Weekend Escapes: Foodie Break in Padstow

It’s no secret that Padstow is one of the UK’s top gastronomic hotspots, but it’s not just celeb chefs Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth making a name for North Cornwall’s most famous harbour town. From foodie pop ups and secret sandwich shops, to alfresco dining spots and trendy taprooms, we know the lesser-known spots to wine and dine in Padstow.

So, if you want to eat and drink your way around the area, while soaking up the scenery and indulging in a few fun things to do along the way, here’s how to spend a foodie weekender in Padstow.

Padstow’s harbour is surrounded by sublime venues to eat and drink. Photo by Hayley Lawrence.

THINGS to do in Padstow

Before making a beeline for all the foodie delights in town, we’d suggest working up an appetite by diving into the platter of things to do in Padstow. Freewheel along the Camel Trail all the way to Bodmin Moor, making a pitstop for a guided tour and a tipple at Camel Valley vineyard. From Padstow harbour strike out on foot from to the collapsed sea cave at Gunver Head, and keep going to the powder-white sands of Hawker’s Cove – ideal for picnics, dog walking and kite flying.

Cross from Padstow to Rock on the Black Tor Ferry. Photo by Hayley Lawrence.

Hop on the Black Tor ferry across the estuary and try wake surfing, water skiing or paddleboarding with Camel Ski School over in Rock. As you skim across the water, you’ll pass the oyster and mussel beds where Porthilly Shellfish grow some of the finest shellfish in the UK. While you’re on the Rock-side of the water, pad along the shoreline to Daymer Bay at low-tide, and scale the grassy knoll of Brea Hill to detour back via the wonky-steepled St Enodoc Church – where the late poet laureate John Betjeman is buried.

Walk to Daymer Bay and climb the grassy knoll of Brea Hill to work up an appetite. Photo by Hayley Lawrence.

EAT in Padstow

Before heading off on your coastal jaunts, fill up on freshly baked croissants and hot baps from Chough craft bakery on the harbourside, or mosey on to the quayside for a hearty breakfast burrito from Ben’s Crib Box. If you prefer a sit-down affair, fuel up for the day with a full Cornish breakfast and sublime sea views at Greens of Padstow (pictured left). If you’ve got kids in tow, this is our top spot for any meal, with mini golf to keep the children entertained while you savour the food and scenery.

Fill up on freshly baked goodies from Chough Bakery. Photo courtesy of Chough Bakery.

For lunch it’s a toss up between classic seasonal seafood and a glass of rosé in the Secret Garden at St Petroc’s Bistro, or floating over the estuary for small plates, scallops and Cornish mussels at The Mariners in Rock. Wherever you eat, you’ll find that much of the veg is freshly plucked from the nearby Padstow Kitchen Garden, where grower Ross Geach throws the occasional feast in the polytunnels, celebrating everything field to fork.

Lunch at The Mariners in Rock. Photo by Hayley Lawrence.

The choice of restaurants in Padstow will leave you salivating at every corner, but it’s a popular place, so why not seek out the just-out-of-town gems? Our favourite is Prawn on the Lawn, which has an outpost from its Duke Street seafood bar, at the nearby Trevibban Mill vineyard. Here, small, fish-focussed plates are packed with the mighty flavours of finger-licking fruits de mer delivered by Cornwall’s fishermen. Also on the outskirts, South African chef Henk de Villiers Ferreira has turned the local garden centre into somewhat of a dining hotspot. His Trevisker’s Kitchen showcases the abundance of local produce, from piles of warm pancakes served with fresh Cornish coffee, to fish and his famous ‘thrice-cooked chips’, and Sunday roasts with live music in the garden.

Back in the heart of Padstow, take a tasting flight through six locally-brewed cask ales alongside small plates at Padstow Brewing Co.’s taproom, a funky venue in the Old Post Office building. You need to book way ahead to dine in the town’s most famous restaurants – namely Paul Ainsworth at No.6 and Stein’s flagship Seafood Restaurant – but you might be able to bag a last-minute table at Ainsworth’s more casual Caffé Rojano, which serves up a devilish combo of Italian and Cornish cuisine.

Selection of dishes at Caffe-Rojano. Photo courtesy of @lateef

Toast the day with a superior vintage (and perhaps a cheeky tapas) at Bin Two, or boutique cocktail at Stein’s cosy Ruby’s Bar. We can recommend the Gin Highball – made with Tarquin’s Rick Stein Gin, fennel, pineapple and bitter lemon.

Enjoy a boutique cocktail at Ruby’s Bar. Photo by James Ram.

SLEEP in Padstow

If you love a night under canvas, pitch a tent at The Foreshore and amble into town along the estuary, to eat and drink to your heart’s content. However, if camping’s not your bag, fling open your shutters to harbour views from a room at the Old Custom House. Prefer your own pad where you can self-cater? Local specialists Harbour Holidays offer a superb range of holiday cottages in Padstow, where you can make the most of the foodie treats on the doorstep or whip up your own feasts from freshly sourced local ingredients.

Stay right beside the harbour at The Old Custom House Padstow. Photo by Hayley Lawrence.

Insider foodie tip to Padstow…

Just outside of Padstow, there are couple of foodie spots we recommend seeking out in St Merryn. The first is the Got Crabs Secret Sandwich Shop – who liaise with local day-boat fisherman and artisan bakers to create the best crab sandwiches in North Cornwall.

The second is Duchy Grub, a dinky little restaurant hidden on the Higher Harlyn Park campsite, which serves delectable plates of local and sustainable ingredients from the north Cornish coast.