The Seafood Restaurant

The food here is rich, yet delicious. The best dishes we had were the wild sea bass and the mackerel. I’ve never had mackerel or even seen it on a menu but it is my new favorite dish. My husband, who is an extremely picky eater even loved it. We also got the risotto, which everyone said was their favorite but I thought it was too heavy. I do feel like they could go without some of the butter because the food was fresh enough on its own and didn’t need that masking it. My husband and I dined here on a Monday night so maybe they had their staff in training working but we found it to be very slow. I also didn’t like how our server really didn’t have any idea about anything on the menu, including any allergy information. She did come back and tell me that almost anything could be made gluten free which is a huge plus but I was just surprised she didn’t know that ahead of time. Oh and they have gluten free bread which was really nice too! If you have some time and would like a nice meal then I would recommend going but like I said, expect to stay a while.

Ignore any average reviews … this is the real deal. We enjoyed the 50 year 4 course menu and every selection was fresh and perfect. The service was outstanding thanks to our waiter Daniel. We are hoteliers of 40 years, trust me this is wonderful, and highly recommended.

Top! Every single dish was delicious! The right price for everything, amazing service from the staff. The wines recommended to us were perfect. We had a delightful time. Please don’t miss it.

Great experience. We have tried 50 years tasting menu and got lots of interesting combinations and nicely done dishes. Service was great. Separately, the pictures on the wall are really nice.

Took my mum here for her 87th Birthday lunch on 1st June. We chose the three course set menu which cost £40 each and included a glass of wine. The food was excellent and the staff attentive, kind and thoughtful. I think we will make this a yearly treat.

We managed to secure a last minute booking (make sure you book in advance!!) and our experience at The Seafood Restaurant was amazing. We went for the 50 year tasting menu and so glad we did as each dish was so unique and delicious. Highly highly recommend you visit here if you are in PADSTOW. Not to be missed.

Absolutely outstanding dinner at The Seafood Restaurant, we were really looked after by the staff and all courses were expertly prepared and cooked to perfection.

After we had a plendid lunch in september last year, a fab experience (review Chris Brandt) we thought we go again now we are in the surroundings. So we made a reservation for lunch. When entering the restaurant nobody welcomed us, though there was staff behind the desk. Then they noticed us! It took at least 10 minutes before she checked the booking, grabbed all the menu's together and found us a place in the bookingsystem to bring us to. "Oh, you are still there"... (Yes we are waiting for you to see us to our table; didn't say that of course!) Then we got the wine with a screw cap, the sommelier asks who wants to taste the wine (we know what we order.... there is no cork so no we don't have to taste the wine, didn't say that neither). After the fab first course "pulpo", we got the main; 1,5 kg Salt Baked Bass for 2 (100P). Brought to the table in the saltcrust, waitress took the salt away and put the fish on the table. She was not going to put some filets on our plates but she also didn't give us a pair of spoons to get it ourselves on our plates! She pointed out that there was a bone in the middle (of course!). Asked her for 2 spoons to serve ourselves, she found that a bit strange (I saw), but hee... these two guests are foreigners, (yes but we know how it is done in a restaurant which supposed to be up to standard). Then we poured ourselved a glass of wine out of the bottle on the table and really enjoyed the bass, so delish! After desert and a coffee we paid the bill of almost 200 pound and left without one of the staff to do the effort of wishing us a nice day. Sad to say this all, because the food is so good, the staff didn't have their best day, or there is simply not enough seniority, or the popularity is gone to their heads... Or perhaps too many tourists😏

Traveled far to come to this place, as I had read about it in a travel book. After a long drive to Padstow, I was so disappointed. I don't care who your chef is, your service is awful. We waited until the exact time of our reservation, although we were quite early, and still couldn't get service. Had to send drinks back twice because it was made wrong (how do you ruin a vodka and soda?). Food was fine, but I've had better fish and chips from roadside shops. There is a great selection of other restaurants nearby. Save your time on stopping here.

Fantastic service and great food! We tried oysters, a combination plate and the sea bass for main dish. I would say the seabass was a bit salty but still delicious! Sourdough bread and olives were also awesome :)

Lovely evening meal. Shared the lobster risotto appetizer and we both had the cod casserole; both were very tasty. When ordering a casserole my expectation was more of a hearty dish served in a ramekin type vessel. This was a piece of cod( beautifully cooked) lying on top of a light broth and nothing to help soak up the broth. Would have ordered a side dish if I had known this. Expensive for what you get in portion size.

The waitstaff is attentive and personable though seemed disappointed that we ordered just one starter - we were there for lunch. The quality of the food is quite good, but it's exorbitantly overpriced.

When planning my trip to Cornwall, I asked several people for recommendations and they always mentioned Rick Stein's first restaurant. 6 months in advance I booked lunch but then after two weeks of eating, almost cancelled the booking to avoid the drive. So happy I did not, the restaurant fully lived up to its reputation. I started with the sashimi, three pieces each of tuna, salmon, bass and brill. Never had bass or brill sashimi before but all were great. Fantastic pieces of fish, fresh tasting, meaty, east to eat. I also liked the two types of wasabi that came with it. For a main, despite wanting to try the fish I had to go with the lobster Thermidor. It was great but incredibly ric, pretty much knocked me out for the rest of the day. Fantastic meal. Also wanted to say my son had the lemon sole, cooked whole and deboned at the table, and it looked incredible. So did the cold shellfish platters I saw at a couple other tables. Meal was so good considering returning to Cornwall just to come back.

As part our my mini-moon, me and the new Hubby wanted to eat somewhere Posh. As we were going to Cornwall, I knew it had to be Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant. After a quick peruse of the menu online, I checked out available dates for booking. Man! This place books up quick! You HAVE to get in there early to get a chance to go. Luckily, we wanted to go for lunch rather than dinner - so we were ok! A couple of clicks and we were booked! There is nothing quite like a nice stress-free booking process and this couldn't have been any easier. Within minutes we had our email confirmation and were looking forward to getting to Padstowe to give it a try. The venue is right on the harbour at Padstowe (opposite the carpark). After a lovely jaunt around the town in the sunshine, we walked back towards the restaurant for our 1:30pm reservation. We were made to feel like the most important people in the room as soon as we walked in! I had put that we were honeymooning on the booking and we were told that the best table in the house was ready and waiting for us. We were escorted to a lovely comfortable corner booth all laid out for a delectable dining experience. Our waiter was super attentive, friendly and helpful throughout our dining experience. From taking us through the non-alcoholic cocktail options (hubby was driving) to talking us through each dish, we knew we were in for a treat. The food was fantastic. I went for the seafood soup to start, the Lobster Thermadore for main and we both opted for the dark chocolate tart with peanut butter ice cream for dessert. Each dish was wonderfully presented and we were given olives to nibble on whilst we were choosing our food and the most delicious sour dough and white bread to accompany our meals. The real "wow" factor came from the truffle and seaweed butter that was served with the bread; I have never had anything like it! The cocktail came with an edible flower and looked and tasted amazing. A great accompaniment to our meals. Now, as you might have guessed... the meal wasn't cheap. The cheaper lunch menu was £38.50 for 3 courses, so 2x 3 course meals, a side and a couple of non-alcoholic cocktails came to just under £100 (£110 with tip); however, it was totally worth it for the dining experience. This place is thoroughly recommended for a celebration.

As my girlfriends birthday was coming up and she'd booked us a short break in Cornwall, I thought I'd surprise her by booking lunch at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant. We were promptly seated on arrival and I mentioned to the waiter that we'd travelled to Padstow just to visit the restaurant and on hearing this, kindly offered to concoct a tasting menu for us along with a sharing starter of Fruits de mer. After ordering our food the waiter returned to offer us a tour of the kitchens which was an absolute treat. Unsurprisingly the food was incredibly fresh and utterly delicious, my girlfriend exclaimed it was the best meal she'd ever had which was hard not to agree with. Once we'd finished our meal and paid for our meal I was asked again to wait for a moment. Unsure what was in store, I was delighted to discover that the staff had put together a little package of a collection of their deserts inscribed with a birthday greeting. I hadn't directly mentioned that it was my girlfriends birthday and can only assume that the attentiveness of the staff was second-to-none. So really what I'm trying to say is that you must visit, it was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I've ever had.

I've always love this place. A bit pricey to be more than a special treat. The place for the freshest and finest fish dishes.

With a short break in Cornwall coming up after our wedding the wifelet (then fiance) booked us in for lunch with much excitement. We both adore seafood and with such critical acclaim I was looking forward to an incredible lunch. We were met with fantastic service (including a warm congratulations and a lovely table reserved for us) and given time to peruse the menu. We'd already decided beforehand on the set menu - at £38.50 for three courses it's a no brainer! The mussels to start were delicious - perfectly spiced in a Thai inspired coconut sauce. The lobster thermidore was wonderfully decadent and rich. And the dessert of a chocolate tort with peanut butter ice cream was incredibly indulgent and made even more special with the inclusion of marzipan scrolls saying congratulations! Alas, I was driving so couldn't sample the extensive (and expensive) wine menu but we did try one of their mocktails which had just the right balance of sweet and refreshing. I would love to go back and splash out on the main menu, but with lunch costing £100 I'll have to save my pennies first!

Conveniently located in Padstow with paid parking opposite. The service was good and the food fresh. We had the Porthilly & Carlingford Oysters, Special Lobster, Foie Gras, avocado and bean salad (nice but a bit rich), Bucatini Pasta and the Hot Shellfish Mix (Excellent). Booking is important.

This place is ACE!!! I have been here many times over the last decade and every visit is a great dining experience. The staff are excellent #serviceisking an you are made to feel special from the beginning to the end of your dining experience. The restaurant is busy with a gently bubbling atmosphere. The service is efficient but respectful. The drinks are superb. Whoever picks the wine does a very good job and there is an excellent range which has been reduced and improved over the years. The food menu is a tantalising mix of dishes exploring a world of sea food, techniques and cultures. Pervading it all is a sense of simplicity. Sure this isn't a Michelin starred restaurant and Rick doesn't cook your dinner, but the overall dining experience is excellent!

OK I visited this restaurant a while ago, but I think it really needs a mention, as it serves up pretty much the best seafood I've ever eaten. So, Padstow has earned a slightly infamous reputation as being the business hub of Rick Stein's culinary forays, but to be honest, i couldn't care less as he does it extremely well. Padstow itself is a terrifically quaint Cornish town, nestled on the estuary of the Camel river, and it would probably be a sin not to eat seafood there - oh and drink some pretty tasty Cornish ale. The place to choose in Padstow for said seafood and Cornish ale has to be Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant. Walk into the restaurant on the edge of the harbour, and it expands back, packed comfortably with leather booths, stone floors and wooden panelling around a circular oyster bar. Hit the bar while the staff prepare your table and a piping hot baked oyster appears with your aperitif drink to whets the appetite until your personal waiter or waitress take you to your table. Friendly, yet unobtrusively attentive staff seem to preempt pretty much every request, and a bottle of wine appears within minutes of us ordering. Equally, our choices of starters prompt quick cutlery changes, and my brother is soon equipped with an array of medieval utensils to attack the crab platter that has become the envy of all sitting around him. I chose Oysters Charentaise - which is a heady mixture of piping hot chorizo, chilly fresh oysters and a good few slugs of white wine - weird, but very very tasty. As an aside, it's pretty likely that this evening will involve drinking enough wine to fell a small horse, so come prepared. Moving back to a more food-oriented discussion, I had a LOBSTER for my main - my first ever lobster - but nonetheless was I think one of the best things to have passed my lips. In fact, I can still taste it if I think about it. My brother had a Dover Sole, which, according to him, was possibly the best fishie he's ever had - and he's had a lot of fish in his lifetime. Pudding followed, but it was a bit of a nonevent, considering the culinary delights that preceded, and I think some coffee happened after that, but, again, was not so memorable, and has been replaced by further musing on how nice that lobster was. Then we went to the pub and I had more Cornish ale. I then woke up the next day, with a very sore head. Nonetheless, any pain endured the following morning is supplanted by what was truly an excellent meal, with great atmosphere, in a beautiful town. The only problem is that it was bleeding expensive, but hey, if you're going to spend money on food, then this really is the place.

I thought the food was very disappointing. I had the XO clams to start which were overly salty and very small. Some of the clams had not opened (tight shut) which I really hadn't expected from a high quality fish restaurant. The Singapore chili crab was dreadful. The sauce was just sweet goo - no chili or real flavor. The crab was not 'a stir-fried Whole crab' - but a collection of limbs(5!) daubed in the awful sweet sauce, that were tired and certainly not fresh. Stringy, dry crab meat. I went to the Scallop Shell in Bath last week and paid 2/3 price for a crab that was 10 times better. I feel this is a business trading on Rick's name that seems to have forgotten how to deliver good food.

One word - amazing! We took a short last minute break in Cornwall and were lucky enough to get a lunch booking at The Seafood Restaurant. We were about 30 minutes early for our reservation, but the staff were really accommodating and were able to seat us at our table earlier. It's a really beautiful restaurant (although, surprisingly, the view is of a car park...!). As you walk into the entrance, one of the first things you see is the giant hanging fish mobile - it really does look like a shoal of fish! Inside the main room, the tables are arranged around the bar in the middle, which makes the place feel very communal. We had the set lunch menu, which was reasonable (compared to the cost of some of the other menu items!). I had the fish and shellfish soup, which I must say, seemed to be very good value for money as it comes in it's own tureen and you get enough for two people (even though it's an individual menu item). The soup is amazing! This is probably the best fish soup I have ever had (ever!). Hubby had the lobster and fennel risotto, which was also good). For mains, I had the hake and he had the bass - both were cooked really nicely - I couldn't even begin to describe it. For dessert, I had the strawberry pavlova and he had the chocolate mousse cake. Again, both really good. This is another great special occasion place and really lives up to it's name as THE Seafood Restaurant! ;)

Mmmmm tasting menu. Mmmmmmm passionfruit pavlova. Ummmmfff walking around Padstow harbour with a post-Seafood-restaurant stomach-ache. Still, worth it.

Great from start-finish. Had the Ray, Seafood Soup, Chocolate Fondant, and Gin Martini - all perfect and I'm so glad I ventured out and got the Ray. Very different, wouldn't see that on your everyday menu but was beautiful. Happy I didn't go for any of the Fruits de Mer or straight-up lobster. My thinking is go to a 5 star restaurant and get 5 star cuisine. Im sure the fresh seafood would have been incredible but i'd rather buy something from a boat or go diving for it. Whatever your opinion is, everything at this place was unreal. My sister is very cautious of seafood and loved all of it. If there's a place in the world to overcome seafood fears, its this place. Book in advance.

Pretty much what it's hyped to be: excellent seafood with loads of local choices.

The food was delicious. The service was uneven. Our server was a charming person. Unfortunately, he, and everyone else on the staff, was rushing about like a whirling dervish. The result was a general nervous air and a lack of attention; we were not invited to order drinks before we ordered out meal, and dishes went uncleared for too long. Sole and john dory were delicious. I just expect a more polished surface in this price range.

Maybe when you have been to somewhere several times you start to notice things more than when you are visiting for the first time and are slightly in awe. We have been going to the Seafood Restaurant for several years now and have visited three times in the last year including the latest time last weekend. The surroundings are nice especially if you get one of the tables near the windows. Based on our last three visits, service has become variable. In January 2011, it was detached and poorly executed; the young girl seemed inexperienced and badly trained. In November 2011 with the tasting menu, service was great. This last time it was friendly but slow, a large gap between starters and main and I had to start waving across the restaurant to staff to be able to pay the bill in the end. The food remains good but based on the last three visits, the chefs cannot deliver bass to the table with crispy skin. Brill with potatoes and winter truffle was excellent though. So to sum up, food is good not exceptional, service is generally good not exceptional, prices are .....exceptional. Still the place to go in Padstow, though.

Not cheap but ...... You get what you pay for. Staff attentative just to the right level, food is exquisite !!! I had t he fish pie for mains and could have licked the plate clean. All three of us loved the ambience, the staff, the wine and especially the quality of the food. If you're down here it would be rude not to come here - excellent Stein food