Having recently visited Cornwall for the first time (in my defence, I’m northern, so the West Country has been uncharted territory for most of my life), I have some thoughts.
Firstly, I’ve never been anywhere quite as dog-friendly. I don’t have a dog, but if you do, chances are it will swan around hotels and cafés feeling like Mr/Mrs Popular.
Secondly, why did no-one warn me how good the food is?! I was expecting white sandy beaches and spectacular scenery (and I got them), but I hadn’t appreciated just how many life-enhancing lunches I’d eat over the course of two weeks hiding from the rain.
And that’s the magic of Cornwall. It rained for the entire trip but the quality of the produce is so high and the dining options so plentiful that – like Andie MacDowell in 1994 – I hadn’t noticed. I was too busy gorging myself silly on sharing plates. Seriously, the tomatoes I buy in London should be ashamed of themselves.
If blustery walks and sea dips get you going, there’s plenty of that in Cornwall, but unlike many seaside hotspots, it’s a year-round foodie destination in its own right. These are just some of the restaurants we loved…
FOUR BOYS
Four Boys café in upscale Rock (a ferry hop from Padstow) opened its doors in summer ‘23 to a near-immediate rave review from the OG king of swearing: Gordon Ramsay. Other glowing recommendations followed, making this casual café by the sea one of the coolest lunch spots in Cornwall.
It’s full of plummy accents but it’s not fancy and – like most places in these parts – Four Boys is dog-friendly, so accessorise with a couple of salty hounds if you like. We perched on stools by the window-ledge and ate scallops, peach salad, plump hake buns and silky, creamy lemon tart. If the latter is on the menu, don’t even contemplate skipping dessert.
MINE
Mine is squeezed into the corner of a cobbled courtyard in Falmouth. It’s tiny inside, so booking (and stipulation that you want to sit inside) is essential. Our table neighbour apparently forgot to specify this and was barely visible beneath two hot water bottles and three blankets. It wasn’t particularly cold, so the drama was almost distracting from our dinner.
The most memorable restaurants from our trip tended to revolve around seasonal small plates and this is no exception, We dabbled with pasta in lamb ragu, crab fritters, a hog scotch egg and chocolate delice. I swear there was a vegetable involved at some point…
FLORA
This is a place to feel smug about when you tell a holidaying friend and they haven’t heard of it yet. Down in Helston, there’s a long and verdant driveway that leads through the Trelowarren Estate – and eventually – to a little stableyard café and bakery called Flora. It’s so tucked away that it feels like a hidden secret, or it would if there weren’t people at every table.
The setup is seriously charming and the staff (it’s family-run) are possibly more so. On our visit they let us hide in a separate room with the door closed, away from the summer wasp invasion. That was two months ago and we’re still talking about the tomato salad and beetroot gazpacho.
PIZZA PLS
All of these luscious small plates restaurants and then a pizza joint in Penryn that’s a nightmare to park outside of? Erm, yes. I can only ask that you trust me when I say the wood-fired pizzas at Pizza Pls were so good that we went back twice.
If you can’t park, drive round the block a few times until someone moves because you don’t want to miss this. Especially if you’re sick of fish. Even if you’re not sick of fish, go anyway. Not every night of a holiday needs to be dedicated to fine dining, and carb-loading doesn’t get much more delicious.
COOMBESHEAD FARM
Coombeshead Farm really does have everything. It would be annoying if the setting wasn’t so idyllic, the rooms so charming and the bread so perfect. Oh lord, the bread. Sticky, chewy, want-it-served-with-everything.
You can book a stay on this 66-acre working farm and explore its woodland and meadows between meals, or you can just stop for lunch or dinner on your way to/from Cornwall. The dead-central location just off the A30 makes it a far better choice than the service station Burger King. Book ahead – its superb home-grown produce rightfully draws the crowds, so you can’t just rock up with an appetite and no reservation.
HARBOUR HOUSE FLUSHING
I have to preface this by saying that the dishes we ate at Harbour House pub in Flushing (a hop across the water from Falmouth) were not our first or even second choices. We arrived at the end of service and so our options were limited, but the food here is clearly excellent if you choose well.
The monkfish we ordered was great but it was the sold-out pasta that we really hankered after. The strawberry soup was a revelation. As with most places on this list, Harbour House is pet-friendly, so it’s an upscale option for a pub-food-shouldn’t-be-this-good dinner with the dog (and maybe the family) after a day at the beach.
And come back in the summer for…
FITZROY
Of the two Fowey (pronounced ‘Foy’, as it turns out) outposts owned by the team behind London’s Jolene/Westerns Laundry/Primeur; Fitzroy is the most restaurant-y and it’s the one you’ll want to book for dinner. We ate at the bar, watching focused chefs plate up in the tiny open kitchen.
A mumbled order meant the accidental arrival of grilled lobster (hate when that happens), plus steak, fried lemon sole and baked custard. It’s low-key stylish and yet gloriously unfussy. (Open from March to September – check their Instagram for exact dates.)
NORTH STREET KITCHEN
The more casual sister of Fitzroys, North Street Kitchen isn’t really a restaurant, it’s more of a boat shed by the water with wooden trestle tables and a bar. In fact, it’s exactly that. The decor extends to posters pinned to the wall, a few fishing nets and some festoon lights. It’s rustic and the food is sensational.
This is a daytime-only situation and you’ll likely eat with your coat on (bless Cornwall in July) but the fried white fish, Coombeshead farm bread and chocolate mousse are worth any drizzly jostle for a table. (Open from March to September – check their Instagram for exact dates.)
MACKEREL SKY SEAFOOD BAR
If you arrive in the pretty village of Mousehole, take one look at the crowds by the harbour and promptly panic about where to eat, don’t. Hop back in the car and drive five minutes down the road to Mackerel Sky in arty Newlyn.
You won’t be lured in by the Instagrammable interiors, but taking photos would only waste valuable eating time anyway. This is really good, really fresh fish (plus extended shellfish family) served every which way from crispy sole with katsu sauce to classic mussels in cider and cream. They’re open 10 months of the year but close for a break from mid-December to mid-February.
Need a lie down after all that? Explore our complete collection of Cornwall hotels
Aside from her work as a freelance design journalist for publications such as House & Garden and British Vogue, Eleanor Cording-Booth is known for her obsessive attention to detail and frequent unfulfilled threats to move out of London’s Barbican Estate in search of verdant hills and no immediate neighbours. Follow Eleanor on Instagram @aconsideredspace and read more of her writing on Substack.