Cornwall Restaurant Guide

Following Emily Scott’s departure and well after the conclusion of our annual diners’ poll, Chris Eden (the first Cornishman to win a Michelin star in Cornwall, apparently) has – since October 2024 – taken over the stoves at this famous hotel, which enjoys fine coastal views from the dining room.

2023 Review: This “modern spa hotel with views out to sea” from its clifftop vantage point is fully geared-up for the eco tourist, with a solidly rated kitchen serving up sustainable meals from breakfast via lunch and afternoon tea to dinner, when there is a choice of tasting menus including vegetarian and vegan. Non-residents are now welcome to book, but it remains child-free.

Adam Handling has upped sticks from Carbis Bay and in July 2025 (after our annual diners’ poll had concluded) relocated his mega-ambitious Cornish operation to this monumental hotel: a vast clifftop landmark (built in 1897) with 86 rooms in a commanding coastal position, overlooking Fistral Beach. The newly created space seats 50 covers inside, 20 on the terrace, and 30 in the bar (separate menu) and is supported by a 500-bin cellar. A three-course menu is £100 per person or there’s also a nine-course tasting menu for £175 per person (and afternoon tea for £50 per person). At his former location practically all reports acknowledged the “exceptional” cuisine although occasionally the trade-off was thought to be “ridiculous prices”, not helped by the blandness of the Carbis Bay setting: reports please!

2023 Review: “Never fails to bring joy to my heart” – Paul Harwood’s “lovely, intimate, high-quality seafood restaurant” right “by the sea” on Fistral Beach again wins a big thumbs-up in reports: “super fresh fish” is the big deal you’d hope, for somewhere with top views of the surf and sands.

“Popular West Country burger chain” offering “simple food, well served from committed staff” – after rapid expansion from its origin in St Ives, the group collapsed into administration in 2024. A rescue package saved most of the jobs, and it now has nine branches as far afield as Cardiff and Portsmouth.

2022 Review: “Interesting food in an intimate dining room” makes Nigel Tabb’s former pub a “favourite local fine-dining venue”, making “great use of local Cornish ingredients”. It also helps that there’s a “small but well-constructed wine list which offers exceptional value”. It’s “a little difficult to find, away from the centre of Truro, but worth the effort”.

2023 Review: This “hidden gem just outside Truro” from husband-and-wife team Ben & Sam Harmer features “impressive” cooking, “exceptional service” and a “splendid outdoor eating area” for warmer weather. Ben’s classical training took in the kitchens of The Savoy and Le Gavroche – hence “the soufflé is impressive”.

2023 Review: “A gorgeous spot to eat tasty food while watching the sea”, this former Victorian lifeboat station has been transformed under Sam Sixton, who launched his local dining empire at the age of 17, back in 1988 (his son Noah is now part of the team). The “casual” menu runs from “wonderful fresh fish and seafood” to “tasty pizzas with both traditional and unusual toppings”.

“Don’t underestimate the quality of the food” at this “no-fuss, cosy” spot, serving “perfectly executed” home cooking from southern Thailand (with fiery Malaysian and Sri Lankan influences) – chef ‘Bpuu’ (a nickname meaning ‘crab’) and her partner Paul started out in Wadebridge 10 years ago serving takeaways from a trailer, moving into permanent premises two years later.

“Delightful small restaurant opposite the church, serving delicious food and a carefully curated, fairly priced range of wines” – for fifteen years, Graham & Sally Cuthbertson’s elegant dining room has provided a “really outstanding all-round experience” (“we’ll definitely be back”).

“Another Rick Stein group outpost near to its base in Padstow” – this time a rangy boozer whose “good pub food” continues to tick the boxes (even if “the number of dogs can be an issue”) and which is most profitably enjoyed in the garden come summer. They now have fancified shepherds’ huts for overnighting, and the first meal of the day is “a real highlight” if you do (“never have I enjoyed a hotel breakfast like it”).

2022 Review: “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!”

“Reliably good food with some interesting touches” is on the menu at this hotel bistro in an old stone building in the heart of the town from the Rick Stein group, with what is perhaps a surprisingly large proportion of non-fish dishes. It’s also generally “good value”.

“Celebrating their 50th anniversary… so here’s to the next 50!” – TV celeb Rick Stein and his family’s harbourside star is a true culinary “icon” and although we have reported many ups-and-downs in its performance over the years, it’s hitting its half-century with one of the strongest ratings we’ve ever given it; and as one of the more commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll outside London. “There’s now a lot of competition in Padstow and its environs” but all reports this year suggest “the Seafood Restaurant is still a standout, and unlike some of the others it is great value for money”. Typically it’s “absolutely rammed” yet the level of service is high and the consistency of the “fabulous” food from a long and varied menu was impressive this year; and the wines are “excellent value” too. Top Menu Tips – “absolutely magnificent Fruits de Mer”; “particularly good lobster”.