Sean Connolly serves $1 oysters in August at West HQ Rooty Hill

A western Sydney restaurant helmed by a celebrated chef is bracing to serve 60,000 succulent oysters for just $1 a pop in a treat that is to banish the cost-of-living blues. Find out where to get your fix.

Celebrated chef Sean Connolly is indulging Sydney’s obsession with oysters in a cheap-as-chips treat that is expected to spur tens of thousands of seafood lovers to his restaurant at West HQ in Rooty Hill throughout August.

From Sundays to Thursdays this month, when oysters are at their best, the restaurant is serving freshly shucked bivalvia with red wine vinegar and lemon, the iconic oyster Kilpatrick and mouth-watering crumbed oysters with lemon mayonnaise – for a thrifty $1 each.

A dozen of the enticing morsels will save diners $42 given they normally set you back $54.

Last year, more than 47,000 oysters were sold at the restaurant in one month and this year as a “conservative’’ estimate Connolly expects 60,000 to be devoured before and after World Oyster Day on August 5.

Connolly flexes more maths and says he has sold more than five of the delicious molluscs during his career and loves to advocate for the oyster.

Sean Connolly at his West HQ restaurant Steak & Oyster Co. Picture: Danilo Spirandelli

While most Sydneysiders indulge in the delicacy during summer, August is the best time to eat them.

“It’s all about water temperatures,’’ Connolly said.

“The colder the water the firmer the flesh.

“We’re obsessed with seafood at Christmas but it’s just not the right temperature all the time.

“It’s particularly poignant with oysters at this time of the year which are absolutely banging – singing they are.’’

The oysters come prepared three ways. Picture: Danilo Spirandelli

He particularly relishes the chance to eat oysters while dining out.

“I prefer to eat them than shuck them at home,’’ he said.

“It’s a nice little ceremony to sit down and eat oysters.

“I think it’s just a nice thing to do. There’s something special about oysters in my opinion.’’

He favours his oysters with a squeeze of lemon and is “a sucker” for crumbed variety and opts for Kilpatrick if he’s after a “retro vibe”.

“I think we have world class oysters,’’ he said.

“It’s not that they’re the best. It’s that we have arguably some of the best in the world and I think we’re comparable with Ireland, France, Scotland.’’