"Rick Stein rules Padstow like a benevolent mafioso. This is his town, so much so that his smiling avuncular likeness can at times feel inescapable. The Seafood Restaurant is probably the best advertisement in the area for submitting to a seafood splurge: there’s scarcely a big name — Porthilly oysters, fruits de mer platter, whole dover sole, lobster thermidor — that doesn’t feature at some point on the menu, so it’s eminently sensible to just sit back and let Stein and co play the hits. But there are also more globally inspired dishes — lobster risotto, Indonesian seafood curry, Singapore chilli crab — for those looking to be a little more adventurous with their crustacea, suggesting that even after decades of dominance Stein is still finding ways to keep things interesting." - George Reynolds