Our Favourite Seafood Restaurants in Cornwall
Since Rick Stein opened his Seafood Restaurant in Padstow in 1975, Cornwall was launched into the spotlight as one of the UK’s top destinations to dine on just-caught fish beside the sea. Now home to an abundance of restaurants serving fresh catch flipped from rod to pan, here are some of our favourite seafood restaurants in Cornwall to dine on the ocean’s bounty.
The Best Seafood Restaurants in Padstow
The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
Where better to start than at Stein’s flagship Seafood Restaurant, which sparked Cornwall’s foodie revolution and put Padstow on every gastronomes’ radar back in the 70’s, when fish was usually expected to come deep fried and wrapped in newspaper. Despite stiff competition in recent years, this is still one of Padstow’s headliners, where you can tuck into out-of-this-world seafood that’s plucked straight of the sea.
Prawn on the Lawn, Padstow
While it’s tough to rise to fame against the likes of Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth, what started out as a little seafood bar and restaurant in Padstow, has made a very big name for itself. From small plates and shellfish, to catch from the day boats, the menu here is almost exclusively fish-focussed. And you can choose to share these finger-licking fruits de mer in two sublime venues – one in the heart of town and one in the nearby Trevibban Mill vineyard.
The Best Seafood Restaurants Near Padstow
The Mariners, Rock
The Mariners, @lateef.photography
As its name suggests, Ainsworth’s gastro-pub nudging the Camel Estuary makes the most of the landscape on its doorstep. Stunning estuary and ocean views are matched with a menu flaunting the likes of hand-dived Cornish scallops, St Austell Bay mussels, Porthilly oysters plucked from the oyster beds in view, and line-caught fish from the surrounding waters – as well as plenty more ingredients from nearby fields and farms. If you’re staying in Padstow, float over on the Black Tor ferry, or stay in one of our holiday cottages in Rock.
Outlaw’s Fish Restaurant and Outlaw’s New Road, Port Isaac
Helming two of Cornwall’s finest seafood restaurants in the fishing village of Port Isaac, Outlaw has made a name for himself as one of Cornwall’s most eminent chefs on a mission to “elevate seafood”. Take a seat in the 15th century fisherman’s cottage that’s Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, or tackle the seafood tasting menu at Outlaw’s New Road. Either way, the daily-changing menu is dictated by the ocean, fishermen and local growers, so what’s on your plate really does reflect your location, low impact fishing methods and what’s just ripened according to the season. It’s well worth a 30-minute drive from Padstow, or why not stay in one of our Port Isaac holiday cottages?
Pilchard’s Café, Port Gaverne
Photo courtesy of Pilchards Cafe
Once a thriving port for landing slate, coal and pilchards, the craggy cove of Port Gaverne has remained pretty much unchanged for hundreds of years. A delightful ten-minute stroll from neighbouring Port Isaac, here you can soak up its timeless charm while tucking into award-winning seafood tapas – think Cornish mackerel, monkfish and mussels all with a tasty, global twist.
The Lobster Shed at The Pig, Harlyn
An offshoot of The Pig in Harlyn, The Lobster Shed offers under-canvas dining come rain or shine, serving wood-roasted lobster and chargrilled local seafood. The signature ‘Lobster & Camel’ combo of lobster, thrice-cooked chips and Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Brut is a special not to be missed. And if the Cornish sun does shine, the roof is retractable so you can bask in the rays in this causal, alfresco setting that’s an easy walk from the beach and some of our nearby holiday accommodation in Harlyn.
Catch Seafood Bar and Grill, Mawgan Porth
Photo courtesy of The Catch, Mawgan Porth
Step straight out of the surf into this beach-house restaurant on the shores of Mawgan Porth. An extensive seafood menu starts with the likes of a seafood brunch washed down with a Bloody Mary, small plates include Newquay Bay crab and Cornish oysters, and seafood platters are piled high with whatever the fishermen bring in. If the surfing vibe of this bijou beach village takes your fancy, you can stay nearby in one of our holiday cottages in Mawgan Porth.
The Cracking Crab, Polzeath
Seafood galore graces the menu of this beach-chic seaside restaurant flanking the Atlantic rollers at Polzeath. Whether you’re refuelling post-surf or waiting for the tide to turn, tuck into whole cracked crab (of course), fruits de mer and fresh fish dishes. On a sublime summer’s day, bag a cliff-top table, and make sure you’ve got a glass of crisp white in hand to toast the sunset.
The Fish House, Newquay
Photo courtesy of The Fish House, Fistral
Overlooking the waves on the surfing mecca of Fistral beach, The Fish House put Newquay on the foodie map ahead of its new crop of on-trend restaurants. Owner and chef Paul Harwood cut his teeth under the tutelage of Rick Stein, and the success of his restaurant is testament to his passion for seafood and surf trips around the globe. Expect the freshest fish and shellfish landed a pebble’s throw away in Newquay harbour, served in simple, rustic dishes beside the sea.
Other Seafood Restaurants in Cornwall
Not all of Cornwall’s best fish restaurants are in Padstow and its surrounds; these are the ones worth travelling for.
Hooked on the Rocks, Falmouth
Built into a rocky ledge overhanging Swanpool Beach, this is the sort of venue where it’s hard to take your eyes off the view, even when a hot shellfish platter is brought to your table. While the plush interior is a stark contrast to the rugged coastline, the menu is aligned with its surroundings – dominated by oysters, shellfish and local catch, alongside carefully-sourced ingredients from the land.
Kota Kai Restaurant, Porthleven
Photo courtesy of Kota Kai, Porthleven
Chef Jude Kereama has built quite a reputation around his culinary institution on the edge of Porthleven harbour, where a small, but active, fishing fleet land some of the finest hauls of fresh catch outside of Newlyn. With Kota being the Maori word for shellfish, it’s no surprise that there’s a heavy bias towards Cornish seafood (hake, oysters, mackerel and even weaver fish) that meet Kereama’s signature Asian fusion-style in the pan.
Porthminster, St Ives
Bang on the sugar-white sands of St Ives, and with buckets full of accolades to its name, the Porthminster hardly needs an introduction. Although not exclusively a fish restaurant, its location naturally lends itself to putting seafood centre stage, with much of the sustainably sourced fish on the menu coming from day boats in St Ives Bay, Newlyn, Looe and Mevagissey, while the shellfish is plucked from the Fal River, Helford and Rock estuaries. Much of the rest of what’s on your plate is picked from the café’s kitchen garden, and with those dreamy views as a side order, it’s prudent to book a table, whatever the season.
Hidden Hut, Roseland Peninsula
Photo courtesy of Hidden Hut, Portscatho
Tucked away on the remote shores of the Roseland Peninsula, the Hidden Hut has become a foodie phenomenon overnight, for its popular wood-fired seafood feasts served on benches beside the sea. Kick off your shoes and dine with your toes in the sand, whether you fancy grilled seafood for lunch on a coastal ramble, or bag a seat for one of its famous feast nights when the likes of lobster and paella are cooked on an open fire by the beach.
Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar, Newlyn
This authentic seafood bar in the heart of Newlyn plates up the freshest fish landed at Cornwall’s most famous fishing harbour. No bookings are taken, so just roll up and wait your turn for taster-sized portions of classics, including moules mariniere, mackerel, crab, and scallops, all reasonably priced and freshly flipped from the local fishing boats to the pan and your plate.
Enjoy a taste of the coast in the best seafood restaurants in Cornwall
Book one our Cornish holiday cottages in Padstow, the foodie capital of the South West, and tuck into finger-licking fish in our favourite seafood restaurants in Cornwall.