Three Cornwall restaurants have been named among the UK's 100 best places to eat - with one just missing out on the top 20. Independent restaurant guide SquareMeal's UK Top 100 excludes London restaurants to give the rest of the country a chance to shine.
The ranking is compiled from a combination of reader votes and SquareMeal’s own critics, with the guide saying the list is a "true reflection of Britain’s beautifully varied dining scene".
Padstow's high-end Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 was the highest ranked Cornish restaurant, in 22nd place. SquareMeal said the Michelin-starred spot was the "jewel in his crown" among Ainsworth's Cornwall businesses.
"Field to fork" restaurant Crocadon, at St Mellion near Saltash came in at no 42. The brainchild of Dan Cox, who previously worked at the celebrated L’Enclume and Aulis in the Lake District, it serves dishes brought to life from its very own 120-acre farmland.
And fish restaurant Argoe Newlyn was ranked at 64, with SquareMeal pointing to its simple menu dedicated to Cornish fish and seafood.
Fifteen counties are represented across the whole list, with Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham named as number one for 2025.
Here's what SquareMeal has to say about Cornwall's top restaurants:
Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 (22)
SquareMeal says of the Padstow restaurant: "Paul Ainsworth operates a number of restaurants in Cornwall, but this Michelin-starred spot has got to be the jewel in his crown, where it serves an exciting, story-led menu that champions locally sourced Cornish produce." It says a meal here will cost £80+.
Crocadon (42)
The St Mellion restaurant specialises in "farm to fork", with SquareMeal putting the cost of a meal there at over £80. It said: "Following his departure from L’Enclume, chef Dan Cox brings his vast experience to the south west with this soil-centric farm restaurant.
"The very definition of farm-to-table cooking, he’s created a ‘Taste of the Farm’ menu bursting with freshly grown and reared produce."
Argoe Newlyn (64)
A meal here will cost between £50-79, according to SquareMeal. It says: "Argoe is a tribute to Newlyn’s incredible fishing heritage and produce, where sharing plates with a focus on Cornish fish and seafood are served alongside low-intervention wines on tap.
"Proof that beauty lies in simplicity."
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