Pancakes at The Diner, Spitalfields

Bridget enjoying her pancakes at The Diner

We love pancakes at our house and Bridget in particular, always chooses them for birthday breakfasts or anytime we're eating out for breakfast or brunch.

One cold morning in the early part of the year, Bridget and I had to head into to Shoreditch for a little job Bridget was doing in the area (she does the odd modelling assignment) and I promised her we could head for some pancakes when we were finished. 

After seeking out ideas from Twitter, someone mentioned The Diner in Spitalfields which is where we ventured too. Unsurprisingly enough, it is in the style of an American diner in decor, all red leather booths and menu, from the breakfast options, shakes, and the range of burgers, dogs and other diner-esque cuisine. It reminded me of the fantastic Tick Tock Diner in New York; hearty well-cooked food but with a friendly service. 

Visiting with a then 3-year old, the staff, all of which were dressed in definite Shoreditch hipster attire, were very welcoming and pleasant. Our kind waiter made helpful suggestions and promptly brought an activity pack with colouring in for Bridget which immediately made him a friend.

Bridget and I both chose pancakes - me the simple buttermilk variety, with maple syrup and honey butter and a side of crispy bacon; on holiday these are always my guilty breakfast indulgence and they didn't let me down here. Perfect fluffy pancakes only improved with the salty crunch of bacon and the sweetness of maple syrup. They were simple, hearty and absolutely fantastic on a snowy-cold February morning. 

As it was a treat, I allowed Bridget the chocolate chip pancakes, which were as mine but enhanced with generous chunks of milk chocolate. Also served with maple syrup, which Bridget hadn't had before, she was beside herself with this decadent dessert breakfast/brunch. She chose an adult sized portion as the chocolate chip variety weren't available on the children's menu, which meant three large, fluffy pancakes; and she eat two of them and some of the third which I think is testament to her verdict. I naturally tried them too and they really were delicious. 

Buttermilk Pancakes at The Diner

The Diner offers reasonably priced children's menu too which includes a single buttermilk pancake, a cheeseburger, chicken strips with fries, mac and cheese and even a vegan burger, and we will definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu.

I paid around £20 for our pancakes with a latte, sparkling water and juice for Bridget and will be sure to return. I would love to try the thick shakes or a coke float, for a trip down memory lane next time.

The Diner is a cosy, welcoming American diner in the heart of Spitalfields and when the weather is cold and damp, I doubt you'll find a more welcoming port in the storm.

Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant, Deal

I recently spent a couple of days with the girls and my Mum at her caravan in Deal, on the Kent coast.

As this is a fairly new purchase for my Mum, we are still exploring the town and local restaurant scene, however one that keeps drawing us back is the Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant. My Mum has been to this one in Deal one three times now and Glen and I enjoyed a fantastic fish and chips in the Dover outpost of the small independent chain back in March with the girls – you can see below how appetising it looked, and after a day in the cold and wet Betteshanger Park followed by a beach stroll in Dymchurch it really hit the spot.

Fish & Chips at Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant, Dover

In June however, we enjoyed a meal at the Deal branch of Hythe Bay. We know they source their fish locally and it has always been good each time.

We visited early on a Friday evening, which as those with children will appreciate, is an easier time to eat and be served without too much fuss before the witching hour begins.

Mum and I shared a fritto misto di mare between us – basically a selection of fried seafood including whitebait, cockles, calamari and prawns in a deliciously light batter and served with a garlic aioli. One of our favourites and reminded us of our recent trip to Kefalonia where we had a similar dish often.

Whilst we enjoyed our starter, the girls meal arrived – cod goujons with chips and peas. One children’s meal is sufficient to share for children of their age (3.5 and 1) and they really enjoyed their meal too. A far cry from pub-grub fish fingers, these are delicious and fresh fish goujons, and I would have happily eat them myself.

Although we were in a seafood restaurant, Mum couldn’t resist one of the specials on the menu – calves liver and bacon, she’s a stickler for the old school classics and she enjoyed it immensely. It came with creamy mash and a red wine jus and she said if there were any complaints it would be that the liver was over-cooked a little to her taste, and there could have been more of the red wine jus, but she ate it happily.

Calves Liver & Bacon, Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant

I opted for half a lobster cooked with a garlic butter and served with chips and salad. The lobster meat was cooked perfectly; sweet and tender and complemented greatly by the garlic butter which acted as a great dip for the accompanying chips. A rather decadent meal for a modest price of around £15.

Lobster in Garlic Butter with Chips & Salad, Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant

The girls’ meal came with two scoops of ice cream, which the restaurant staff were more than accommodating enough to put into two bowls so we had two very happy little girls who enjoyed a great two course meal.

Ice Cream @ Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant, Deal

Bea enjoying her ice cream at Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant

Mum and I had a bottle of the Chillean Sauvignon Blanc, which was a lovely light and crisp wine with the meal and really complemented the lobster.  

The full meal was around £70 for the four of us with drinks and two courses a piece, which was well worth it.

I’m sure we’ll be getting to know the staff at The Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant in Deal more as the season wears on. It’s a great restaurant, with friendly and knowledgeable staff. The décor is very much seaside chic on the upscale side, but with comfortable and reasoning price points. A great location for family meals.

Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant is situated on 41-45 Beach Street in Deal and is open 10am-9:30pm seven days a week.

The Old Bakehouse, Broadstairs

Back in March during the coldest spell on record, the girls and I spent a week at my Mum’s newly purchased caravan in Deal, on the Kent coast. We spent the two weekends with Glen, and my friend popped down for a few days but we had a few days on our own too.

I don’t drive, but I never let this hold us back in exploring and so one of the mid-week days, the girls and I (buggy and all) hopped on a Southeastern train from Walmer (the little hamlet of Deal where we were based) to Broadstairs.

I’d long wanted to visit this seaside resort, having heard great things, but I must admit in the cold and slightly drizzly weather it wasn’t quite what it might be at this time of the year, I don’t like to use the word bleak, but having walked around the entire town, on and off the beach, and the few open shops, it wasn’t as inviting as I’d expected. 

I will return over the summer as the sandy beach looked great and I'm sure we'll have a completely different kind of day in the sunshine.

Bridget enjoyed a few of the photographic opportunities – such as climbing in this boat, and posing by the sea, but there wasn’t tons here to do with children in the cold weather. They had a small amusement arcade which we popped into for half an hour. You'll see what the weather was like from these few pictures...

Bridget on the boat at Broadstairs

Trying to keep warm at Broadstairs

Bridget on the beach at Broadstairs

Searching for somewhere to eat, that would be accommodating with a 3 and a 1 year old with buggy in tow, we stumbled upon a few options – Bridget was quite taken with an ice cream parlour on the front, but freezing cold and slightly damp, I was looking for something a little warmer and whilst there were a few fish and chip shops, we’d already enjoyed some that week from Hythe Seafood Bar.

We had a peek in the Royal Albion Hotel, on the sea front, and whilst the children’s menu looked good, we walked in and aside from the fact there were about four wet dogs in there which immediately put me off, nobody approached us to offer a table in five minutes and I got fed up so we retreated back to the high street.

By sheer chance we stumbled upon The OldBakehouse – I saw the bakery first and thought worst case, I can grab us some sausage rolls, but then spotted the little tea room which is an annex of the bakery, I enquired if there was room for the buggy and couldn’t have been more welcomed.

Quaint and comfortably furnished, with meme signs (my Mum is obsessed with these so we felt right at home) and little nods to Kent, The Old Bakehouse was also a warm and welcome retreat from the cold. 

The staff were super friendly with the children too, which is always the most reassuring, especially if you’re eating out alone with them and they were in possession of a high chair too.

We quickly ordered some Welsh rarebit (cheese on toast) and juice for the girls and a cheese ploughman’s for me with a latte.

Hearty, comforting fare indeed and served with a smile, I really couldn’t fault it at all. 

My cheese ploughman’s came with a generous wedge of Cheddar and Brie, salad, coleslaw, pickle, chutney and a basket full of bread which the girls helped me with. For the £4.95 it was reasonably priced for great food – not fancy or refined, but exactly what you’d want in a tea room and I really enjoyed it.

Plougman's at The Old Bakehouse, Broadstairs

As a treat and to allay Bridget’s requests for ice cream in the aftermath of the ‘beast from the East’, I ordered us some homemade scones with clotted cream and jam as a dessert. They were exquisite. 

Scones at The Old Bakehouse, Broadstairs

Bridget loves a scone anyway from a few afternoon teas she’s been to with me, but this was Beatrice’s first ever cream tea, and she 100% approved, you can see the jam all over her in these pics.

Bridget's cream tea, The Old Bakehouse, Broadstairs

Jam face Beatrice, The Old Bakehouse, Broadstairs

I had change from £20 from our little jaunt here and warm, fuzzy memories of an hour spent happily in the warm during our cold little holiday.

The Old Bakehouse is an absolute gem of a find and I’m sure I’ll return with my Mum when we visit over the summer months. I’d thoroughly recommend.

El Guaca, Clacton-on-Sea

We recently visited Clacton-on-Sea, Essex for a weekend full of dance competitions with Bridget’s dance school, and on the Saturday afternoon we found ourselves with a few hours to kill and so headed to the seafront, a place I spent lots of time at during my own childhood. Following a couple of hours spent on the pier and the fun fair, we looked for something to eat.

We stumbled upon El Guaca and were enticed by the sound of the Mexican menu and then even more so once we saw that the children would eat a free 3-course menu with each full meal purchased by an adult – definitely the decider.

Accustomed to some great standard Mexican restaurants in London, I admit we wondered if this would meet those exacting standards, but was actually pleasantly surprised in that El Guaca actually surpassed some places that we frequent regularly.

We ordered some tortilla chips with guacamole to start over some Coronas, and these were a great start – freshly made guacamole really offset with a squeeze of lime.

El Guaca Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, Kiddie Nachos

The girls had some nachos which were simply baked with a little grated cheese – perhaps a bit bland but perfect for young taste buds and they devoured the lot.

The mains were an actual triumph all round though.

For the kids, we played it safe and opted for the chicken strips which came with chips and salad – the chicken was actually not the usual breaded situation, but instead deliciously marinated and tender slices of cooked chicken – much better than we anticipated.

Children's Chicken Strips, El Guaca

Also the kids menu is great – they had a good range of main courses from the likes of quesadilla, fajitas, burritos and paella; which I think is great – stepping outside of the ‘norm’ for children’s menus and much less patronising. It’s reasonably priced at £6.95 got three courses and includes juice in that price which is great compared to a lot of chain restaurants where the add ons for a juice mean you’re looking at £10-12 for a 3 year old’s meal.

I had the pork pibil enchilada and it was fantastic. The pork was juicy, tender and had a fiery chipotle heat running through it, it really packed a punch. The creamy, cheesy topping on top of the rolled and pork-filled tortilla was generous and helped make this a real comfort dish and despite it being a generous portion it was served on a bed of Mexican rice too and had a little heap of guacamole there too. I didn’t manage the rice, but the enchilada was just great. I’d return for that in a heartbeat.

Enchillada, El Guaca

Glen chose the beef Chimichanga; basically for the un-initiated, this is a burrito filled with all of the delicious things you would expect in a burrito – cheese, peppers, refried beans, rice and salsa and then deep fried and topped with more salsa, sour cream and guacamole. In a word – epic.Served with Mexican rice and demolished.

Chimichanga, El Guaca

The girls had an ice cream included with their meal or they could have had churros with chocolate sauce, a brownie or buenelos. It was a hot day though so the ice cream went down a treat.

El Guaca was such a great find in Clacton, if we return next year for the competitions, I’m sure we’d head back. The staff were super friendly, especially with the children, the location is great – right on the seafront, overlooking the comings and goings and there’s seating both inside and out. The place is bright and airy and has some of the kitsch Mexican items you’d expect, from sombreros for picture opportunities to the décor with skulls etc. Apparently there are several El Guaca restaurants dotted around Essex and one in Wiltshire and one is Suffolk, if they’re anything like the Clacton outpost I’d give it a try.

The offer we enjoyed – the kids eat free - is apparently available every Saturday and Sunday and I would highly recommend it. It's a great family restaurant with something for everyone.

We paid around £45 plus tip for our meal and that was with a couple of rounds of Corona. They also have a ton of cocktails on the menu that looked very appetising – maybe next time we’ll go without the kids.

Pizza Pilgrims, Soho

One Sunday in January I headed to the London Cookery School with my Dad and my brother Dean, for a fun course in some classic dim sum dumplings.

Beforehand, we headed into Soho for a bite to eat, and I finally got to try the Pizza Pilgrims' Dean Street restaurant.

Having worked in Soho frequently over the last few years, I'd tried the Berwick Street Market outpost a few years back and had followed the Pizza Pilgrims successful journey online, but had never ventured into one of their restaurants.

Laid back and informal, with just a hint of cool is how I'd describe the interior. Stripped back but with fantastic Italian posters from yesteryear, as well as photos of the Elliot brothers, the faces behind the Pizza Pilgrims brand, but with chintzy Italian-inspired green and white gingham tablecloths. We were in the downstairs dining area, but upstairs you have the open plan kitchen area, including the wood fired pizza oven, which is an impressive piece.

We had some mozzarella and tomato to start - which was incredibly simple, yet delicious. The mozzarella is reportedly flown in from Italy, and I can well believe it given the creamy quality.

I chose the Nduja, which is a Margarita base with Nduja, or spicy Italian sausage slathered around, and it was an absolute triumph. I'm pretty partial to anything with Nduja, but this really was good. A super thin base with a superbly crisp and flavourful crust, and with the toppings to boot. You're invited to order the various dips for the crusts, and we had a garlic butter and a spicier one, and both were great, but the crust was quite edible without any dip.

The Nduja Pizza, Pizza Pilgrims

My brother enjoyed the simple Margarita, which was of course, beautiful and my Dad chose a different tack, the Portobello and Truffle on a bianca or white base of mozzarella which was particularly good.

The Portobello and Truffle Pizza, Pizza Pilgrims

The portion size is generous and I couldn't quite finish mine, although both my Dad and Dean did.

The pricing is really fair, nothing is more than £11, which considering the quality I though was reasonable, and we enjoyed a couple of Birra Moretti's each and our whole meal was around the £50 mark, well worth the money.

Pizza Pilgrims brings a small slice of Italy to London and has absolutely nailed the Italian way of making something fantastic with just a few simple ingredients. I'll be sure to return.

Absurd Bird, Spitalfields

Last weekend I enjoyed a Saturday night feast at Absurd Bird, the Spitalfields outpost, with Glen, my brother Dan and his partner. Dan had already been and praised the bottomless brunch offering, so we thought it was worth checking out.

As the name suggests, there is a wide selection of chicken available at Absurd Bird - the website's description reads 'Fried Chicken, Cocktails, Waffles and tunes', and despite that sounding a bit 'try hard', there's no denying this is a trendy little venue, in a vibrant area.

Arriving at 830 on Saturday night we had to wait 30 minutes for our table (which we had booked) as the place was jam packed, with a mixture of young hipsters, couples, and groups of friends. We were happy to wait at the bar, but with only two staff on, attending to all the tables' orders, we were in for a bit of a wait.

Once seated, three of us ordered the 'chicken tenders', which were exactly as described on the menu, deep fried, delicious and with fantastically moist chicken inside. We ordered an array of dipping sauces, which all hit the spot too, from blue cheese, honey and mustard and a sriracha mayo.

Chicken Tenders, Absurd Bird

Glen always likes to be different and chose the jalopeno cheese biscuits with apple butter - basically a cheesy scone which he enjoyed.

Jalopeno Cheese Biscuits, Absurd Bird

Inspired by the deep South, the menu boasts about being 'stateside; in portions, and they're not wrong, after the first course, I was already feeling stuffed.

Two of us, including me, chose the crispy fried chicken burger, which was excellent, served with a BBQ sauce, coleslaw and salad, it just about nailed the perfect chicken burger criteria for me. After years of craving KFC as my go-to hangover cure, and being disappointed with the reality, this basically epitomised everything I'd want after a night on the sauce. I could only manage half, which is also exactly like me on a hangover, but testament to the large portion sizes. 

Crispy Fried Chicken Burger, Absurd Bird

Meanwhile, the other two chose the Nashville hot chicken burger, similar to ours, but with hot sauce and a harissa mayo - both were devoured.

Side wise we ordered the fries which had to be returned to the kitchen as they were stone-cold, but when they returned they were great. The mac & cheese was everything you'd expect it to be, creamy, oozing cheese and just delicious. The homeslaw, was OK in comparison, nothing to write home about.

By the time the desserts arrived, I was absolutely stuffed, but still I chose the waffles with caramel
- self explanatory, with a caramel ice cream and caramel sauce drizzled over. It was sweet and wonderful but I only managed a couple of spoonfuls.

Waffled with Caramel, Absurd Bird

Dan had the chocolate chip cookies, which were fresh and warm and his partner had the vanilla ice cream which they shared (a wise choice after all the food) and Glen had the show stopper - the peanut butter cheesecake with more caramel sauce, which was a triumph.

We had cocktails and beer throughout and beforehand and the final bill was around £150 for the four of us; although we had a Groupon voucher, so had less to pay.

The craze for gentrified fried chicken is going nowhere, and I'm not complaining - I'll definitely be giving the bottomless brunch at Absurd Bird a go in the not-too-distant future.

Roka, Canary Wharf, The Bottomless Brunch

Last weekend I enjoyed my first ‘bottomless brunch’, at Canary Wharf’s outpost of Roka, the award winning Japanese restaurants of Rainer Becker.

I was joined by my brother Dan and two friends for a Saturday afternoon treat and Roka didn’t disappoint.

I wondered if the vibe would be a little stilted on a Saturday at Canary Wharf, but it was buzzy and the clientele was a mix of groups of friends like us, couples and even families with children.

The decor is super modern and slick with the central theme being around the robata grill, which is open plan in the centre of the restaurant, so diners can view and engage with the cooking process.

On arrival we had the option of a bellini or a bloody Mary, both divine, whilst we mulled over the menu for our mains.

For the remainder of the meal, we had the ‘bottomless’ wine which in our case was the white, Le Anfore, dry and crisp and fruity with notes of elder flower, but very drinkable. I noticed an entire wall of wine, so if I returned I’d be interested to delve into that a little more and see what wines would be paired with the various dishes.

Once mains were selected we were invited to try the selection of appetisers from the counter, an Aladdin’s cave of treasure, that you could re-visit as you wish.

The buffet at Roka

Soba, cold noodles, Roka

Roka's buffet selection included soba, cold noodles, sushi, salads, an array of hot meat dishes cooked on the robata grill and hot noodles and soups as well as some tempura vegetables and little bowls of Japanese savoury snacks such as fiery rice crackers, wasabi peas and some unusual crispy slithers of which I’m not sure what you would call them.

Standout dishes for me from the vast array available, included the sashimi salmon and tuna, super fresh and tender, the padron pepper tempura, which were a complete revelation and insanely good and the katsu pork (thinly sliced pork fried in panko breadcrumbs. The sticky and sweet glazed chicken wings and the tomato salad were also fantastic, and the rest of the group were raving about some sliced lamb which had been cooked in an aromatic, sticky marinade.

Just as we were nicely sated after the buffet, a very welcome surprise dish of pork gyoza arrived at the table. These were fantastic, soft in the main but with one crispy fried edge and with tender, flavourful, herby pork inside. They inspired me to cook dumplings myself on Sunday, Potstickers and some wontons, of which I’ll share the recipe soon.

Gyoza at Roka

For the mains, three of us chose the same meal, the grilled rib eye with spring onions. In fact, Dan and I shared one of these and one of the tiger prawn and vegetable tempura dishes, a kind of Japanese surf & turf.

We all opted for ‘rare’ for the steak and it was absolutely delicious and so well cooked, to the point it just melted in the mouth. It had been marinated in the most intoxicating combination of flavours and was pretty damn near perfection. 

Rib eye from the robata grill at Roka

The tempura was also fantastic, succulent, juicy and fresh prawns, just cooked and in a light as a feather, but packed full of flavour batter. So good. 

Prawn tempura at Roka

The waiter was very prompt at refilling our glasses as soon as they were even a little empty, so by the time we were through with the mains, we were beginning to feel a little tipsy.

The finale at Roka’s brunch, is the dessert platter which arrives in a stone bowl filled with crushed ice and was absolutely beautiful to behold.

Fantastic dessert platter, Roka

It included a selection of fresh fruit, lovely and light and refreshing after our meal.

Alongside the watermelon, grapes and pineapple,was a sensational chocolate, milky pudding which somehow managed to be both rich and light. This was topped with an amazing nut brittle, drizzled with a caramel sauce and with a little banana ice cream on the side. Literally to die for.

Also on the platter were a couple of green tea panna cottas dusted with matcha, which looked fantastic, and went down well around the table.

We opted for the cheaper brunch of a selection of three, which at £49.00 per person, offers good value.

If I had any complaint, it would be that some of the ‘hot’ food on the buffet was slightly lacking in warmth, but that is being pernickety.

We all enjoyed and I’m keen to return to Roka soon, especially to try their tasting menu, which sounds divine. In the meantime I’m going to be on the hunt for my next bottomless brunch.

For more reviews of Japanese restaurants in London please see below:

Kyoto

Koya

Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant, Padstow, Cornwall

During our family stay in Padstow, Cornwall recently, the women of the group enjoyed a rare treat, a meal out unaccompanied by the men or our children, a treat we had to book back in January to secure the table, at Rick Stein's revered Seafood Restaurant.

On entering the restaurant we were impressed by the modern decor and welcoming staff on the front desk - the restaurant has a hotel attached too, so the initial service was slick.

We were seated at a table in the main part of the restaurant which is circular with the bar in the centre of the space as a key focal point.

It was Friday evening and the place was buzzing with fellow diners of all types of groups, from family and friends like ours to couples. The atmosphere was good, lively but not overly noisy.

We were brought over an amuse bouche and offered the wine menu which was vast. We asked for some help from the waiter in selecting a bottle that would appeal to the table, with all our varying palates, and he was a little unhelpful and dismissive if truth be told. He did then fetch the sommelier who was able to help, but it wasn't a great start to our meal on a service level.

Claire, my sister-in-law and I both opted to start with the shellfish soup, which was rich, silky, thick and decadent and absolutely packed full of flavour, just delicious. It came with a selection of little toasted croutons, a thick and garlicy aioli and a taramasalata; absolutely gorgeous as a starter and we devoured every mouthful.

Shellfish soup at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant

Tina (Mum-in-law) and Charlotte (sister-in-law) both had the scallops which were served with a crisp, fried Serrano ham and a green salad with just a drizzle of sherry vinegar dressing over the scallops. The dish was enjoyed by both, and the classic combination of sweet, succulent scallops mixed with a salty ham looked very pretty on the plate too.

Scallops and Serrano ham at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant

For mains, I chose the braised brill which came with a generous shaving of Wiltshire black truffles in an emulsion of mushrooms, slivers of potato and truffle oil. It was genuinely like poetry on a plate, it just worked so beautifully together and I was sad when the dish came to an end. Delicious.

Braised brill with Wiltshire Black Truffle at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant

Tina chose the locally caught ray fillet, which was pan-fried and served ‘au poivre’ or with a homemade creamy béarnaise sauce, simple but stunning 

Ray with Bearnaise at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant

Claire and Charlotte opted for the pan-fried filled of stone bass which came with the self-styled ‘symphony of alliums’, or with some Cornish white crab meat, char-grilled spring onions, caramelised leek puree, pickled baby onions and a chive oil. The dish looked uber artistic when it came out and the ladies really enjoyed it.

Stone Bass at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant 

We enjoyed some minted Cornish new potatoes and glazed baby carrots from a local farm that were beautifully hued and flavoured and really complemented our meals.

Dessert was impressive too – I couldn’t resist the sound of the chocolate fondant, which was perfectly gooey on the inside with a delicious crumbly texture on the outside and a rich, dense chocolate flavour, but was elevated hugely by the vanilla milk sauce, salted caramel that was literally dreamy and the crunchy caramelised peanuts. Sensational.

Chocolate fondant at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant

Charlotte opted for the apple mousse with salted caramel ice cream and crumble and it came and was like a jelly sphere surrounding the apple mousse, with the hint of crumble all around – a bit of a deconstructed crumble, but executed cleverly and very prettily on the plate. Another great dish.

Apple Mousse Crumble at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant

In terms of food, we found the Rick Stein Seafood Restaurant utterly faultless, every dish delivered on style and flavour and we left satisfied. The service was less attentive than we’d have liked, which was a little disappointing, but not enough that we wouldn’t return. In fact I’d return in a heartbeat for the brill and truffles. The meal for the four of us was around £260.00 (£65.00 a head) with a bottle of wine, so wasn’t extortionate, but fair in relation to the quality of the food.

Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant has been up and running since 1975 and is the jewel in Rick Stein’s crown of many Padstow establishments, with good reason. They pride themselves on using great, locally sourced, excellent quality fish and seafood and they certainly know how to deliver – hat’s off to Stephanie Delourme, the head chef and his team. If you’re visiting Padstow, or even Cornwall it’s 100% worth a visit – just make sure you book in advance.

The Cornish Arms, St Merryn, Cornwall

We spent a week in Cornwall recently, in a little bay (Constantine Bay) just outside of Padstow which was lovely. During our stay, we enjoyed two great meals at The Cornish Arms - a refurbished old pub that has been given the infamous Rick Stein treatment.

It’s a real mix of modern and traditional inside, the main restaurant side veering more on contemporary, whereas the more traditional bar area, where we enjoyed one of our meals, being slightly more laid back and informal. The staff here were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive on both visits.

On our evening visit, I enjoyed a ‘special’ Goan Chicken Curry that came with fluffy basmati rice and a homemade poppadom and was to die for. Fragrant, with a dash of fresh heat but light too, just lovely. Glen had the devilled kidneys on toast - not something he would usually opt for but he said it was really well executed, perfectly tender and seasoned offal with an earthy richness served with woody, local mushrooms on a generous sized toasted doorstep, with a green salad on the side. He enjoyed it so much, he had it again when we returned.

Devilled Kidneys on Toast, The Cornish Arms

On our second jaunt, knowing the portion sizes were generous but wanting to sample more from the menu, we shared a starter - salt cod brandade, a rich, fishy paste, immense served with toast topped with a homemade olive tapenade - a really great combination.

Salt Cod Brandade with Tapenade Toast, The Cornish Arms

I opted for the fishcakes for my main course - made of cod and a little potato, and coated in breadcrumbs. They had a good hint of aniseed tarragon about them, which I enjoyed and which complements fish so well, and were topped with a delicious chunky salsa verde. These came with chips and salad and this was exactly the kind of hearty, homemade pub food you would expect and that was extremely well received on the Saturday lunchtime when the weather outside was chilly.

Fishcakes with Salsa Verde, The Cornish Arms

Among our group – all of the dishes on both visits, were well received. One included the steak and ale pie served with chips (you could have had mashed potato), broccoli and a thick, glossy, beefy gravy. The meat packed out the pie generously and was beautifully tender - another great dish enjoyed by two in our group.

Steak and Ale Pie, The Cornish Arms

A thick cut ham, egg and chips, 6oz hamburger, scampi in a retro basket and a lamb karahi all went down well. The children enjoyed homemade fish fingers, with chips and peas – excellent quality and a decent sized portion for children too.

We also enjoyed some fantastic desserts here, from the local Cornish ice cream, a beautiful sunken chocolate cake, a gorgeous carrot cake served with crushed walnuts and special mention to the sticky toffee pudding and the most insanely good cheesecake cheesecake served with a salted caramel that would make grown men weep. Delicious!

Our meal at The Cornish Arms on the day that there were eight adults and 2 children eating, came in at just over £200.00 which given the quality of the food, the comfort of the surroundings and the friendly staff offers really good value for money. The Cornish Arms has a beautiful garden overlooking the picturesque Cornish countryside of St Merryn, we sadly didn’t get the opportunity to take advantage of it, but I would imagine in warmer months, this is a truly prime spot.

The Cornish Arms strikes that true balance of being a credible restaurant offering good-quality, honest, home-cooked food, whilst holding its’ own as a local pub offering a wide selection of local ales and ciders and with a roaring log fire. It’s a great venue and we’ll be sure to return if visiting Cornwall again.

Rafferty's Cafe Wine Bar, St Merryn, Cornwall

During our recent week-long stay in Padstow, Cornwall we enjoyed a really beautiful traditional Sunday lunch at Rafferty's Cafe Wine Bar, St Merryn, which was in very close proximity to where we were staying in Constantine Bay.

There were six adults and two children and they squeezed us in on enquiring, just about, as the last sitting of the afternoon. We wanted to try the restaurant as we’d had a couple of good experiences, on returning to Penrich late in the evening after a full day of sight-seeing, with the takeaway outpost of Rafferty’s Pizzeria, the sister restaurant.

We were welcomed by a friendly and knowledgeable waitress and the continued warmth throughout our meal from the staff was appreciated, especially with our young charges (plus two sleeping children).

The menu was small but rather well formed - I chose the fish tostada to begin which were really tasty - sharp pickled red onion with a little refreshing tomato salad pepped up with coriander complemented the delicately flavoured soft white fish (cod so I believe) and the satisfying crunch from the baked tortilla made for a very pleasing start to the meal.

Fish tostada, Rafferty's

Another appetiser among our group was the patatas bravas - spicy tomato sauce coated fried potatoes which went down well with several around the table.

Patatas Bravas, Rafferty's Wine Bar

For our main, we, all of us, opted for the traditional Sunday roast dinner - a mixed sirloin of Cornish beef with pork belly and we were glad we did.

Presented to the table on two big china serving dishes, everything looked incredibly appealing dished up this way and meant we could each take a little (or in some cases, a lot) of what we fancied. The sirloin was just a little pink in the centre, which was perfect for our group and the pork was lovely and tender to the bite.

Roast Sirloin of Cornish Beef and Pork Belly at Rafferty's Wine Bar

Duck fat roast potatoes were deliciously crisp on the outside with fluffy middles and the perfect amount of seasoning and light and fluffy homemade Yorkshire puddings to soak up the deliciously beefy gravy were very welcome too.

The vegetable selection was fantastic - a rich and creamy cauliflower cheese, roasted heritage carrots of many hues and that were deliciously sweet, curly kale that still had some bite and not the sometimes-over-wilted excuse for greens that comes from overseeing this many covers and a particular favourite of mine, roasted beetroot that was rich, earthy and beautiful in both colour, appearance and taste, just wonderful. Being the only person in our household that likes beetroot this was a real treat.

The children's mini roast dinners came up already portioned and were a good size.

The desserts were equally enchanting, simple but gorgeous Cornish ice creams for the girls. I had a delightful vanilla panna cotta with the perfect amount of both sweetness and wobble plus plenty of pretty specks of vanilla. This was served with a homemade shortbread biscuit and some balsamic glazed strawberries.

Vanilla Panna Cotta, Raferty's Wine Bar

Another dessert was the chocolate torte served with Cornish clotted cream which also went down very well.

Chocolate Torte, Rafferty's Wine Bar

The three course option for adults was priced at £23.50, or two courses for £18.50 which I thought, given the top notch quality of the food, provided excellent value for money. Children's mini roasts were £6.50. Our entire meal for the eight of us came in at just under £200 before service - and was well worth the price.

If we venture back to this area of Cornwall again then we would return in a heartbeat to Rafferty's for the excellent food and warm, welcoming service.

Glen, Bridget and I enjoyed a lovely late afternoon family walk from Constantine Bay to Treyaron Bay to walk off the excesses of Rafferty's which proved absolutely delightful. Cornwall really is beautiful.

Constantine Bay

Fun on Treyarnon Bay Beach, Cornwall

Trayarnon Bay, Cornwall