The new El Tico along St Ouen’s Bay has been designed in the art-deco style. Picture by David Ferguson (00731949)
EL Tico café in St Ouen’s Bay has reopened as a ‘beach cantina’ and surf centre.
Andrew and Abbie Hosegood, who now run the beachside hangout, promise that the emphasis is on ensuring that it remains very informal and relaxed.
They are calling it a beach cantina – a nod to the friendly, family-run little cafés found in all Italian towns – and say you can expect to find a guy in wet board shorts sitting next to a businessman in Gucci shoes.
‘It is food you want to eat, where you want to eat it with the people you want to eat it with,’ said Mr Hosegood, who also runs the Mange Tout outlets.
There are long refectory-style tables and benches, an open kitchen, tables outside and even a woodburner to snugly while away those long winter weekends with a coffee and a newspaper. Next door is the new Laneez Surf Centre, a surf school and shop.
Article posted on 3rd July, 2009 - 2.56pm
19 Article Comments
It’s exactly one floor too damn high,the angle the photo in J.E.P belies it’s true perspective as it was photographed from below…another Cohen card from the bottom of the deck….
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I think this new development looks fantastic and is totally in keeping with the area – The previous structure was totally inadequate and well past its sell by date.
My wife and I have just had a week off at home and this was one of the venues we visited. If Jersey is to be attractive to both locals who chose to holiday at home and visitors, it needs to have up to date facilities such as this. Yes, St Ouens bay needs to be preserved, but it needs to have decent facilities to allow people to enjoy the bay to its full extent.
For #1 to suggest that the planning authoriities have acted inappropriately is very narrow minded.
Perhaps if such developments had been allowed 20 years ago, along with the provision of other facilities such as beach showers, Jersey’s tourism industry may have not declined in the way it has.
The sooner Le Braye Cafe and the Watersplash are re-developed, the better as far as I am concerned. The fact that a replacement structure may be bigger than the one it replaces is not really an issue
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Warren, you’re just plain factually wrong ..the planning authorities as you call them.Refused to give permission for a floor higher addition….Mr Cohen singlehandedly overuled the entire planning committee, and guess who the beneficial owner is…yes another states member John Le Fondre… Though I envy your naievety
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I am sorry truthseeker but I am with Warren J on this one, and I remember dear old El Tico Cafe as a child in the 1950’s, and became desparate to see it refurbished as it so obviously disintergrated in recent years. What we now have is an excellent replacement entirely in keeping with it’s surroundings and functional on a scale that takes into account modern beach activity and requirements.And for goodness sake truthseeker, what was there originally was disfigured by the enormous German Bunker that preceded even the old cafe!I personally cannot wait to see imaginative and similar schemes at both Le Braye and the Watersplash although I do agree with you that height and scale is an important issue.Incidently I can remember Le Braye when all that was there was a cafe in an old Tantivy Coach.You used to get a wonderful vanilla ice cream cornet there,none of the slushy rubbish served up from some van’s these days. I believe that coach was run by the remarkable lady who also was the cook at the Marina Restaurant at L’Etaq (Now also a thing of the past, but also fondly remembered as good value for money)My goodness how hard that lady worked!I hope she had a long happy retirement?
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#1 – You are of course entitled to your opinions, but I stand by my comments regarding the new building.
When my wife and I visited this venue, we were accompanied by my parnets, my father being a retired Architect and our 4 year old son. My father thought it was fantastic and I want my son to grow up and enjoy the beauty of his island, and not feel that clapped out old buildings be preserved at all cost ! If El Tico had not been redeveloped, we would have had another boarded up building blotting the landscape, just like the old Panorama Restaurant at Ouaisne, which has at last been developed into another great restaurant, which we also visited last week.
If people wish to invest in improving this island for visitors and locals, don’t complain. In this case, it was a States Member – So what’s the problem.
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The problem is,not only ministerial dictatorship,but that coastal areas are naturally LOW rise,why do you think the entire planning committee wanted to retain that eye line?
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I think it a fantstic update on what was generally an old eyesore. Good work…
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Could somebody please let me know if they have cured the draughty entrance door problem that the old place had? I’m not in Jersey at the moment to see for myself.
Also, the car park was pretty rough. Has that improved?
Still, the new place looks good to me.
Let’s just hope that (just like the new place at La Coupe) the flat roof doesn’t give them trouble. Especially when the big waves come over in the storms.
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I love the new El Tico and think that the development is very much in keeping with its location. Far from being an eyesore, it is a lovely building which minimises obstruction and blot on the landscape while providing much needed facilities.
I can’t speak to the quality of the food yet, as when we arrived at 19:50 the kitchen was closed – despite the fact that the menu advertises food until 20:30. Seems as much as Jersey changes, it stays the same
But I remain optimistically hopeful that some day sound management practices will become the norm on the island 
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And some fell on the stony ground…..
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Certainly looks good from the photo and no doubt I’ll drive by it this weekend.
Between El Tico and the new Le Braye that whole area is certainly going to look a lot more inviting and a lot less tacky.
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The building looks great.
Food is nice but a little pricey.
It was full of Jersey Nows in their 4×4’s and designer sunglasses both times I have been.
Carpark is the same.
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Ha,ha.Very true “get a grip” only its not 4×4,s so much as Minis, Bmws & Audi littering the joint.
Didnt anyone “realise” that when everyone owns the same type of car they become “common” just a thought.
Its nice when something new happens in Jersey.
Infact to quote a recent news article i read locally there was a “stampede” when a new shop opened its doors recently.
I never go to these so called “trendy” cafes pubs or restraunts.When you walk through the door people stare at you like you have two heads,still its an island culture i guess!
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Bring back the good old El Tico sweat shirts and jog pants from the 80,s.
We all wore them but my father lived in his day and night almost till the year 2000.
I think my mother burned them in the end, but dont quote me on that!
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yes, well done all concerned.
looks very nice.
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Thank you, Get a grip, for answering my query on the car park.
Still no info yet as to whether or not the door is draughty.
Fromv the picture it looks as though one of the “Jersey Nows” is striding purposefully towards what look like french doors.
El Tico in winter – which is a nice time to enjoy the view from a cosy interior- definitely needs an air lock entrance porch.
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Does anyone have a phone number for the new restaurant at El Tico?
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“Does anyone have a phone number for the new restaurant at El Tico?” asks Deedee.
Don’t worry. It’s sure to be in the next Jersey Now!
The worst thing about cafes in Jersey is that you never know who you are sitting within earshot of. However you can usually find out after a few minutes by piecing together the clues and the names mentioned.
When Jersey Now comes through the letter box we cut out all the mugshots and paste them in a scrapbook which we keep in the car.
We don’t scan or index them on the computer because of the Data Protection Act.
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ditto – searching all over the net for the phone number, menu and opening hours so that I can book a table for 10 – anyone have the phone number please? Thanks
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