Wadebridge, Fish & Seafood - Restaurant Guide

“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”.

It’s “always fun to see what’s new on the menu in this fishy den” – Rich & Katie Toogood’s tiny, subway-tiled spin-off to a venue in the Big Smoke and specialising in seafood and sharing plates. A loyal army of fans say it’s a “really fun place” and the chow is “just so good” (too good, perhaps?). Just down the street, at number 22A Duke Street, you’ll find their seafood bar and test kitchen ‘Little Prawn’, and they also run Barnaby’s at Trevibban Mill Vineyard, near Padstow.

Fifty years since the TV chef opened his first restaurant in Padstow – aka ‘Padstein’ amongst some locals – his local empire includes this bright and airy bistro, offering up “fresh fish off the boat without the hoo-ha”. The menu takes its inspiration from Stein’s travels around Asia (think Pondicherry hake curry), but is also of note for its top breakfasts.

“Simple… but the best dining this year” – this “relaxed alternative to New Road” occupies “a quirky seafront building” right on the harbour and “never fails to deliver a fantastic experience”. “It’s a very small venue which means tables are rather on top of each other and there’s some feeling of being cramped, but that does not negate the kind service” and “stunning fish dishes” from a “reassuringly small menu” for £99 per person changing by the daily catch, plus a straightforward, short but well-priced array of wine.

2023 Review: “A quirky hotel and restaurant serving excellent local fish” – this whitewashed, seventeenth-century hotel in a coastal bay is “always outstanding”. Chef James Lean (appointed in 2015) oversees a menu that’s naturally fish-focused. “Friendly service and great Cornish ales” complete the picture.

“Nathan’s stunning mastery of all things fish-related shines through… and there are stunning views too overlooking the vast expanse of Atlantic Ocean” at the famous Cornish chef’s harbourside HQ, which “sets the standard for the cooking of fresh fish and seafood in England”. “The room is a bit sparse but everyone is looking at the water” and the ambience is further buoyed along by the “pretty damned brilliant” service too. “What’s not to like” is the tenor of all reports which suggest “you really couldn’t have a better dining experience” with “dishes that stay in the mind long after they’ve left the palate!” (although if you are the kind of oenophile who likes to celebrate with famous vintages, you may find the relatively curt wine selection “a little offbeat”). The centrepiece of the offering is an eleven-course meal for £195 per person, although a much more affordable visit is possible for the à la carte lunch or at dinner Tuesday-Friday, when a very reasonable three courses for £85 per person is served.

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”.

This seafood bar/restaurant in Boscastle Harbour is named for its original purpose (to store the coast guard’s horsedrawn rocket-firing apparatus). It’s a quaint, small space serving a blackboard menu of contemporary bistro fare sourced from fish and meat sourced from the owner’s boat and farm respectively.

2022 Review: A family-run café whose “terraced garden is in a gorgeous location overlooking the Gannel Estuary and Crantock Beach in Newquay” (you approach via a footbridge at low tide, or a paid ferry at other times). It's “the best place for Cornish crab and lobster sourced the same day from their own fishing boat” and then “eaten on-site at picnic-style tables (best served with a side of chips and cold beer!)”.