Outlaw's Guest House Hotel

Cornwall, England

For a man known for cooking with fish, Nathan Outlaw – and his head chef, who shares the task – cooks a mean full English (and kedgeree for that matter) at this nine-room guest house in Cornwall’s idyllic Port Isaac.

Together with his wife Rachel, Nathan has created a mini stable of two restaurants and now perfectly kitted-out rooms, staffed by perhaps the friendliest yet most professional team you could meet. Every chef likes to say their team is family, but here you have to check birth certificates, they’re so together.

Service isn’t without substance either: a breakfast with the best black pudding this side of Lancashire easily matched two meals at Outlaw’s restaurants – one opposite, one in a listed cottage right on the harbour – that show Nathan respects and understands how to bring out the flavour in fish unlike any other. If New Road stays with just one star, it’ll be a huge injustice, and Fish Kitchen isn’t far behind. He doesn’t overly mess with fish, and his
free-dived scallops on smoked roe are among the best things I’ve eaten, with plenty of other contenders on both menus. The guest-house bar is stocked with great local wines and beers and there’s always homemade cake too. And with brilliant host Steph, you
couldn’t feel more at home.

Doubles (two nights, bed, breakfast and dinner) from £785. 01208 880896, outlaws.co.uk

Words by Alex Mead.

This review was taken from the August/September 2023 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.