CURRENT POPULATION: 88,000
% POP GROWTH: 0.47 %
CITY AREA: 116 KM2

CITY DENSITY: 760 INH/KM2
GDP PER CAPITA: €56,750 (EST 2003)
DIALLING CODE: +44

WITH FRIENDS
LIDO’S
4 MARKET STREET, ST HELIER
TEL. 01534 722358
Lido’s is always busy, with its central location just outside the old market, and some colourful characters at the bar. Its lunch and dinner menus are second to none – more gastro than pub-grub – which makes it a favourite for light lunches with colleagues or weekend banquets with friends.

ENTERTAINING A CLIENT
BENTLEY’S
9 CALEDONIA PLACE, ST HELIER
TEL. 01534 615141
Try a succulent smoked salmon assiet, a mouth-watering braised belly of pork, an authentic pad gra phao finished with a mango and bailey’s crunch or a chocolate honeypot at this sophisticated restaurant overlooking St Helier marina.

CLOSING THE DEAL
THE BOAT HOUSE
ONE NORTH QUAY, ST AUBIN
TEL. 01534 744226
The Boat House is a contemporary restaurant and bar offering modern styling and fresh local cuisine on the picturesque North Quay at St Aubin. It is an amazing place to enjoy fine cuisine with a clean, simple style using fresh local ingredients. It offers a ground floor bar and brasserie, as well as a first floor restaurant.

STYLE
BOHEMIA
GREEN STREET, ST HELIER
TEL. 01534 880588
This stylish bar is sleek, sexy and seductive – which can also be said of its drinks and cocktail menu offering quality wines, beers, champagnes and spirits. Once the working week is over Bohemia is the place to be seen, though it’s also a great mid-week place for a steak sandwich lunch!

RELAX
THE GOOSE
LA ROUTE DE LA HAULE, ST PETER
TEL. 01534 888273
The Goose is a cosy, warm and welcoming pub just a stone’s throw from St Aubin’s Bay. This makes it the ideal stop for a spot of lunch or a hearty dinner on a cold day. Grab a booth or sink into the sofas with a pint of Jersey’s best beer, or tuck into some sausages and mash, fantastic fresh fish or even a full Sunday roast.

MUSIC
BAR ROCK
THE WATERFRONT CENTRE, ST HELIER
TEL. 01534 789358
Bar Rock knows how to party, with a great atmosphere, fabulous food and friendly staff. The Waterfront bar regularly hosts live bands, as well as themed nights, plus regular DJs. It’s also a first stop for major sporting events with its big screens and surround sound.

VALUE
LA BONNE VIE GUEST HOUSE
ROSEVILLE STREET, ST HELIER
TEL. 01534 735955
The Good Bed and Breakfast Guide from Which? recommends this charming Victorian guest house which was built for a wealthy local merchant and his family in the 1890s. It’s a real home from home and just five minutes’ walk from the town centre and a short stroll from the beach and some fabulous restaurants close by.

BUSINESS
THE QUEENS HOTEL
QUEENS ROAD, ST HELIER
TEL. 01534 722239
The Queens Hotel has recently had extensive refurbishment and redecoration with luxurious Crown rooms, suites and penthouse suites. It’s a short walk from the town centre and boasts the Ship Inn bar, as well as a new contemporary restaurant headed by chef Pat McGrath.

BESPOKE
THE CLUB HOTEL & SPA
GREEN STREET, ST HELIER
TEL. 01534 876500
The Club ‘single-handedly turns Jersey into a chic weekend destination’, say the critics, and this plush hotel and spa has been touted as Jersey’s most exciting and luxurious boutique accommodation. It holds an Inspectors’ Choice award from the AA as a Red Star Property, and its adjoining restaurant Bohemia has a Michelin star and four AA Rosettes,

Icho and Seymour Towers are two of more than 20 towers erected 200 years ago to defend Jersey and are cut off daily by the sea. When the tide is out it can take a two-and-a-half-hour walk to reach them. Make sure you go with a guide, however, as you don’t want to get caught when the tide rushes back in.

In the build-up to Christmas Jersey hosts its annual La Fête dé Noué Christmas festival (www.jersey.com) with a month-long programme of carol singing, late-night shopping and outdoor soup kitchens. Head to the Royal Square in St Helier for the action.

Dining in Jersey is even better value for money during Tennerfest, the annual fixed-price food promotion that runs until 12 November (www.tennerfest.com). More than 110 of the Island’s restaurants offer two- or three-course menus for £10 (€13), £12.50 (€16) and £15 (€19) – it’s an annual bargain.

Rozel Bay is a timeless little harbour with boats beached in neat rows, cute beach huts and The Hungry Man Cafe, a kiosk that serves some of the best sandwiches on the Island. Wrap up warm in the morning and order a hearty bacon and egg or a fabulous crab sandwich – washed down with a good mug of tea!

WORDS BY KATHRYN LUNDY