Barbican, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“This outstanding hotel overlooking the Tamar Valley on the border of Devon and Cornwall is a joy and the restaurant is one of its selling points” – another being the country pile’s “magnificent views”. One reporter who last visited in its heyday (in the 1980s) found it a little more average these days, but other diners praise its “well presented and tasty cooking” at “fair prices”.

“What could be more romantic than an excursion to this tiny island housing a glamorous hotel, brimful of atmosphere?” The hotel, restored to its Art Deco glory, is “a venue to die for” with two main dining options, the Nettlefold restaurant and the black-tie-only Grand Ballroom, where “good food, rather better service and live music top off the experience”. Our feedback from our annual diners’ poll is uniformly upbeat this year… in contrast to the autumn 2025 review from the FT’s Jay Rayner, who arrived at the Nettlefold full of anticipation for its evocation of the 1930s, but found instead an “unwitting reminder of the 1970s, overpriced, poorly executed food‚ delivered with ludicrously performative service”. (Maybe his visit was too soon after the appointment of new head chef Charlotte Vincent).

“A great pub with good things happening in the kitchen”, which “makes excellent use of local produce, particularly venison from local stalkers and other meat from local farmers” – “still clearly a pub rather than restaurant, it has good local ales as well as a decent wine list”. Chef owner John Hooker and his wife Emma, who arrived in 2013, took over the Blacksmiths Arms in nearby Lamerton a couple of years ago.

“A wine bar with amazing character and great food” – Zoe Brodie & Fitz Spencer’s wine shop/deli overlooking Sutton Harbour offers some “fantastic small plates and sharing boards” – including ‘Fitzy’s Fat Boy Board’, which comprises pretty well the whole menu for £130.