Six restaurants in the Falmouth and Helston areas have been named among the best to eat at in Cornwall.

Four from around the Falmouth area and two from Helston were included in a list from Conde Nast Traveller detailing 26 of the best eateries in the county.

Discussing the creation of the list, the publication wrote: "This beautiful county is so much more than its dramatic coastline and sub-tropical vegetation, particularly when it comes to fish – the sheer number and variety of great places to eat is impressive."

The full list of the best places to eat in Cornwall can be found on the website here.

Which Falmouth and Helston restaurants were featured?

Verdant Seafood Bar

Address: Quay Street, Falmouth TR11 3HH

Tripadvisor rating: 4.5/5 (from 304 reviews)

Opened up by Adam Robertson, co-founder of Verdant Brewing Co, the Verdant Seafood Bar is a tapas joint that has earned a lot of praise.

Conde Nast was particularly impressed with the emphasis on quality beer at the establishment as well as dishes such as mussels with lime leaf and ginger.

They added: "This is the other end of the scale from the Nathan Outlaw/Rick Stein fine dining brigade, but Cornwall is dotted with microbreweries and cosy little Verdant is proof that a bunch of impassioned, self-starting hopheads can provide great stomach-liners, too."

Culture

Address: 38B Arwenack Street, Falmouth TR11 3JF

Tripadvisor rating: 5/5 (from 97 reviews)

The culture was described as an "instant hit with Cornwall’s in-the-know food obsessives" when it opened back in 2022 and it's still impressing diners today.

Conde Nast shared: "Cape Town-born chef Hylton Espey and wife Petro have transformed a once ho-hum bistro on the town’s old quayside into a deservedly buzzed-about stronghold of inventive, only-in-Cornwall cooking with a seven-course menu that feels like a Rolodex of local suppliers".

Produce that can be found at the restaurant includes greens from market garden Soul Farm and scallops from fishmongers Sailor’s Creek.

Mine

Address: 4 The Old Brewery Yard, Falmouth TR11 2BY

Tripadvisor rating: 5/5 (from 158 reviews)

The kitchen at Mine is said to pride itself on making playful updates to classic dishes, which rotates weekly depending on available produce.

There’s always one meat, one fish and one vegan plate for each course, plus plenty of gluten-free options. 

Conde Nast added: "The week we visited, the menu included salt-baked celeriac served with mushrooms and wild-garlic kimchi, Cornish venison loin with homemade ‘Marmite’, roasted shallots and a watercress salad, and a side of buttermilk-braised rainbow chard."

New Yard Restaurant

Address: Stableyard, Trelowarren, Mawgan, Helston TR12 6AF

Tripadvisor rating: 4.5/5 (from 377 reviews)

New Yard Restaurant was commended for its "sustainable gastronomy" as well as "a menu that changes nightly to reflect the best quality ingredients available each day".

Diners can indulge in dishes such as 100-day aged beef, homemade sourdough and "intricate desserts bejewelled with Cornish sea buckthorn".

Conde Nast was also impressed by the "sociable, interactive dining experience" that is nurtured by the venue.

Kota

Address: Celtic House, The Shipyard, Porthleven, Helston TR13 9JY

Tripadvisor rating: 4.5.5 (from 1,056 reviews)

The work of chef Jude Kereama was praised by Conde Nast for blending Asian and New Zealand influences which makes his restaurant stand out.

Diners can enjoy dishes such as wasabi tartare and curry spiced monkfish and shimeji mushrooms with Cornish venison and dashi broth with Atlantic shellfish here.

The publication adds: "Kereama has been recognised with all sorts of awards, and as you eat a Porthleven crab while looking out at its erstwhile home, or sip an apple-sake consommé that perfectly marries eastern and western influences, it isn’t hard to see why."


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Harbour House

Address: 3 Trefusis Road Cornwall, Flushing, Falmouth TR11 5TY

Tripadvisor rating: 3/5 (from 46 reviews)

Located "a short ferry trip across the Penryn River from Falmouth" Harbour House is described as a "thoughtfully remade pub by the water with roaring fires".

Chef Andrew Tuck’s "cleverly conceived cooking" was heavily praised by Conde Nast.

They added: "Changing with the seasons, his menu might include pickled pollock with rhubarb, coal-roasted onglet with pickled chillies or the absurdly good day-boat fish with tangy nduja sauce."