Chef Paul Ainsworth and his wife Emma are this month relaunching the St Enodoc Hotel at Rock in Cornwall, across the Camel estuary from their flagship restaurant No 6 in Padstow, as their local mini-empire grows to Rick Stein-like proportions.
The couple took over the 21-bedroom hotel – best known for hosting Nathan Outlaw’s superlative seafood restaurant in the early 2010s – 18 months ago, and have transformed it into a hotel and wedding venue with two restaurants, a bar and a large function room.
Its main restaurant, the Estuary Grill, will showcase top-quality Cornish ingredients including dry-aged meat from Philip Warren Butchers and locally caught fish and seafood from Flying Fish, with an Asado grill by Somerset specialists Fire Made. The menu will also feature dishes inspired by the Indian Ocean, reflecting Paul’s Seychellois heritage.
A more informal, family-friendly all-day restaurant, the Flour Garden, will open seasonally from March to October, welcoming guests on a walk-in basis.
Paul says: “Emma and I share a clear vision for St Enodoc: to honour a place rich in soul and history, bringing a renewed sense of energy and accessibility to its next chapter without losing what has always made it so special. We want St Enodoc to be a place for everyone to enjoy, whether you’re staying locally, travelling from afar or living around the corner.
“We can’t wait to welcome guests from the moment they arrive, with the same warmth and hospitality that runs through everything we do across our Collection, this time in a truly extraordinary setting. With the most incredible views, in a place that means so much to Emma and me, our ambition is for St Enodoc to become a year-round destination, not just for those of us who love Rock and Cornwall, but for visitors from across the UK and beyond to enjoy.”
Originally from Southampton, Paul worked in London for six years under Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing before moving to Cornwall in 2003. His flagship Paul Ainsworth at No 6 has been a regular on the Harden’s 100 list of the UK’s best restaurants for 15 years, appearing at number 14 in the 2026 edition, where it is described as a “truly exceptional experience”.
His Ainsworth Collection also encompasses CiCi’s Bar, Caffè Rojano and the Padstow Townhouse boutique hotel, all in Padstow, and The Mariners pub in Rock. The St Enodoc Hotel reopens on Monday 27 July.
