British Travel Journal | Autumn/Winter 2023

For Michelin-star quality there's Paul Ainsworth’s No6,
for 3–5 course lunches served in a cosy polytunnel. There's
Padstow Kitchen Garden, one of Jess’s family ‘favorito’s’;
Caffè Rojano, serving legendary Whoopsy Splunker
puddings; or catch a ferry over to Rock (ferries run every
20 minutes) to Paul Ainsworth's pub, The Mariners.
The Seafood Restaurant, Rick Stein’s flagship venue
(where his culinary empire began) together with his more
informal St Petroc’s Bistro and three further Rick Stein
establishments can also be found in Padstow, so it’s really
no surprise the town has been dubbed Padstein.
Activities are no less plentiful – you can take a tour
inside the Padstow Lobster Hatchery, try to catch your
own under the guidance of experts on a fishing trip, or
look out for basking sharks on a sealife safari.
That evening we enjoyed freshly grilled and battered
fish at The Cornish Arms in St Merryn – and following
our deliciously cooked food the general manager kindly
gave us a tour of their six new shepherd’s huts. Set in
a picturesque spot sheltered by woodlands behind the
pub, their innovative ‘Heat, Sleep, Retreat’ staycation is
a collaboration with Saunas by The Sea – part of a new
craze of wood-fired pop-up saunas, now on the beaches of
Harlyn Bay and Polzeath.
If you feel like staying in for dinner (and who would
blame you!), ordering from the Stein's at Home online
shop is another option for a taste of Rick Stein's famous
fresh seafood caught from around the Cornish coast. If
the weather is good, you can’t go wrong with an ultimate
seafood spread delivered to your door for you to barbecue
and enjoy alfresco on Atlanta Trevone’s terrace.
On our final day in Atlanta Trevone we walked to
Padstow. The coastal path leads you from Porthmissen
beach up past the 80ft-deep giant Trevone Round Hole –
this dramatic tourist attraction was the result of a cave-top
collapse. You pass the lovely sheltered sandy beaches of
Hawker’s Cove, Harbour Cove and St George’s Cove, and
the panoramic views from Stepper Point are breathtaking.
In the historic fishing village of Padstow there are plenty
of shops (don't miss Tidings the year-round Christmas
shop!), cafes, galleries, stylish lunchrooms and swanky
foodie establishments.
We chose to hire bikes and cycle the Camel Trail. This
17.5 mile out-and-back flat bike ride takes you along the
estuary, with lovely views from Padstow to Bodmin.
Halfway along in Wadebridge we stopped in at Tim’s
Place in Foundry Court for a scrumptious Full Cornish with
St Ewe eggs followed by a slice of homemade cake. We
were lucky enough to be served by Tim himself, a friend of
52 BritishTravelJournal.com