The Mill House, Tintagel

When you think of Cornwall’s top restaurants, a few locations spring to mind: Padstow, obviously. Rock, too. Maybe St Mawes. You certainly don’t think of an isolated, narrow lane near the cliffs of the north coast. But in recent years The Mill House Inn at Trebarwith, near Tintagel, has been quietly carving out something of a reputation.

Owner Mark Forbes has added a sleek, modern dining area to the old stonebuilt mill which houses the bar and eight en-suite rooms, and the attention to detail is immaculate throughout, from the elegant table decorations to the stylish contemporary presentation and impeccable service. And the same goes for the food. There are no fancy flourishes, just simple sophistication, and flavours that pack quite a punch.

The kitchen makes everything from scratch, using high-quality, local, seasonal ingredients, and is always on the lookout for new ways to create unusual taste profiles that combine different flavours – think pork with Pernod, port and langoustine. The focus is clearly Cornish and British, but world cuisine makes an appearance on the menu too and is tackled extremely well.

Sesame seed scallops with steamed Chinese chicken wontons, rice vinegar, wasabi and soy could easily feel out of place, as could chickpea and spinach korma, aromatic rice and onion bhaji. But they are cooked and presented in such a way that they combine well with other menu choices.

This innovative menu is matched by an equally compelling wine list, designed by Experience Wine of Truro specifically to complement the menu. There’s nothing here that you‘ll come across in the supermarket, with almost every wine made by quality boutique vineyards and vintners.

Click on the following link to see The Mill House’s recipes for Fowey mussels and razor clams in a Cornish Orchards cider and hogs’ pudding fumet and halibut with jerusalem artichokes and Cornish mussels.