Michelin star and fine dining restaurants in Cornwall

There are some amazing Michelin-Starred, Michelin-recommended and fine dining resturants to enjoy in Cornwall. With seafood a cornerstone of the local diet in Cornwall, it probably comes as no surprise that a huge proportion of the restaurants with a star are specialists.

Perhaps the most famous foodie favourite of all is the Padstow-based chef legend Rick Stein, who came to the village in the 1970s. Now his restaurants and brand are a household name in the UK, with a string of restaurants, cafes and chippies all across the Duchy. 

Other chefs of note that have established an enviable reputation in Cornwall are Nathan Outlaw, Paul Ainsworth and Ben Tunnicliffe.

Stay in one of our fine cottages in Cornwall and enjoy this collection of Michelin places to eat in Cornwall. 

Michelin-recommended restaurants in Cornwall

Michelin Guides covers a fantastic range of great culinary experiences and we've rounded up a list of the best Michelin-recommended restaurants in Cornwall:

*Correct as of 25/02/2022

Michelin Star restaurants in Cornwall

A Michelin Star is awarded to a restaurant for outstanding cooking. The award takes into account a number of factors such as the quality of the ingredients used, how well the flavours work together and the consistency over time and across the menu. 

So to help you along on your culinary journey, we've compiled this list of the best Michelin Star restaurants in Cornwall just for you:

• Outlaw's Fish Kitchen - Port Isaac

Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen is set in a characterful 15th-century fisherman’s cottage right on the harbourside of the pretty fishing village of Port Isaac. They cook up a daily selection of fresh seafood dishes and are committed to offering the best quality and sustainable produce from local inshore day boats.

• Outlaw's New Road - Port Isaac

Another fine restaurant from Nathan Outlaw, Outlaw’s New Road can also be found in pretty Port Isaac and overlooks the spectacular Cornish ocean. Their menu celebrates the finest and freshest seafood that the region has to offer.

• Paul Ainsworth at No6  - Padstow

This fine Michelin star restaurant in Cornwall is located in a beautiful Georgian townhouse in the heart of Padstow. Delivering modern British food with a focus on locally sourced produce, Paul Ainsworth at No6 serves up a unique à la carte menu experience where you can watch the chefs hard at work before enjoying the mouth-watering dishes. 

Fine dining in Cornwall

We have compiled this guide to where you can find some of Cornwall’s most interesting Michelin-starred and Michelin-recommended restaurants and cafes. 

Why not stay in a holiday cottage in Cornwall? We have accommodation all over the Duchy that is close to all the fine food centres like Padstow and St Ives. For budding chefs, some of our properties have excellent kitchens if you’re feeling inspired enough to create your own fine food creations! 

Cornwall cottages

Padstow and Rock

Credit: Instagram @akingabroad

The spiritual heart of fine-dining in Cornwall, there’s more these days to Padstow than Rick Stein. That’s not a disparagement, but with plenty of Michelin-starred and Michelin-recommended restaurants in the village, home to a variety of renowned chefs, you’d be seriously remiss to stop at the biggest name in Padstow, alone. So, who else is in ‘town’? Paul Ainsworth at No.6, Caffè Rojano, and Prawn on the Lawn. 

Padstow is a picture-perfect vision of Cornish life, centring around a working harbour edged with pubs, galleries and gift shops. Sat on the Camel River close to the estuary, you can catch a ferry over to Rock, where there are two more Michelin-recommended restaurants: The Mariners and Dining Room.

Stay in: Padstow – The Linhay | Sleeps: 4 guests with 2 dogs

Port Isaac

Heading north from Padstow, Port Isaac plays host to not one, but two Michelin-starred restaurants managed by the same chef, Nathan Outlaw. Celebrating his love of all foods of subaquatic origin, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw and Outlaw’s New Road would be said to dominate the fine dining scene in the village. 

Port Isaac is an archetypal Cornish village with a quaint harbour at its heart and tiny stone houses that run up and down the hillsides. It’s gorgeous.

Stay in: Pibbies | Sleeps: 4 guests

West Penwith

Credit: Instagram @gurnardshead

Head to the far west of Cornwall and you will reach one of the remotest large towns in England, Penzance. 

Penzance is also the gateway to West Penwith. Encompassing Newlyn, Porthcurno, Sennen, Land’s End and Zennor, this area of Cornwall remains untamed in the main, the only man-made embellishments beyond the farms and villages being the abandoned tin mines. 

An inspiring wildland, several of Cornwall’s Michelin-recommended restaurants can be found this far out including The Tolcarne Inn (Newlyn), The Gurnard’s Head (Zennor),  The Old Coastguard and 2 Fore Street in pretty Mousehole. 

Stay in: Coastguard Cottage | Sleeps: 4 guests

St Ives

High on the foodie's list of places to visit in Cornwall is St Ives. The famous artists’ enclave is a hive of culinary wizards and sorcerers and there are plenty of Michelin-recommended restaurants in amongst its windy narrow streets including Porthminster Beach Café, Porthminster Kitchen and Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling. 

St Ives is a lovely place to spend the day or longer with one of our St Ives cottages, so why not flex the wallet with some quality cuisine during your visit?

Stay in: Rivington | Sleeps: 4 guests

South Cornwall

The southerly regions of Cornwall are home to even more excellent restaurants, this part of the Duchy has also been blessed with some Michelin Guide-endorsed eateries too.

Head to busy Fowey for the choice of Fitzroy or Q. Porthleven is the place to go too, as there is more than one great place to eat, so discover the wonders of The Square at Porthleven and  Kota. 

Stay in: Brambles at Pendriscott Lodge | Sleeps: 2 guests plus 1 dog

More delicious inspiration

Read our guide to food and drink in Cornwall to see an even wider choice of places to get go for breakfast, lunch and dinner during your holiday.  

We have a great selection of holiday cottages in or around each town or village with a Michelin Star or Michelin-recommended restaurant. So, whether you are planning a romantic break or a family holiday to Cornwall and plan on eating out a few evenings, we have just the property for you.

We advise booking ahead at all of these restaurants and cafes where possible to avoid disappointment. Some of them are booked up weeks in advance, particularly during peak periods.