The Seafood Restaurant

Regular visitors to Padstow will have watched the Stein brand grow and develop over the years, with new venues and concepts coming on board - this desire to embrace new ideas has kept the company as fresh as the slithery seafood that appears on the menu. The flagship restaurant has, in recent years, added a seafood bar in the middle of the room where you can sip on something from the fabulous wine list, and tuck into something super-fresh, whilst watching the shellfish platters being prepared, and the entrance is now via a rather smart glass portico. But the ethos of the place remains exactly the same as when it opened back in 1975 - tip-top seafood served up in a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere. The room remains light and bright, with blond wood, white walls, flashes of colour from contemporary artworks, and tables smartly dressed with linen cloths. It is possible to take a deliciously simple route through the menu, from langoustines on ice, via whole Dover sole chargrilled with sea salt and lime, to walnut tart with crème fraîche, but equally there's a tasting menu that might include braised fillet of brill with bianchetto truffle, slivers of potato, mushrooms and truffle oil. There are influences from around the globe, too, so a taste of Spain might come in the form of perfectly cooked scallops with Iberico ham, pimenton and pardina lentils, followed by Indonesian seafood curry with monkfish, squid and tiger prawns. A seasonal dessert of apple and blackberry Pavlova shows the kitchen is more than capable outside of the seafood comfort zone.