RestaurantsCornwallPadstowPL28

survey result

Summary

£105
£££££
4
Very Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Continues to impress after 25 years or more since our first visit” – the Stein family’s harbourside HQ continues to deliver the goods for the very many people who report on it in our annual diners’ poll. Opened in 1975, it is nowadays run primarily by Rick’s ex-wife Jill and her sons, and achieves the hard task of living up to the world fame of TV chef Rick (who nowadays spends a good chunk of his year living down under in Aus’). If you were to quibble, you would say the food is “lovely but not brilliant” or that it’s “not cheap by any means”, but to an impressive extent serious disappointments are completely absent in feedback this year: “you get the excellent seafood that you would expect with a good mix mix of interesting dishes alongside more plainly cooked options that allow you to fully appreciate the quality of the fish”. “Well worth the trip to Cornwall: the freshest seafood served with care and love!”

Summary

£96
 ££££
4
Very Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Still amazing and it is over 25 years since we have last been!” – the harbourside HQ of the Stein family’s national group was opened in 1975 by Jill and Rick Stein and remains one of the most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll. “It may be 47 years old, but the food is still amazing – the ‘Fruits De Mer’ is such a dreamy treat” and “so scrummy lobster” is another much-mentioned option amongst “the amazing fish choices that are so delicious and so fresh”. There are quibbles – “some tables are exceptionally close!” – and “service can struggle to attend to everyone”. Still, “the busy-ness creates a buzz, somehow the venue still delivers a memorable occasion and a trip feels like a right of passage that everyone should experience at least once!”.

Summary

£91
 ££££
4
Very Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“The original and still the best” – the Stein family’s veteran flagship can claim more longevity than most UK destinations and it continues to wow many reporters even after all these years. “Despite it being a large space” the staff show “attention to detail” and the food is “always reliable with an excellent variety of seafood”. “Yes, many of the dishes have been on the menu for years, but the exceptional quality of the fish and their careful presentation of the dishes make this a genuine treat.”

Summary

£86
 ££££
3
Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Harsher reports say the Stein family’s “large and buzzing” HQ near the harbour wall (but without any views) is “overpriced and you’re paying for the name”. But, a more representative view on the cradle of Rick Stein’s TV celebrity is that “despite the close proximity of the tables in the dining room, it’s still worth a visit”. Yes, probably there are restaurants “just as good but cheaper elsewhere in Cornwall” (and it’s not in the same league as Nathan Outlaw’s restaurants down the coast), but most reports still acclaim its “good choice” of “fantastic and well-prepared fish”, agreeable atmosphere and “friendly, knowledgeable staff”.

For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at Seafood Restaurant?

Restaurant details

Menu
No dress code
110
3+

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Pudding
£29.00 £34.50 £10.50
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £37.00
Filter Coffee £3.20
Extras  
Service 10.00%
Riverside, Padstow, PL28 8BY
Opening hours
Monday12 pm‑9:30 pm
Tuesday12 pm‑9:30 pm
Wednesday12 pm‑9:30 pm
Thursday12 pm‑9:30 pm
Friday12 pm‑9:30 pm
Saturday12 pm‑9:30 pm
Sunday12 pm‑9:30 pm

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