St Mawes, International Restaurant Guide

A “lovely setting” is the obvious draw to this New England-inspired hotel on the Roseland Peninsula, overlooking Gerrans Bay from its clifftop location. Praise came this year for the “well-presented and prepared fine-dining” offered by its restaurant, but change is afoot, hence we’ve left it un-rated for the time being. In July 2024, after our annual diners’ poll concluded, owners for the last 22 years, Paul & Fiona Robinson retired, selling the property to an investor. Plans are afoot for an upgrade with 20 extra bedrooms, improvements to the bar and dining room and the addition of a spa.

A “fantastic small restaurant” – Falmouth’s first recipient of a Michelin Green Star, which it won in 2023, two years after opening, for its “hyper-local, impeccably sourced food” (the furthest farm they work with being just an hour and a half away). Dishes are “expertly cooked by chef-owner Hylton Espey”, who runs the operation with wife Petronella, and “the menu takes you on a journey across Cornwall and beyond”, whether you go for the five-course, £60 per person ‘Discovery’ lunch or seven-course, £85 per person ‘Journey’ supper.