Cornwall Restaurant Guide

“WOW!” “The new-look No. 6 is better than ever. What an achievement!” Paul Ainsworth’s tiny townhouse has “kept all the bits which were already fantastic” while undergoing an “urban-chic makeover” (and “adding a bar upstairs to make your pre-dinner drinks so much more comfortable”); and the “amazing” cooking, especially of fish, makes it “the very best choice for a foodie in Padstow” (despite all the local competition).

“The ne plus ultra of UK fish restaurants” – Nathan Outlaw delivers “a masterclass in amazingly clean, powerful yet pure fishy flavours – just the best I’ve ever tasted” – and “the dishes feel so effortless” too (“a nice balance of simplicity with panache”), at his incredibly popular Cornish HQ, which moved three years ago to the heart of this charming fishing village from nearby Rock. “The terrific view is almost as good as the food” – “a panorama across the bay” that’s “best enjoyed in daylight”. “It’s wildly expensive but really worth it”.

“Seafood doesn’t get better than this” says a fan of this tucked-away, diminutive joint, where the open kitchen turns out dishes that are “perfect every time” (and what’s fresh right then is advertised on the chalkboard above them). NB Open Wednesday to Saturday only.

“It’s worth queueing outside in the rain for an unbookable lunch table in this intimately cramped room” – Nathan Outlaw’s more affordable spin-off, serving “fabulously tasty” fish tapas (“I always wonder how they do this in such a tiny space but they do”). But even fans acknowledge that “prices are on the high side”.

“On a warm summer’s evening, there is nowhere better in the UK” – the continuing verdict on this idyllic beachside café, near the Tate. It attracted less feedback than in previous years, but is usually lauded for its seafood tapas, ’build-your-own-breakfast’ and mesmeric views of the rolling surf.

“If only all B&Bs cooked food this tasty!” – this rural Cornish guesthouse on a working dairy farm is the “clearly-on-trend” brainchild of April Bloomfield of NYC’s acclaimed Spotted Pig and Tom Adams of Pitt Cue Co. The communal eating set-up (you are one of 14 diners enjoying a seasonal five-course set menu) means “you have to be ready to spend time with a range of people” but all reports applaud the “amazing food and great company”.

“Try to arrive at sunset for one of the most romantic locations and one of the best views in England”, if you visit Jamie Oliver’s beachside destination, where you eat “watching the rolling waves of the Atlantic ocean”. Staff are “so helpful and charming” and the “simple” food is “really great, too” (although it can seem “a bit pricey for what it is”).

In a “stunning location” overlooking Maenporth Beach, this atmospheric, spot with large outside terrace is “as good as ever”, offering “fresh flavoursome” fare spanning fishy tapas and “amazing seafood” mains.