Welcome to the Cornwall Tourism Magazine - Dining out in Cornwall page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dining out in Cornwall.

 

Cornwall is truly blessed. We have everything. Stunning beaches, coastlines and inland areas. Amazing attractions, fantastic accommodation and of course, some of the best food and dining experiences you will find anywhere. We have world famous Chefs and restaurant owners, Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver ( the Fifteen restaurant ), Nathan Outlaw, Paul Ainsworth and Arty Williams to name just a few, and many other chefs who should be world famous and some of the best restaurants in the world. But of course, it isn't all about expensive restaurants. You will find stunning food just about everywhere in Cornwall from the small Bistro's tucked away in the back streets through to hotel restaurants, pubs, cafe's, fish and chip shops, takeaways and of course the numerous restaurants you will find in every town and in most villages. And remember, if you want to save money when dining in Cornwall, we have lots of restaurants on the Cornwall Pass scheme who offer discounts to Cornwall Pass holders. For more information on the Cornwall Pass and which restaurants and dining pubs are offering discounts, click this link: Cornwall Pass - Restaurant discounts in Cornwall.

 

So, what do you fancy?

 

In terms of cuisine, you can find every kind of restaurant in Cornwall. We have French, Mongolian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Greek, American, English, Fish and Seafood, meat, vegetarian, Vegan, Pizza, Kebabs, burgers, Italian, Mexican, Cornish ( yes we do indeed have our own cuisine ), Pasties ( obviously ), pub food, Carvery's, BBQ's, buffets, fine dining, Brasseries, etc. The list is endless, so whatever your menu and cuisine of choice, Cornwall has something for you. In most cases the produce will be locally produced, especially the sea food and vegetables. Just staying on the subject of seafood, despite the continual pressure on fishing quota system, there is still a very vibrant fishing industry in Cornwall, so all locally caught fish and other seafood will be very fresh, especially our crabs and lobsters. In fact you can read more about the sustainability of our Lobsters on our Review of the National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow.

 

 

So, what's on the menu?

 

So, with such a wide choice, how do you choose a good dining experience over a mediocre one?......Well like most things in life you do get what you pay for, however, that doesn't mean that cheap restaurants offer a low end dining experience and that expensive ones are better. In fact, some of the best restaurants in Cornwall are actually very reasonable when it comes to prices, and when it comes to pubs, you can get exceptional food and really good prices. Cornwall's many cafe's also offer extremely good value for money and many are also located on or very near a beach, so you can eat good food whilst enjoying the beach. There are also some amazing Bistro's in every town and although you may have to go down some of the side streets to find them, the quality of their food will surprise you. Many of the hotels, and most certainly the larger ones, will have their own restaurants, some of them with more than one, so if you are staying in a hotel, you will have a choice of dining experiences and cuisine types.

 

 

Deli's and takeaway's.

 

Along with an abundance of excellent restaurants, Cornwall also has a large number of Deli's and Takeaway food outlets and these are very popular with self-catering holiday makers as well as the locals. In terms of Deli's, you will them in every town, usually there is more than one, and you can find everything from cheeses and hams, through to olives, vegetables, fresh fish and meats, wines, cooking oils, salami's, sausage, salads, sauces, dips, coffee, tea, and just about everything else you could ever want and a whole lot more. Many Deli's also double up as cafe's as well, so you can have a nice cup of coffee or tea and a sandwich there when you purchase your goods.

 

Takeaway's.

 

On the takeaway front, Cornwall is extremely well served. Having 365 miles of coast line and having a large number of towns and villages on the coast, as you would expect, there are a lot of Fish and Chip shops in Cornwall. But, if you were thinking that fish and chips are a basic food, think again. They have come a long way since the day of " the chippy on the corner ". Today, fish and chip shops are way up there in the gourmet stakes and some of Cornwall's chippy's are world famous. Rick Stein has a couple for example, and many others provide really stunning food at reasonable prices. You can takeaway or eat in at many of them and as the fish is generally very fresh and the food, exquisite.

 

Eat in or eat out and delivery.

 

Many Fish and Chip shops also provide other food types, so apart from maybe vegetarians, everyone will find something suitable to eat. Indian, Chinese and Thai restaurants are all very popular and Cornwall has a number of each restaurant type in most of the towns and some of the larger villages. These days, most people prefer to eat in, in the restaurant, although most if not all provide a takeaway service, so you can dine in your favourite restaurant one evening and do takeaway the next. And in addition to specific cuisine types, you also have the takeaway standards as well, such as Pizza's, fried chicken and burgers, etc, and in many cases, they will deliver your food as well. Obviously Fish and Chip shop takeaways are walk in and walk out with your food type venues, but with the others, it pays to call them and book your food first, so you can simply rock up, collect your food and be back at base again very quickly. And with many of them, you can even order online. Remember though, if you are ordering food for delivery, many companies that provide this service do have mileage limits, so if you are in holiday accommodation that is way out of town, this may not always be an option.

 

Bakeries and Cornish Pasties.

 

Well we couldn't write and article on dining in Cornwall without mentioning is most famous ( as in world famous ) cuisine called the Cornish Pasty. The history of the Cornish Pasty dates back to the old mining days were the miners wives would make a pasty so their menfolk could eat whilst working in the mines. Being a meal in its own right, it became famous the world over and is even a patented name now. Although we will probably be shot now for saying this, the easiest way to describe a Cornish Pasty is to call it a flat pasty pie. Yes there are differences, but in essence that is what it is and originally, its filling was mainly vegetables with some small pieces of meat 9 meat was at a premium in those days ). Today, however, you can get pasties with lots of different fillings and Cornish pasties are very, very popular.

 

Bakeries.

 

So where can you purchase a Cornish pasty in Cornwall?....Well, there are a number of Cornish bakeries who sell them, Rowes bakeries are one example who have around 17 outlets around Cornwall. There are also other Cornish bakery chains, independent bakeries, deli's, cafe's and many other outlets, so locating one should never be a problem as their are pasty shops everywhere. Now you have probably all heard of the Pasty Tax issue. In essence this means that Pasties are, but only under certain circumstances, subject to 20% VAT, but it is not as straight forward as you think.

 

I used to be confused and then I saw the Pasty tax.

 

For example, if you walk into a bakery and are served a hot pasty which has just been cooked or come straight from the oven, there is no VAT due, but if you come in a few minutes later and your pasty is on the hot shelf of the display cabinet, as in its being kept warm, VAT is due. But just to confuse it a bit more, as if it isn't confusing enough already, if your pasty is below the ambient temperature, i.e. in the display, but not on a heated shelf, VAT is not chargeable, so it all comes down to timing. There is also the issue of what constitutes the ambient temperature and what doesn't, but if you are confused by it, the retailer will explain it all to you, but the bottom line is, if want to have a VAT free pasty either by one straight from the ovens or own that has cooled down.

 

 

Bistro's.

 

The term Bistro comes from Paris in France and is name given to small restaurants who serve moderately priced food in moderate settings. So now you know. it basically means a small restaurant that serves French food. But of course, these days you can find many different cuisines in Bistro's, especially in Cornwall. And you will find Bistro's everywhere in Cornwall. Most are small by nature and because of the compact and quite intimate nature, they are very inviting. You will also find good wines as well as good food and most are open for lunch as well as diner in the evenings. It is though, their intimate dining experience that makes them so appealing and they make the ideal dining venue for romantic diners for two or small family gatherings and given that their prices are generally very reasonable, and also that they only survive due to the quality of their food, you can be assured or a great dining experience.

 

Finding them.

 

Many of Cornwall's Bistro's are located down the side streets off the main streets in towns and larger villages, so you might have to seek them out, but it is well worth the search because there are many hidden gems in Cornwall. In addition, many of the larger Hotels also have Bistro's as separate restaurants as well and in these cases, they are sticking to the original description, i.e. French food, so you can try out all the variations if you want to. You will also have the choice of modern ( read that as contemporary ) interiors or more traditional ones in the older buildings. LIkewise the decor could be very bright and vibrant or more darker and cosy, especially when they light candles at your table in the evening. And that is the thing with Cornwall's Bistro's there is something here for everyone, including cafe Bistro's which combine both a cafe and a Bistro for lunch and dinner.

 

 

Cafe's.

 

Cafe's are another good source of food during the day, and sometimes in the evening if they are cafe - Bistro's and you will find then everywhere in Cornwall. In the high streets, by the sea, in towns, villages, by the side of the road and they are very, very popular. You can of course have coffee and breakfast in the mornings, many provide all day breakfast for example, they also provide sandwiches and pasties, etc, as a takeaway option, and many are deli's as well. A large number provide Al-Fresco dining as well with seating outside the front and rear areas, and in the larger town and in Truro, for instance, some have very large outside seating areas. Now when we think of cafe's we tend to think about the small cafe's in London where people sit and read newspapers and drink Tea and coffee, and whilst there are some cafe's like this in Cornwall, these days, they are so much more and serve really good food and very reasonable prices, so if you are looking for good food at great prices, why not visit a cafe and see why there is such a strong and vibrant cafe society in Cornwall.

 

 

Dining Pubs - the new gastro pub.

 

A few years back, the main buzz word or is that phrase, in publand was " Gastro Pubs ". This term was used to describe pubs who focused mainly on providing food, with the drink side of the pub being secondary. This was quite a novel thing back in the day, because the vast majority of pubs didn't serve food at all then, so the concept of being able to dine in a pub as well as drink, changed the dining world. Now however, virtually every pub, and certainly in Cornwall, serves food during the day and evenings, mainly because if they didn't they wouldn't survive. So what type of food can you eat in your modern dining pub?....Well many are actually more like gastro pubs as it was meant to be, than just pubs who serve basic food. The good thing about pubs is that they cover the whole spectrum of cuisines.

 

Food, glorious food.

 

Yes you will find traditional pub food in just about all of them, but you can equally also expect to find cuisines from all around the world in many of them and the food is very exciting. A large number of pubs have very good, professional chefs and compare with the best restaurants. They also have a good stock of wines and most have separate dining areas, so you can dine away from the drinkers and in the summer and warmer times, outside if they have a garden or external dining area. Every village has a pub or two and they are ideal for lunch and dinner. On sundays and other days, you will find that many pubs also operate a carvery for Sunday Lunch and many also have food theme nights, like Fish Friday's, Burger Wednesdays and some pubs are also dedicated restaurants, like Italian, Mexican ( or Tex Mex ), French, etc.

 

Good food at good prices.

 

The can also offer exceptional value as well and a large number offer 2 for 1 meals at lunch times as well as food " happy hours ", although these are generally between 5.00 pm - 6.30 pm or so. But remember, cheap food doesn't mean bad food and you often find very large portions in pubs, so they can represent even more value. You also have a choice of town pubs, country pubs, pubs by the sea and pubs deep inland. You will also find pub chains, St Austell Brewery pubs are one example, who sell similar food in many of their outlets, as well as independent pubs who do their own thing. There are small village pubs and huge pubs that also offer accommodation. And because pubs are all over the place in Cornwall, there are lots and lots to choose from and many are also family friendly as well with kiddies portions, so is a dining pub in Cornwall for everyone.

 

 

Restaurants.

 

We have covered a number of dining venue variants above, but along with these, Cornwall also has some of the best restaurants in the UK and some very famous chefs have come down here and made Cornwall their home, so in terms of restaurants, some of the worlds best dining experiences are to be had in Cornwall. As you would expect, there are an infinite number of different cuisines on offer and some chefs specialist in certain cuisines and food types, like Rick Stein for example, who specialise's in fish and sea food. But it isn't just the cuisine types, it is also the quality and perfectionism that lifts the dining experience so if you are in Cornwall, you owe it to yourself to live the high life occasionally and go to one of our top class restaurants. And they wont cost you a few limbs or force you to remortgage your houses either. They may cost a little more than your average dining pub, but they are not excessively priced and when you consider the quality of the food and the whole dining experience, it is well worth spending the extra money.

 

Themed and cuisine types all add to the flavour.

 

As discussed above, there is every type of cuisine available in Cornwall. You have French, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Greek, Italian, Sea food, vegetarian, traditional, A le carte, Bistro's, Brassieres, Asian, Japanese, Nepalese, Caribbean, Tapas bars and many others. In addition, many wine bars and night clubs also serve food as indeed do some of Cornwall's cinema's, so whatever you fancy, you will find a dining venue in Cornwall. As you would expect, you will have a greater choice of cuisine types in the towns and the city of Truro, but you will also find restaurants in small villages as well as out in the country and off the beaten track. For example, there is a restaurant in an old castle on a hill near Redruth as well as others in old pubs which are now dedicated restaurants, so with a little bit of searching you can find something very different and very special. You can also find restaurants in some of our famous ( and infamous ) historic buildings, the restaurant at the old Bodmin Prison is one example that springs to mind. ( and allegedly, it isn't just the spirits in your glass that you will find dining with you there! ).

 

Hotel restaurants.

 

Most of the hotels in Cornwall have their own restaurants, especially the larger ones, and this gives you the added benefit of being able to easily dine where you are staying. And of course, hotel restaurants are also open to non-residents or guests, so everyone is able to sample their unique dining experiences. You can also go to hotel restaurants for Sunday Lunch, so even if you don't dine out during the week, you can on the weekends. Also, as some of the larger hotels are by the coast or on headlands, they also offer stunning views along with amazing food. As with most other dining venues in Cornwall, in the summer and warmer periods, you can usually dine Al Fresco as well and dining outside on a warm summers evening offers it's own special rewards.

 

Big or small; they all have something to offer you.

 

It isn't just the large hotels who have restaurants either. Many of the mid sized and smaller hotels also have their own restaurants and in many ways, they offer you a more intimate dining experience than the larger ones due to their smaller size, so don't write a small hotel off just because it doesn't have hundreds of rooms. In the larger hotels, you will also find that some have a number of different restaurants from al le Carte through to Bistro's, Grills and Brasseries, so they can offer you a whole range of different dining experiences under the one roof. Hotel restaurants also always have an expansive selection of wines as well and as those of you who appreciate how exceptional wines can really lift your palate, the dining experience can take on a whole new meaning. The way to look at it is that you are on holiday, so you are allowed to live a little and dining in a great restaurant, at least once during your stay, really does put the icing on the cake.

 

 

So there you have it.

 

We have only touched on the various dining out options in Cornwall, but we hope we have given you a flavour of what is on offer in our beautiful county. There are dining venues literally everywhere in Cornwall and the range of different cuisines and cooking styles means whatever your desires, you will find some stunning food in Cornwall. But it isn't just about the food, it is the whole dining experience and whether you are stopping off at a cafe for a quick burger or sandwich, or visiting one of our premier restaurants, you will receive an exceptional dining experience. Although many of you come down to Cornwall on a self-catering basis, there is something very rewarding about dining in a lovely restaurant and being waited upon, so whether you are coming down for a few days or a long weekend, or a week or two week holiday, make sure you sample some of our lovely restaurants. Because not to do so means you are missing out and we want you to enjoy every part of Cornwall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurants in Cornwall.

 

Below are a selection of some of the many restaurants and other dining venues in Cornwall where you can enjoy great food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our business methodology is very simple. We are promoting Cornwall as an all year round holiday destination and to do this more effectively, we need your local stories and feed back from your visit to Cornwall which we will post on a dedicated page, so please send us your thoughts and any tourism related local stories or your feedback on your stay in Cornwall. We will publish them on the website every two weeks and we will give the best story of each fortnight a free Cornwall Pass so please send your stories and information to us on editor@cornwalltourismmagazine.com and we will publish them for you.