From The PIG's 25-mile kitchen garden menu to Rick Stein's legendary Seafood Restaurant and Paul Ainsworth's Michelin-starred No.6, this stretch of North Cornwall punches well above its weight for food. Sixteen of our favourites, sorted by occasion.
Pasties, ice cream, a beach café and a fish-and-chip supper on the quay.
Rick Stein's famous chippy on South Quay — cooked to order in beef dripping with a menu that goes well beyond cod, taking in hake, monkfish, John Dory and bass landed right on the Padstow doorstep. Dine in or takeaway.
Right on Harlyn Bay, this licensed beach café serves flat whites, Da Bara cinnamon buns, breakfast baps, pizzas and burgers. Catch live music sessions in summer from the decked terrace with a front-row view of the bay.
The little blue van at the top of Booby's Bay Lane — a beloved local institution serving outstanding ice creams, homemade lollies, coffees and milkshakes. The perfect pitstop on the coast path walk to Constantine Bay.
A go-to for fresh-baked Cornish pasties, sausage rolls, soups and sweet treats. Great for grabbing a quick, quality lunch on the go before heading down to the harbour or out on the coast path.
Padstow's original artisan pasty shop, established over 40 years ago on the quayside. World Pasty Championship winners, producing award-winning handmade steak pasties, chicken and bacon, leek and cheese, and more.
A bright, welcoming Middle Eastern-inspired café in the heart of Padstow, run by Masterchef quarter-finalist Kate Attlee. A daily-changing menu of vibrant salads, dahl, tahini buns and seasonal breakfast bowls. A refreshing alternative to the usual.
Long lunches, gastropubs and lively rooms — book a few days ahead in summer.
Sister to Prawn on the Lawn, tucked into the beautiful Trevibban Mill Vineyard just outside Padstow. Sharing plates of hyper-local, seasonal Cornish produce cooked on a wood-fired oven called Bertha, with wines grown on the surrounding vines. In the Michelin Guide.
The most relaxed of Rick Stein's Padstow spots — freshly cooked breakfasts, light lunches and relaxed dinners. Great for a quality bite after a morning on the beach or a pre-walk fuel-up.
Paul Ainsworth's relaxed Italian-inspired restaurant in the heart of Padstow. Stone-baked sourdough pizzas, great pasta dishes and a warm, lively atmosphere. Dog friendly with lovely indoor and glass-room seating.
Paul Ainsworth's much-loved pub overlooking the Camel Estuary in Rock, reached via the Black Tor ferry from Padstow. Classic British pub food with a creative twist, fab estuary views from the terrace and Sharp's Cornish ales on tap. In the Michelin Guide.
Rick Stein's traditional Cornish pub just 15–20 minutes' walk from Harlyn Bay. Honest British pub food, real ales, a large beer garden in summer and roaring log fires in winter. Six shepherd's huts on site if you fancy staying over.
A relaxed outdoor eatery set in The PIG's garden, under canvas rain or shine. Wood-roasted locally caught lobster, seasonal salads and smoky char-grilled dishes, all with sweeping sea views. Walk-ins welcome Mon–Sat 12–5pm for the grazing menu.
Book weeks ahead in summer — these are the headline rooms in Padstow.
The heart of The PIG at Harlyn Bay — informal but exceptional, where everything on the plate has been grown in the kitchen garden or sourced from within 25 miles. Fresh eggs from the resident hens, seasonal vegetables and seriously good Cornish seafood.
A bijou seafood bar on Duke Street that changes its small-plates menu daily — dictated by what Padstow's fishermen land each morning. Award-winning for best UK seafood restaurant and a fixture in the Michelin Guide every year since opening.
Padstow's only Michelin Star restaurant, set in a white Georgian townhouse on Middle Street. Paul Ainsworth's flagship — creative, refined cooking with four AA rosettes and a wine list to match. Book well in advance.
Rick Stein's legendary flagship, celebrating 50 years overlooking the Camel Estuary. The freshest fish and shellfish, classically and brilliantly cooked — turbot hollandaise, whole roast bass, seafood platters and a dedicated shellfish bar. The one that started it all.