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Looe’s growing food scene has a real sense of community spirit.
With the second Taste South East Cornwall festival approaching, Lara Watson discovered the town’s key foodie finds.
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Mawgan’s of Looe
Higher Market Street, East Looe.
Tel. 01503 265331. www.mawgans.co.uk |
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For a night out that’s both homely and exotic, take a trip to Mawgan’s.
Jeanne and Eddie Morgan’s restaurant cum family kitchen is a blend of country farmhouse and South African safari.
The couple, who spent 25 years there, cook up a mix of British and African dishes such as Bobotie (lamb), Huku Maputo (chicken) and Blyde River Potjie (game), according to Slow Food principles. All ingredients are locally sourced, including Treleavens ice cream for Piskie’s Kisses - a dessert made up of smuggled French brandy, Cornish ice cream and a secret ingredient.
Visit in early November or late December as Jeanne and Eddie get a well-deserved month-long break from November 15.
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Trawlers on the Quay
East Looe.
Tel. 01503 263593. www.trawlersrestaurant.co.uk |
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Trawlers on the Quay has a long reputation as one of Looe’s best restaurants. Owners Nick Love and Mark Napper have been running the modern European/Cajun style restaurant since June 2003 joined by South East Cornwall's rising star chef Ben Palmer. Mark’s home-baked breads are legendary and his signature ‘Trawlers trio of pots’ - lemon posset, crème brûlée and chocolate and orange custard is a must-try. Fab sea views are complemented by a changing exhibition of work from contemporary Westcountry artists.
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The Bywater
Lower Market Street, East Looe.
Tel. 01503 262314. |
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Intimate and cosy with 22 covers, The Bywater is as perfect a place to take your date for the evening as it is to hire for a small party. Iain and Amy Shillito’s restaurant is a beautifully hidden-away ivy-covered 17th century cottage with original beams salvaged from a wrecked galleon. Very Cornish - as is the food, which Iain cooks to high standards of seasonality and local availability.
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Barclay House
St Martins Road, East Looe. Tel. 01503 262929.
www.barclayhouse.co.uk |
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Nick and Kelli Barclay’s house of leisurely lunches is an idyllic spot to while away an afternoon. Menus are firmly fixed on daytime dining and the attentive staff won’t rush you along. Take your time and enjoy a more continental way of eating Modern British coastal dishes such as Fowey river mussels, or day boat fish from Looe harbour. It’s all cooked by Nick with bags of flair.
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Talland Bay Hotel
Porthallow, near Looe. Tel. 01503 272667.
www.tallandbayhotel.co.uk |
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This elegant hotel, in a spectacular spot overlooking the bay, is the perfect place to spend time in the winter, whether you fancy excellent seasonal dining, exploring hidden coves, or relaxing by a warm fire with tea and homemade cake.
Dining in the Terrace Restaurant is relaxed but stylish, and open to all. Serving both traditional and contemporary food, expect to choose from dishes such as Cornish crab lasagne, lamb cutlets with gratin potatoes and a rosemary jus, and apple and cinnamon pie, all prepared with great attention to detail.
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Demelza’s Café
Shop 3, Seafront Court, The Quay. |
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A lovely little caff with a ‘50s vibe and the Cath Kidson look. Owner Demelza Harvey serves up freshly baked ciabatta rolls, sandwiches and lunchtime specials to old jazz tunes. Visit in the spring and summer - closed in winter.
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Treleavens Luxury Cornish Ice Cream Dairy
Fore Street, Looe. Tel. 01503 220969. |
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One of Cornwall’s premier artisan food products, this is proper Cornish ice cream in an amazing range of flavours. Open in season.
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Charlie Bananas
The Old Mill, Bridgend, West Looe. |
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Open in the summer, this is a fun shack on the west side of the town that serves all sorts of sweet and savoury crêpes, jackets, baguettes and smoothies with quality ingredients.
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Purely Cornish
Buller Street, East Looe. Tel. 01503 262696. www.purelycornish.co.uk |
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Dedicated to local produce, Purely Cornish lives up to its name as a hidey hole crammed to the rafters with Kernow’s best. There are often tastings of all sorts of produce going on - from St Kew biscuits to Stuart’s Westcountry crisps, and staff are only too happy to answer your queries. Look out for PC’s Christmas hampers this season - prepared or ‘pick your own’ options are available.
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Pengelly’s
The Fish Market, The Quay, East Looe. Tel. 01503 262246. |
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Situated slap-bang in the middle of Looe’s fish market is Pengelly’s - a fishmongers with a countywide reputation as one of the best. With shops in both Looe and Liskeard, Angie and Jackie Pengelly are descendents of a long line of fishermen and boat owners. Their grandfather, Jack, set up the business and his predecessors sold fish from a horse and cart around the Looe area.
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Miss Marple’s Tea Room and Cornish Delights
Fore Street, East Looe.
Tel. 01503 263157. |
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Visit Cornish Delights on the ground floor for Cornish fudge from The Buttermilk Shop in Padstow, then head upstairs to Miss Marple’s for a traditional cream tea or soup and sarnies.
This feature first appeared in the Nov-Dec '06 issue of Cornwall food magazine.
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