St Mawes is a beautiful town located on the South coast of Cornwall. Mostly known for its pristine natural environment, St Mawes is also home to some very high-quality restaurants. While most people visit St Mawes to see the St Mawes castle, go fishing, take a boat tour or go hiking, the town is worth a visit just for the culinary experiences it offers. Here are some of the best restaurants in the town!
The Watch House
The Watch House restaurant is well located, adjacent to the St Mawes harbour with beautiful views over the ocean. The interior of the restaurant has a modern and elegant ambience. The reasonably priced menu places an emphasis on locally caught seafood and locally produced vegetables. Starters include “The Mussel Pot” (local Mussels cooked with green masala & coconut or a classic white wine & garlic sauce) and the “Wing of St Mawes” (smoked mackerel salad).
Mains include the delicious Pumpkin & Ricotta Tortellini, “The Watch House” (beer-battered cod & chips) and the “Cornish Seafood Spaghetti” (with chilli and garlic). The restaurant offers a wide range of deserts including a lemon tart, chocolate & hazelnut cake and a pear & frangipane tart.
The Hotel Tresanton Restaurant
The Hotel Tresanton restaurant is another well-located dining venue, directly overlooking the harbour. It is an excellent location for lunch or dinner, with both al fresco and indoor dining options available. One of the best ways to spend a Saturday is sitting on the restaurant’s deck, enjoying a delicious lunch.
Starters include Rock Oysters, Spinach & Avocado Pancetta, Clam Linguini and Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait. Popular mains include Wild Bass and Crab Cake, Whole Lemon Sole and the Terras Farm Duck with vegetables. The Hotel Tresanton restaurant also offers local favourites including fish & chips, smoked salmon and the Tresanton beef burger. Deserts range from Chocolate mousse to the delicious Tunisian orange cake.
The interior decor is elegant with a water theme (plenty of blues and white). If you are enjoying your meal al fresco, you will have unhindered views over the most beautiful parts of St Mawes.
The Idle Rocks
The Idle Rocks is a beautifully restored restaurant well-located next to the water. The interior features some lovely artwork, eclectic furniture and a relaxed atmosphere. This restaurant was voted one of the “20 Best places to eat by the sea” by The Times newspaper in 2014.
The Idle Rocks specialises in creating dishes that use Cornish produce. The proprietor’s goal is to create a restaurant with “good-old-fashioned hospitality, simplicity and friendliness”. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The dinner menu has some delicious starters including the Porthilly Cornish Rock Oysters, Cornish Crab and the Scallop Cannelloni (with Spinach & Red Pepper). Main dishes include the Roast Turbot Fillet with Hogs Pudding & Turnip, Sole Paupiette with Crab Bisque Sauce and the Poached Veal Rump with Sweetbread & Hazelnut.
The Idle Rocks has a wonderful range of mouth-watering puddings for desert, the highlights including the Raspberry Arctic Roll, Calamansi Soufflé (White Chocolate and Banana) and the Chilled Coconut Rice Pudding (Mango and Peanut).
St Mawes bakery
While technically not a restaurant, the St Mawes bakery gets an honourable mention. This bakery is set in the heart of the town and is a popular destination for the locals. They make a wide variety of delicious baked goods including cornish pasties, saffron buns, hot cross buns, danish pastries, scones and cakes.
So the next time you are visiting St Mawes, try out a few of the restaurants and cafes — you will enjoy friendly service and delicious food!
kate and toms have a selection of stunning properties in St Mawes walking distance from the centre of town and these restaurants. They include: Sea Reach and The Garden House.
