No one was hurt in the blaze, as three crews totalling 20 firefighters brought it under control.
It was the second major fire in less than 24 hours – early in the morning, firefighters had attended a fire in a St Lawrence shed, and had been forced to set up an exclusion zone because of the danger of exploding gas cylinders.
The Jersey Fire and Rescue Service said this morning that the blaze had started in the kitchen. Just before midnight they scaled down their effort, along with States of Jersey and Honorary Police officers at the scene.
Watch Commander Richard Ryan said: “The quick thinking and evacuation of nearly 170 people from both floors of the restaurant by the staff on scene, ensured that the firefighters’ tasks were made easier by quickly verifying that all persons were accounted for and the building totally evacuated.
“This enabled the crews to focus their activities purely on tackling the fire.
“Praise must also be given to bystanders and patrons of the area during this busy time that left the Emergency Services a safe and easy uncompromised access to the premise.”