The St Enodoc Hotel in Rock is a perfectly pleasant and comfortable place to spend a few days while in Cornwall, but to drive by it, it is indistinguishable from many others like it along the coast road. But within the hotel, something very special is happening in the kitchens for the St Enodoc is the home of Nathan Outlaw's two restaurants: the more casual Seafood & Grill is open all day while Restaurant Nathan Outlaw is fine dining and has been named the Best Seafood Restaurant in the UK by the Good Food Guide. At the start of this year it was awarded 2 Michelin stars.
Nathan himself is a huge talent and was awarded his first Michelin star aged just 25 for his first restaurant The Black Pig, also in Rock but now closed. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw opened in February 2010, instantly ranked 5th in the Good Food Guide in 2011 and retained that place in the recently published 2012 Guide. With Nathan born in 1978, it also means that he achieved all this including the second star before his 33rd birthday - seriously impressive.
It hasn't gone to his head however and Nathan is still in the kitchen each and every service, and we were super impressed with his commitment to his diners when we heard that during the previous week, he left half way through his meal at The French Laundry at Harrods so he could return to Cornwall and make the evening service at the Restaurant.
We were lucky enough to meet Nathan on our visit and really enjoyed our opportunity to hear more about his food and his restaurant. The kitchen is tiny and seems filled when occupied by just Nathan, his head chef Thomas Carr and two apprentice chefs. It reminded us of the set up at Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham, another unassuming but brilliant two star.
The dining room is comfortable rather than grand and seats around 20 people. The menu here is a seafood tasting menu only, four fish courses and two desserts. There's an amuse to start of cured mackerel on a smoked mackerel and horseradish roll that is delicious. Running front of house through the night is Stephanie who brought a sparkle to the dining room to give the restaurant a relaxed and lively feel, never hushed and stuffy.
What was also a very nice touch is that Beverage Manager Damon, who paired wines absolutely superbly throughout the meal provided us a drink amuse with a mini glass of Krug champagne which was such a wonderful thing to do.
Nathan himself is a huge talent and was awarded his first Michelin star aged just 25 for his first restaurant The Black Pig, also in Rock but now closed. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw opened in February 2010, instantly ranked 5th in the Good Food Guide in 2011 and retained that place in the recently published 2012 Guide. With Nathan born in 1978, it also means that he achieved all this including the second star before his 33rd birthday - seriously impressive.
It hasn't gone to his head however and Nathan is still in the kitchen each and every service, and we were super impressed with his commitment to his diners when we heard that during the previous week, he left half way through his meal at The French Laundry at Harrods so he could return to Cornwall and make the evening service at the Restaurant.
We were lucky enough to meet Nathan on our visit and really enjoyed our opportunity to hear more about his food and his restaurant. The kitchen is tiny and seems filled when occupied by just Nathan, his head chef Thomas Carr and two apprentice chefs. It reminded us of the set up at Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham, another unassuming but brilliant two star.
The dining room is comfortable rather than grand and seats around 20 people. The menu here is a seafood tasting menu only, four fish courses and two desserts. There's an amuse to start of cured mackerel on a smoked mackerel and horseradish roll that is delicious. Running front of house through the night is Stephanie who brought a sparkle to the dining room to give the restaurant a relaxed and lively feel, never hushed and stuffy.
What was also a very nice touch is that Beverage Manager Damon, who paired wines absolutely superbly throughout the meal provided us a drink amuse with a mini glass of Krug champagne which was such a wonderful thing to do.
The first of the menu courses is Scallops with a scallop tartare. As you would imagine from a restaurant based on the Cornish coast and with the reputation it has, all the ingredients are of the finest quality and the cooked perfectly; there was not to our mind a flaw with the cooking at any point during the meal. The scallop delivered real flavours and the tartare with cucumber gave a welcome freshness to the starter. Oyster leaf dresses the scallop.
Next we have John Dory with Girolles, Pine Nuts and Red Wine Dressing. It's a nice progression, taking the flavours up a notch. The John Dory comes both pan fried and in lightly curried batter. Also on the plate are fried tomatoes, rocket and more so that every mouthful is varied and interesting. It's a delight.
Next we have John Dory with Girolles, Pine Nuts and Red Wine Dressing. It's a nice progression, taking the flavours up a notch. The John Dory comes both pan fried and in lightly curried batter. Also on the plate are fried tomatoes, rocket and more so that every mouthful is varied and interesting. It's a delight.
Scallops
John Dory with Girolles, Pine Nuts and Red Wine Dressing
It's the next dish though which is the star of the show today for us, a truly brilliant creation which we loved and will be for us ever associated with our trip to Restaurant Nathan Outlaw: Wreck Fish with Bacon, Egg & Ketchup. The description undersells the dish which is of course a highly original take on the English breakfast. Wreckfish as the name explicitly says are deep water marine fish that inhabit caves and shipwrecks. The ketchup here is one third sardine, two thirds tomato and has an incredible kick to it but really binds the plate together well.
There's hogs pudding on a potato terrine that is boudin blanc like and provides the sausage to the breakfast while the egg was a thing of beauty. The sauce around the outside is made from tamarind pods so providing a HP Sauce addition to the dish to really make it an all round breakfast plate. This is a dish of absolute beauty and a dish that we couldn't stop talking about for days after.
It almost makes us feel sorry for the final fish course that has to follow it. The Brill with Crab & Porthilly Sauce really was excellent however, the crab sauce unbelievably good. Porthilly is a coastal settlement four miles from Rock and the source of the crabs; there's celeriac, courgettes and prawns there also. A roasted garlic brioche with mussel butter is served on the side if you want to mop up the sauce. It's another exquisite dish.
There's hogs pudding on a potato terrine that is boudin blanc like and provides the sausage to the breakfast while the egg was a thing of beauty. The sauce around the outside is made from tamarind pods so providing a HP Sauce addition to the dish to really make it an all round breakfast plate. This is a dish of absolute beauty and a dish that we couldn't stop talking about for days after.
It almost makes us feel sorry for the final fish course that has to follow it. The Brill with Crab & Porthilly Sauce really was excellent however, the crab sauce unbelievably good. Porthilly is a coastal settlement four miles from Rock and the source of the crabs; there's celeriac, courgettes and prawns there also. A roasted garlic brioche with mussel butter is served on the side if you want to mop up the sauce. It's another exquisite dish.
Wreck Fish with Bacon, Egg & Ketchup
The Brill with Crab & Porthilly Sauce
Two desserts follow. First, Blackberry Jelly, Vanilla Cream, Fig & Port Sorbet. Second, Cheese Carrot Cake, Orange Curd & Frozen Yoghurt. The sorbet and vanilla cream is very refreshing and ideal after the deep rich Crab & Porthilly sauce. The cheese carrot cake is wonderfully creamy with good texture. There is a fantastic English cheese course option also but we were too full to try it but the selection looked to be first class.
Cheese Carrot Cake, Orange Curd & Frozen Yoghurt
Nathan with Head Chef Thomas Carr (far left) and Dean (pastry apprentice) and Dennis.
This was an excellent meal, original, creative and technically brilliant. The setting also seems right, the UK's best fish restaurant should have a view of fishing boats out the window. It's another showcase for British food that highlights both the brilliant talent of Nathan and his team, but also of British ingredients. And for people who might be sceptical about four courses of seafood with no meat options, it also highlights the variety of what can be achieved and how satisfying as a meal it can be. Menu construction is excellent with the dishes working together as a whole, not just at the individual level.
We loved our meal at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. Nathan has put together a great team both in the kitchen and front of house, and Stephanie and Damon really enhanced our enjoyment of the night through their knowledge, care and personal interaction with us.
If you want to know how good seafood can be, a trip to restaurant Nathan Outlaw is an absolute must.
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Related links
Nathan Outlaw webpage
We loved our meal at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. Nathan has put together a great team both in the kitchen and front of house, and Stephanie and Damon really enhanced our enjoyment of the night through their knowledge, care and personal interaction with us.
If you want to know how good seafood can be, a trip to restaurant Nathan Outlaw is an absolute must.
Return to homepage
Visit our Foodie Survey page
Related links
Nathan Outlaw webpage
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