GREAT ESCAPES
hungry traveller
HARBOUR DELIGHTS Pretty Padstow and the elegant Townhouse
WORDS: DAISY MEAGER. PHOTOGRAPHS: CHRIS HEWITT
WHY IT’S GREAT On the north coast of Cornwall, Padstow is not only pretty, it’s also a major dining destination. Rick Stein, of course, made the town famous but chef Paul Ainsworth is hot on the master’s heels with his newly revamped Michelin-starred No 6 restaurant, the Italian Rojano’s and now the Padstow Townhouse.
THE FOODIE BIT The Townhouse, an 18th-century home remodelled into six suites, doesn’t have a restaurant, but Paul Ainsworth at No 6 is a twominute stroll away (you’ll need to book ahead or take a package). Paul’s dishes are cheffy without being putyou- off clever. Highlights include warm bread with brown butter, cod’s roe and pork scratching crumbs, the freshest Porthilly oysters from across the estuary and exquisite roast duck with peking tea sauce. For dessert, the Fairground Tale, Ainsworth’s Great British Menu dish, includes beignets, toffee apples and more served on an old-fashioned cart.