Padstow Restaurant Guide

“Outstanding…”, “stunning all the way…”, “simply exceptional…” – Paul Ainsworth's much-commented-upon venture remains “the definition of what fine dining stands for”, with “informed, joyous and respectful” staff a part of the pleasure. One caveat this year: perhaps owing to the “adoring media stalkers”, they've felt confident enough to move to a set-menu-only formula (£110 for four courses) which strikes some as regrettably “OTT and eye-watering”.

Part of the celeb chef's six-strong Cornish empire, this relaxed and “friendly” operation can still turn out “exceptional fish and seafood dishes” – and despite a general sense that it's “good but not great”, it continues to receive uniformly respectable marks.

“Low on pretension; high on panache” – Rick and Katie Toogood’s “wonderful seafood tapas restaurant goes from strength to strength”, having moved in 2015 from Islington to Padstow – where “there’s lots of competition but they stand high for their imaginative food and use of best local produce”. “The very best businesses don’t just survive adversity, they thrive from it” – in their case, operating a successful summer residency in a marquee at nearby Trevathan Farm. “POTL will live long in the memory – without doubt the culinary highlight of our trip to Cornwall.”

Still owned by the Ainsworths, the former Rojano's in the Square site relaunched as an NYC-style Italian cafe in February 2020. While “still just a casual eatery”, it now offers “delicious” food spanning seasonal small plates and fresh pasta, alongside “top” Neapolitan-style pizzas.

“One of Rick Stein's many offerings in Padstow” – aka “the mid-price Stein offering” – is “still good”, but also still continues to split opinion; while there is some “wonderful” fishy fare on offer (particular shout-out for the “fantastic” breakfast kippers), there’s also a view that it's “overall a bit disappointing given the reputation”.

“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.”

“Well worth a visit if in the Padstein area” when you're in the market for “great fish ’n’ chips”; “other Rick Stein eateries are available but this one has views over the estuary” – although they come with the caveat that your reveries “can be interrupted by tourists peering through the window to see what is on your plate!”

2021 Review: Still a “lovely, relaxing” location, with views across the Camel estuary, but feedback at this hotel dining room has become very mixed since the departure of chef James Nathan and his illustrious predecessor, Nathan Outlaw (and the ownership of the hotel itself changed in January 2019, which “may not have helped”). Whatever the cause, while it does still have some fans, some regulars feel it’s “just not in the same class” as it was formerly.

The fine-dining space once occupied by Nathan Outlaw at St Enodoc Hotel has been transformed by the property’s new owners (Lucy and James Strachan, since 2019) and is now an ‘intimate, tasting-menu restaurant celebrating the best of Cornwall’ with Guy Owen, ex-Idle Rocks, at the helm. It opened just before the first Covid-19 lockdowns in March 2020, and has so far flown by-and-large under the radar, but its 9-course tasting menu for £90 looks interesting, and its success in the longstanding Trencherman’s restaurant awards and social media buzz suggest this is one to watch.

“A first-class, high-quality restaurant, small scale with lovely ambience and excellent food” – owners Fred & Donna Beedle have earned widespread recognition since opening in a parade of shops 11 years ago, and their standards are both lofty and consistent. There’s also a “good wine list with excellent and very reasonable house wines”.

The Stein family’s large and characterful village pub is very much a regular Cornish boozer and to regulars that’s always been part of its appeal (alongside its dog-friendliness). If Rick’s TV stardom is the draw, though, it can seem “all a bit ordinary. The food was okay, but the burger, say, was standard pub grub. If you’re going to put your name to something, make it excellent!” (Stuck for accommodation? Go glamping in one of five new ‘shepherd’s huts’ recently installed in the garden.)

A “blooming lovely” addition to The Pig’s growing empire (launched in 2020), and set in a fifteenth-century house offering “gorgeous views across to the sea” in the namesake bay. A series of intimate dining spaces play host to chef Adam Bristow’s “fantastic” food (including a ‘25-mile menu’ strong on foraging, and “fantastic” fishy fare). All in all, it’s a “real treat” (if “not cheap”).

2021 Review: “Windows overlooking the vineyard” afford views onto this peacefully located spot – run by Andy Appleton (a graduate of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall) although the “huge barn” it occupies can feel a tad “quiet” at less busy times. Numerous “excellent” meals are reported last year from its Med-slanted modern British menu.

2019 Review: Those who have “watched Bridge Bistro go from strength to strength” over the years – and expand next door, doubling in size – proclaim the husband-and-wife team’s “amazing knack for finding brilliant staff” and “great menu options” that are “simple and quite delicious”… “long may they continue!”

2021 Review: “At last a decent… well, actually quite a bit more than decent, Thai restaurant in North Cornwall!” – this “pretty tightly packed” café “lives up to its name, but this just adds to the fun” and its spicy scoff comes highly recommended.

“Exceptional value and a real experience” helps heap praise on Nathan Outlaw’s “quaint and tiny” (about eight tables) No 2. venue, on the quayside of this picturesque Cornish fishing village. “The food’s not quite as accomplished as Outlaw’s New Road” but cheaper and still with “excellent ingredients and cooking”. Service is “good and professional” and there’s a “lively atmosphere of enjoyment”. Even those who “are not devotees of the small/shared plates formula” (which is what’s on offer) say “Nathan Outlaw’s adaptation was too much to resist, and we were more than pleasantly surprised by our meal here!”

In June 2020 in response to the COVID-19 downturn, Nathan Outlaw announced that he was formatting and renaming his much-acclaimed former foodie mecca, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw – no longer chasing stars or serving high-end fare, but aiming to serve good-quality fish and seafood, simply and inexpensively. Our diners “love the new approach” – “even though it’s now scaled back it still feels special”. “The food is still exceptional, but while the menu is fairly simple for a Michelin-starred restaurant, and with less ‘chef-iness’, it’s the better for it”: “fresh with amazing flavours and for less money!” “Many of the same staff have been with Nathan for years” and its “genuine Cornish service” adds to the experience. “It also has the advantage of incredible coastal views.”

“The most fabulous setting with the best views in Port Isaac” – this smartly refurbished hotel is Wenn House in TV’s Doc Martin. Head chef Jack Clayton “majors in fresh local fish and seafood”, but with “lots of options, including vegetarian dishes”.

This gorgeous clifftop establishment – host to a “sensory spa garden” befitting its eco credentials – scooped 'Seaside Hotel of the Year' in the ‘Good Hotel Guide 2021’ César awards. The dining options are split between the more casual Wild Café and The Herring, where a meal begins with a prelude of small plates before a choice of main and dessert (they also do “such a fun afternoon tea with a wonderful view”). Note that they were only offering dinner to hotel guests as we went to press. No kids here – it’s adults only.