St Mawes Restaurant Guide

Stunningly located on the seafront in St Mawes, this staple of design and travel magazines is the flagship of the Polizzi Collection, run by interiors guru Olga Polizzi and her ‘Hotel Inspector’ daughter Alex (who also oversee Hotel Endsleigh near Tavistock and, most recently, The Star in Alfriston, East Sussex). The food, which again elicited solid marks this year, can be taken in the chic dining room or more casual Dog’s Head bar.

2022 Review: The “lovely riverside setting” – complete with moorings and showers for passing yachties – is the main attraction at this inn, parts of which are believed to date back 800 years. But the low volume of feedback tells you something given the stunning position – it’s well-rated by reporters but doesn’t have to strive that hard given the place’s other virtues.

2023 Review: This “glorious spot” by the sea, close to the SW coastal path and with a front-conservatory to take advantage of sea views, was taken over by high-profile chef Michael Caines of Lympstone Manor in 2020. Quell hopes of any culinary fireworks, though – reports here didn’t hit the heights this year, with the experience too often “let down by chaotic service and pedestrian food”.

A “bustling” harbourside restaurant with a booth-lined ground-floor dining area and bright upstairs dining room that looks across the bay to the National Trust-run St Anthony Head. The “lovely food” comes at “reasonable prices”, with “good seafood dishes and pizzas as well as brunch”. If you’d rather cart it away to dine al fresco, they also do a swift trade in fish ‘n’ chips.

“Expert cooking, an interesting menu with a very strong emphasis on provenance and sustainability, all backed by friendly and well-informed service” win a thumbs-up for Hylton & Petronella Espey’s “small and tucked-away” venue on Custom House Quay, which in two short years has become one of the most accoladed venues in Cornwall. The main event in the evening is the ‘Journey’ menu at £80 per person: ‘a story told over seven courses’.

2022 Review: This large harbourside chippy is well-liked locally owing to fish “so fresh it makes me want to go back again and again”. (For the fish-averse they also have a line in burgers, pies and sausages).

“A great find while on holiday” – this cool modern bar from Penryn’s Verdant craft brewery serves tapas-style portions of fresh local seafood to accompany its impressive beer selection. There was limited feedback in our survey this year, but all was positive.

2022 Review: A “fabulous location with stunning views of the Fal Estuary” remains the main draw to this smart quayside brasserie, though its “good, varied menu” is “well presented and precisely cooked” too. Getting a window seat is something of a challenge – as is getting a spot for breakfast and brunch, so think of booking ahead.

Tucked away near the high street, this “small plates” venue is the debut restaurant from Cornish-based chefs Harry Cartwright and Nathan Outlaw-trained Jay Brady, with a focus on seasonal local ingredients, and delivers “very good, Cornish-style tapas” in a modern (“acoustically reverberant”) setting. There’s also a six-course tasting menu.

An “excellent location overlooking the sea” at Swanpool Beach and nature reserve elevates a trip to this cliffside outfit with a heated outdoor terrace; its sustainably caught seafood elicited regrettably little feedback this year, but there was praise for some “good fresh fish dishes” (the menu swimming between scallops, squid and shellfish platters).