Right here, right now: Jersey

I like to think of Jersey as Ibiza for oldies.

Not in the sense of all-night clubbing, and possibly stimulants, in San Antonio, obviously, but as somewhere you can hang out with people of your own age, having a good time and taking a holiday from day-to-day life.

The clubs in Jersey are for golf and that bag of pills in my pocket is for Type 2 Diabetes. I have wobbly knees that mean my dancing days are pretty much over, though I did win second prize in a disco competition in Hong Kong many years ago.

Jersey has quiet charm and tranquillity. It feels grown up. And let’s face it, it is not particularly cheap, so beaches tend not to be packed with tour groups, and you don’t have to fight for that poolside spot at your hotel.

And its status as a British Crown Dependency means no passport checks if you are flying from London, so you don’t have to stand in a long analogue line at immigration, watching as EU citizens sashay through electronic gates.

I’ve been a couple of times to Jersey and it is a place where I can relax, whether just sitting and looking at the sometimes-dramatic shorelines, or wandering through the capital St Helier, whose population of 35,000+ accounts for more than one third of the island. You are never far from the countryside and you are never far from a beach.

(That’s just as well because while this low-rise town is a world away from the urban sophistication of London, the taxi prices are as cosmopolitan as they come.)

Last week, I visited as a guest of The Atlantic Hotel, a five-star property in 10 acres of landscaped gardens at St Brelade on the west coast, a 20-minute drive from St Helier. It’s a Small Luxury Hotel of the World and opened in 1970. Not surprisingly, it is a little lacking in old-world charm, but it’s thoughtfully designed and faultlessly maintained, while the service is outstanding.

Best of all for me, it is first class for dining. Chef Will Holland holds a Four AA Rosette rating at the Ocean restaurant for his seasonal British cooking, with fine ingredients and beautiful presentation. The food is classic, but definitely not old-fashioned, combining full flavours with a lightness of touch. It is alone worth the trip to the Atlantic, even if you are not staying at the hotel.

Dishes I enjoyed include picked Jersey crab, coconut and celeriac panna cotta, tomato and basil essence, sweet and sour celeriac; soy and sesame king prawns ‘a la plancha’, compressed cucumber, prawn tartare, guacamole, wasabi and coriander yoghurt; and roast Scottish venison loin, haggis bonbons, glazed baby beetroots, garlic curly kale, bitter chocolate sauce.

It’s £60 for two courses and £80 for three, but there are various menus and you don’t need to pay that much if you are on a budget.

The Atlantic is conveniently close to a place called the Oyster Box, where I downed Champagne with 18 oysters over lunch. There are several very good restaurants in Jersey, including Banjo, which is owned by the same folks as Oyster Box. I also returned to Bohemia, which has held a Michelin star for 18 years. There is very fine cooking by Callum Graham, and it is worth splashing out £120 for the tasting menu, and dishes such as Jersey white crab meat, brown crab pannacotta blood orange & fennel.

But back to my hosts at the Atlantic. The hotel was great, and the only downside for me was being outside town as I don’t drive and I don’t play golf. I loved the views.

It’s out of season in Jersey, and the Atlantic website shows rooms starting at £200 a night, though you might care to pay £240 for an ocean view. The rooms are of a decent size and spotlessly clean, with floor-to-ceiling windows. There are fancy giveaways in the bathroom. If I had thought to pinch them, I'd be able to tell you what they were. My memory is terrible these days.

(So are my computer skills: I don't know how to get out of italics, and it took me all morning to work out how to add a single picture.)

OK, Jersey is not Ibiza but if you enjoy tranquillity, it’s certainly got a buzz.

The Atlantic Hotel https://www.theatlantichotel.com/