Wadebridge, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

It’s impossible to assess “Rick Stein’s original restaurant in the seaside town of Padstow” without viewing it through the lens of his TV fame and its place in UK food history, having opened in 1975 and having helped put ‘Padstein’ on the map as a major foodie destination. Nowadays run primarily by Rick’s ex-wife Jill and her sons, this sizable, relatively straightforward dining room near the water remains one of the top-40 most commented-on places outside London in our annual diners’ poll. Numerous diners who comment are long-term visitors, and though the verdict still tends to the positive their collective opinion waned a little this year. To its most ardent supporters it remains “as good as ever”: a “stunning restaurant in a beautiful harbour setting with an incredibly large menu mixing inventive dishes alongside all the classic fish and seafood dishes”: “the food he does best, fish in attractive ways, served without fuss and delicious”; and it “couldn’t be fresher”. Fairly, even some fans acknowledge that “these days, there are many more quality options in the town and surrounds”, but they feel “it still represents excellent value for the standard of a meal”. Inevitably, as is the case every year, there are some detractors who feel that “standards have declined since Rick handed over the reins but the prices have increased”. This year, though, saw a more marked deterioration in the mark for service in particular and more significant disappointments in general (“after 22 years visiting this restaurant, I‘m compelled to express dismay at its descent in my estimation. The mojo of the place has fallen, although we’ve given it several chances in the last year or so. I’m tempted to post a crying face emoji at this point, but maybe that would be just a little too tacky!”). Still, overall the winning view remains that it’s “always a treat coming to Padstow and sampling the freshest of fish at the Seafood Restaurant for that special occasion”.

“To be honest it’s hard to find fault” with Rich & Katie Toogood’s “tiny” but “so welcoming” seafood specialist (the Cornish spinoff of their London HQ) – “a template for how to run a restaurant”, with “friendly staff who guide you through the high-quality sharing-plates menu” and “a surprisingly interesting wine list”. They also run a large, semi-permanent pop-up, Barnaby’s at Trevibban Mill Vineyard, just a short drive from Padstow.

One of the TV chef’s four venues in his flagship town, fans say this is a “marvellously run café” and tip it as a top choice for breakfast (“the freshly made kedgeree is outstanding”). On the downside, it has almost as many foes, who find it “so overpriced and disappointing”.

“The food is as good as Outlaw’s New Road but half the price!” according to fans of Nathan Outlaw’s “intimate and cosy venue situated right on the harbour”, which many diners feel “is our favourite of the two excellent restaurants in the Outlaw stable”. Being only “tiny” if anything boosts its “lovely and intimate atmosphere”, “staff are highly trained, but friendly and attentive” and it delivers “incredible value for the price” (“of the mainly small plates there wasn’t one we didn’t like” and results are “superb”). “I was lucky enough to be in Cornwall when this place opened. It has never dipped in what it does. Nathan = brilliant!”

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.

“Always, always perfection… fish and seafood never tasted this good: Nathan Outlaw shows utter mastery of his beloved ingredients” at his stunning harbourside HQ, which continues to inspire dizzying levels of customer satisfaction in our annual diners’ poll: a high volume of reviews (it’s one of the top-50 most commented-on venues outside London) contains barely a word of disappointment. Most especially, it’s “a go-to place for outstanding seafood and fish” – the cuisine “is simple, it’s clean, it’s elegant, it’s just right, it has that wow factor!…”; and as an overall operation it is also an outstanding all-rounder with “stunning service, stunning views and a stunningly well priced (but short) wine list”. (“Several visits each year and this place never fails to deliver. Each time we go we feel that we’ve eaten the best meal they’ve ever given us. The staff are pretty awesome too, providing a great balance between perfect service and a gentle, warm approach”).

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”.

“Simply superb…”, “sublime…” – the tenor of all reports on this tiny seafood bar/restaurant in the harbour, where the daily-changing “seasonal menu with inventive dishes” (featuring fish from their own boat and meat from their farm) is chalked up on the blackboard and “cooked in a great location”, with “great cocktails” part of the winning mix.

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!)”.