Wherever you go in Cornwall, you’re never short of brilliant places to eat or drink. Whilst many of the county’s best places to eat have been around for years, the industry is constantly growing with an infusion of fresh blood.
So far this year, there have been many new and exciting restaurants, bars, and cafes that have opened their doors to customers. From a stunning clifftop restaurant whose menu boasts a Mediterranean influence with nods to Italy to an authentic Indian restaurant which brings the delicious aromas of Mumbai to Cornwall, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste.
We’ve put together a list of some of Cornwall’s newest restaurants we think are worth visiting this summer. Let us know of any others you think are worth visiting.
Opened in March by former MasterChef: The Professionals contestant, Charlie Walters, Narla offers elevated and creative dishes inspired by “Cornwall’s finest produce”. The description on its website reads: “We take familiar flavours and elevate them with creativity, precision, and a touch of playfulness”.
The chef, from Liskeard, made it to the semi-finals of The Professionals, which he’s lauded as the proudest moment of his career so far. He has also worked in acclaimed restaurants across Devon and Cornwall since his teens before bagging his head chef role at the acclaimed The Sardine Factory in Looe.
Charlie said Narla, which opened on Fore Street at the former home of Appleton’s Bar and Restaurant in Fowey on Thursday, March 20, “is the restaurant I’ve been dreaming of since I was 16 years old and this year we will be bringing her to life”.
In an announcement at the time, he added: “For any of you that have spent more than five minutes speaking to me, you’ll know that this was an easy decision.”
After months of planning and work, chef patron Reggie and his wife, Nisha, welcomed customers to their new restaurant for the first time on Wednesday, April 16. Reggie’s Street Food offers a wholly traditional, home cooked, family style menu from Reggie’s roots in Mumbai.
The menu offers a range of small plates which encourages people to share different dishes, as well as a selection of curries which have been curated from secret spice blends sent to the team directly from Reggie’s family – some have never been used outside of their family home.
It includes the Malai chicken – a mild smoky curry like a korma – the chicken Kadhai with ginger, garlic, tomato, coriander and green chilli, the pork vindaloo which is an authentic recipe using coconut vinegar and tamarind, and the Ambot Tik where the tanginess of ‘Ambot’ and the spiciness of ‘Tik’ form a deep masala paste in a Goan fish classic.
Emily and Jon Stephens from the Waterside Meadery in Penzance reopened the bistro on Wharf Road in March. They said the restaurant “carries on the spirit of The Waterside Meadery”, which sadly closed after 55 years as it is soon to be demolished.
The website says that although the venue is smaller in size, the new owners have worked hard to preserve the beloved ethos that defined the original. Diners can still find the authentic Meadery Fayre and the ever-popular Cornish Mead.
They said dining at The Old Lifeboat means eating with your fingers (though cutlery is given out for some dishes) by candlelight, served on wooden platters, even during the day.
The Beach House Falmouth has been described as a new “destination seafood restaurant and bar”. The stunning location – formerly Hooked on the Rocks, sister of Truro’s Hooked – is built into the rocks overlooking Swanpool Beach and nature reserve on the outskirts of the town.
Owners Tamara Costin and William Speed acquired the clifftop site in October. The menu of the new venue, which opened on February 8, has a Mediterranean influence with nods to Italy. It’s open every day, all day, serving carefully sourced local seafood, cocktails, drinks and takeaway snacks.
They describe the venue as “celebrating all things Cornish” while bringing inspiration from Tamara and William’s travels. Interiors reflect Australia’s Gold Coast, with low, white wooden ceilings and large windows showcasing the sea view.
The popular sourdough pizza chain, which currently has restaurants in Newquay, Falmouth and Plymouth, opened the doors to its new venue in Padstow in time for Valentine’s Day this year. The 120-seated restaurant is the first of the brand’s venues to serve an exclusive new menu offering with larger, thinner, crispier pizza bases, alongside exciting additions such as smashed burgers and classic fish and chips.
The Padstow venue will also debut the brand’s first-ever breakfast menu with highlights including The Whole Hog Brekkie, the Miller’s Mix and timeless favourites such as Eggs Royale, making The Stable Padstow a must-visit destination for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Stingi’s promises tasty treats and dishes from Malaysia to Japan alongside some of Cornwall’s best sea views. The new restaurant joined The Seahorse restaurant and Grill at Pentewan Sands holiday park in St Austell Bay at the end of March.
In a post on Facebook, the holiday park said at the time: “With panoramic sea views across Mevagissey bay from sunrise to sunset, this exciting addition to our park features a stunning cocktail bar and intimate restaurant, where immersive Asian décor meets a soundtrack of sizzling flavours.
“From Malaysia to Tokyo, Thailand to Singapore, Stingi’s is a meeting of cultures. Our dishes have been carefully developed with local suppliers – plants grown in Cornish soil, meat from nearby farms, and fish caught just off the bay. Cornwall is our home, and lays the foundation for everything we produce.”
Fraser Hill, 28, and Jowan James, 24, are the power team behind what is now two successful Spanish tapas and cocktail restaurants in Cornwall. Casa Tapa, in Falmouth, first opened in June 2023 and quickly became a huge local success story.
Now the pair have branched out and opened a second restaurant in Newlyn, near Penzance, where the pair grew up. Casa Tapa serves a wide range of authentic Spanish tapas alongside Spanish wines and an extensive cocktail menu.
MK Coffee and Nata opened its doors on Bodmin’s Fore Street at the end of April. The owners said customers can expect “amazing” coffee, matcha and “irresistible treats” at their new “favourite hangout”.
They also offer a variety of flavours of pastel de natas – a custard tart – including chocolate, Nutella, strawberry, cherry, and apple and cinnamon.
Wesley Blair and Ed Powell founded Wing Shed in Truro in 2022 and have since received hundreds of positive reviews. The pair opened their second venue in St Austell at the site of the former Queenie’s Pantry café on the main road to Mevagissey in February.
Wing Shed offers a range of primarily chicken-based dishes including the buffalo solider (ciabatta roll, buffalo tenders, sour cream, crispy onions, crispy basil, parmesan), juicy wings (hot honey, sweet chilli, Korean BBQ, peri peri, and more) and The Honey Buns (hot honey chicken tenders in a freshly steamed bao, topped with coconut and crispy shallot).
As well as a number of other street food dishes to pick from, there are wraps, share boxes, bao buns, loaded fries, popcorn chicken and a range of dips on offer.
This bakery, which specialises in unique and mouth-watering cookie sandwiches, opened its new headquarters and shop to share its tasty treats at Tinners Court in Truro in February. Before then, the business – which many will recognise from local markets – was trading from a small unit located on the Cardrew Industrial Estate at Redruth, but owner Jo Onda said the location was not ideal or easy to find.
Cookie Queen sells an array of cookie sandwiches with unique flavours, including black forest, banoffee, mint choc chip and custard cream. Other popular flavours include Biscoff, Oreo, salted caramel, Malteser and Kinder.
Carol’s Corner opened in March on Saltash’s Fore Street where the former Fresh Fox café was located. Carol and Steve, who worked at the Fresh Fox for four years, decided to take over the café after it closed in recent months.
Carol and Steve, who worked at the Fresh Fox for four years, decided to take over the café after it closed in recent months. This includes breakfasts, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, burgers, ham, egg and chips. They still serve the Cornish tea/coffee too as well as hot chocolates, milkshakes, juices, plus Carol’s homemade cakes.
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