Mount Haven Hotel & Restaurant

The local landmark of St Michael's Mount standing guard in the bay doesn't look any better than when surveyed from the terrace at the Mount Haven, glass of wine in hand of course. The 19th-century coach house is these days a chic hotel with a restaurant that is a cut above the competition. There's good use of natural tones in the décor and a friendly and unpretentious approach to service. The menu shows plenty of local influence, giving a sense of place, and the composition of dishes follows a broadly contemporary path. Pea and ham hock soup, for example, comes with a parsley beignet, and local John Dory is served with celeriac carpaccio among first courses. Main course might bring forth some local venison in a well-balanced partnership with roasted root vegetables, celeriac purée, potato fondant and port jus. If the sea views have whet your appetite, go for pan-roasted pollock with smoked haddock chowder, mussels and crispy leeks, and to finish, apple fritters with cinnamon ice cream and vanilla syrup.