Philleigh, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Such a beautiful place to dine with great views over the harbour” – this stylish coastal retreat (a Relais & Châteaux property) occupies a “stunning” position above the beach. “Service is smooth, friendly and typically Cornish and new chef Carla Jones [in post since late 2024] has steadied the ship” with cooking that’s uniformly enjoyed. Its ratings were undercut this year, though, by quibbles, even from fans – for example “good but overpriced”; or, “if there was a complaint, it’s that some dishes were overdone – for example fish is delivered from the quay 200 yards away fresh as a daisy – why then jazz it up in a strong sauce… otherwise a great dining experience”.

“The combination of informality, fantastic location, superb discrete service and excellent food makes this a winner” – Olga Polizzi’s flagship in St Mawes has established it as perhaps the most famous and stylish hotel in Cornwall, although it was a run-down mess when she bought it 27 years ago (she cheered herself up by watching episodes of Fawlty Towers!). The “lovely dining room is well served with top seafood” although it is fair to say the culinary level achieved does not quite match the “exceptional” setting.

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”.

“The owners of The Hidden Hut (a real foodie destination just the other side of Portscatho Beach) have branched out into the pub business with the Standard” – an independent freehouse with a south-facing beer garden whose history stretches back to 1793. Inside, “a lovely, cosy dining area awaits you with a log fire”, as well as a “fairly limited” but “high quality” menu including “excellent” fresh fish. Okay, so it “doesn’t have the views of ‘the Hut’, but for a great pub lunch it’s recommended” – Simon Stallard, who took on the project with his partner Jemma Glass, being a “chef whose hand you can trust”.