meaty scallops held their own.
At lunch, we began with two salads. A crisply fresh Caesar was one of the best I've had recently. Arugula with goat cheese was picture-pretty, with greens lightly dressed (lemon vinaigrette) in the center and dabs of goat cheese alternating with dried apricots and shaved fennel as a border. Another guest devoured raw oysters with gusto, choosing from 12 types (six from each coast), and raved about all.
Pan-seared yellowfin tuna, at the sushi-rare stage, came enveloped by a lively crust of coriander and fresh ground pepper. Additions were crispy jasmine rice cake and marinated baby bok choy in a cranberry balsamic reduction that was both deliciously tart and slightly sweet. A Norton Ridge 2003 pinot noir (at $46) complemented the tuna. The well-chosen wine list has interesting domestic and foreign choices.
Lobster roll - fresh picked meat from a Maine lobster on a ciabatta roll - was generous and packed with tender chunks. Wild king salmon in a mustard-seed crust was another treat, served with cucumber risotto and a grape tomato-cucumber salad.
Desserts are few, with chocolate molten cake (with a pudding-textured warm center) the prize. The Ultimate peanut butter mousse pie pleased my peanut-butter-loving guest, but the pumpkin cheesecake was boringly bland. It needed the pumpkin-seed brittle promised on the menu, but missing on delivery.
Ocean 211 proves that a small menu, with dishes expertly prepared and presented, can be a big winner.
Ocean 211
211 Summer Street, Stamford
(203) 973-0494
Very Good
Atmosphere Two floors of dining with a narrow ground-level room facing the bar and upstairs room that is brighter, lighter and spacier.
Noise Level Conversational.
Service Friendly, but slow, seemingly understaffed.
Recommended dishes Raw bar oysters, crab cake, sautéed Hawaiian blue shrimp, arugula-goat cheese salad, Caesar salad, Dover sole, day-boat diver sea scallops, lobster roll, mustard seed-crusted wild king salmon, peppercorn-crusted yellowfin tuna, chocolate molten cake, Ultimate peanut butter mousse pie.
Price range Lunch: appetizers, $10 to $14; entrees, $14 to $30; desserts, $6 to $7; Dinner: appetizers, $10 to $20; entrees, $28 to $39; desserts, $8 to $10.
Credit cards Most credit cards accepted.
Hours Lunch: noon to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5:30 to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 5:30 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Reservations Accepted.
Wheelchair accessibility Street-level entry to oyster bar and lounge, restrooms on same level; 12 steps up to second-floor dining room.
Reviewed by The Times Nov. 6, 2005.
Ratings Extraordinary, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory, Fair, Poor. Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction to food, ambience and service, with price taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.