Where the Chefs Eat: Paul Ainsworth's favourite restaurants in Cornwall

Amazingly, it’s taken nearly 18 years for Paul Ainsworth's debut cookbook to hit our shelves. The champion of all things Cornish, his new book For The Love Of Food, is the first of its kind for Ainsworth, and he is very, very excited about it. Celebrating both his childhood and his culinary career of 20 years, the recipes are those created for his restaurants and those he makes for his wife, Emma, and their two daughters at home. Ainsworth lives in Cornwall, where he has restaurants Caffè Rojano, Paul Ainsworth at No6 and The Mariners. The reason it’s taken so long for him to hit print is that, as with anything, Ainsworth wanted to do it properly, “with purpose and not for the sake of it. I wanted to have a real end goal. It’s very easy just to sign a book deal and tick that box, but I didn’t want to do that. I hand-wrote every single recipe and tested every single one over and over, from weights and measurements to the ingredients. I’ve got mentors, my family, people who have inspired me and my friends. There are stories behind all the recipes, and we’ve got chapters like ‘from the sea,’ ‘from the land,’ and ‘pasta favourites,’ so it is designed to be super relatable.”

Ainsworth's career has led him through the swinging doors of many a Michelin-starred kitchen, and those at the helm clearly played a huge role in helping him along the way, though he gives immense credit to his father, first and foremost, for pushing him and encouraging him. “I have had a lot of very influential male role models: there was Gordon [Ramsay], Gary [Rhodes] and Marcus [Wareing], all of whom I worked for, but Dad has been a massive influence, and my work ethic started at a very young age thanks to him.” He tells me that he believes “you’re guided by people in your life, like your parents, and certainly Dad had a ferocious work ethic. I think sometimes my Mum felt that he was pushing me a bit too hard and not letting me be a kid, and maybe there is a little truth in that, but one thing that I am immensely grateful for is that it really shaped who I am.”

Paul laughingly talks of having to save the money to pay for a window he broke at a friend’s house when he was little, and always having to aim for something. “Back then, it would have been a pair of Nike Air Max trainers; today, it may be a new restaurant space.” And while he won’t take much credit, as is his nature, Cornwall has certainly benefited from his stint here. He admits that he originally had no plans to move there, but back in 2004, he had “just bought a fast, new motorbike. I was working for Gordon Ramsay in London, and I was a big fan of Rick Stein’s. I had a weekend off, so I got on my bike and decided to ride down to Padstow, which was bonkers. It took nine hours, and it was like going down the motorway on a Japanese rocket. I remember that weekend, I stood staring at a space that now houses one of my restaurants. If somebody had tapped me on the shoulder and told me one day that would be mine, I wouldn’t have believed them. But it all started with Number Six.”

Of course, Cornwall is known for its incredible produce, but there was more to it than that for Ainsworth. “The opportunity was about making something for myself. The beauty of Cornwall with its sunsets and the fresh air and all the beauty of the place has come, and I love everything about that but, initially, it was about having my own opportunity.” And he has, over the past 20 years, watched the county grow from strength to strength: “Nathan Outlaw and Rick Stein shine a light on all the seafood, but there’s also incredible distilleries and breweries here now, and the farming side of Cornwall – the beef, pork and lamb – is just as world-class as the seafood. I’ve tried to really shine a light on that side of things.” Ainsworth's love affair with Cornwall began as a boy and has only grown with time. Here, he offers up his five favourite places in Cornwall to eat and drink a day, night or weekend away.

The Fish House, Fistral Beach, Newquay

“I absolutely love this place. Head Chef and owner Paul Harwood has an amazing pedigree, and I know so many people who have been here and always have great things to say about it.  It's consistent fish cookery of the highest order.  It has a great location, too, on Newquay’s best-known surfing beach. I’m not a surfer, but I did bodyboard when I first moved to Cornwall. If you are a surfer, The Fish House also offers surf lessons – Paul is an awesome surfer himself. I first met him when he worked for Rick Stein, and then he branched out and opened his own place. I’ve honestly never heard a bad word about The Fish House and Paul’s skills with fish butchery are unbelievable.”

Who comes here?

“The Fish House is very well known now, so people come from all over, but, with regards to locals, a lot of the surfers will end up in here after a stint in the water.”

Best table in the restaurant

“There’s something about eating seafood while sitting and actually looking at the ocean, so if you can get a table outside, do. There is nothing like it. I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house because you have a front-row seat on Fistral Beach. The restaurant has got lovely cedarwood decking and there’s a real buzz to the area. It is lovely just sitting there looking at the horizon, but I also like to see the land. I love the mixture of the sea with the headlands, and that is what this place is all about because you have the rugged rocks as well as the beach and the sea; it’s a stunning location.”

Best time to go

“I think daytime, at lunch, so you can enjoy looking out at the water. I live here, but when I get time off and go to somewhere like The Fish House, I feel like I’m also on holiday.”

Dish to order

“I love their grilled scallops. They were fantastic last time I was there; scallops are one of my favourite ingredients on the planet, and when they’re in the hands of someone who really knows what they’re doing, they can’t be beaten. I love them just served with a flavoured butter - it is absolutely phenomenal.”

Nancarrow Farm, Truro

“I had my 40th birthday party at Nancarrow Farm. Head chef Jack Bristow is a Number Six alumni. He was always going to carve out his own identity, and he’s now the head chef and leader at Nancarrow Farm. He just quietly gets on with what he does. Jack was always open about the fact that he wanted to be cooking on an open fire and, honestly, I can’t explain it, but it’s almost like this sort of perfect woodland setting with a courtyard kitchen. I’ve been there many times when it’s all festoon-lit, and there’s a big fire roaring in the courtyard. I’m so proud of Jack and what he’s doing now. He came through the Jamie Oliver Fifteen program, and I’m always a big fan of someone who’s been on the wrong side of the tracks, struggling a bit, but who manages to come out of that on top. He just totally turned his life around. He’s an incredibly skilled craftsman, and you could honestly be anywhere in the world.”

Who comes here?

“It’s one of the hidden gems of Cornwall, but I think the word is spreading. This is the perfect place for the ultimate wedding. I call it a hidden gem because they quietly get on with what they’re doing and it’s so consistent and so beautiful. For me, it’s a very special place.”

Best table in the restaurant

“Just sit where you can in amongst the magical woodland setting. The coast and the beaches in Cornwall are the headline grabbers, but I love this place because it’s inland, and you’re just in their world when you visit.”

Best time to go

“Definitely try to get there for one of their ‘Feast Nights’, and I suggest you stay there, too.”

Dish to order

“At a feast night, you start off with snacks and meet the whole team. You see everything, whether it’s big fillets of fish nailed to a chicory board or a big piece of meat like a nice whole lamb going onto the open fire. I know it’s going to sound crazy, but it’s like a modern-day version of The Darling Buds of May with the crockery and the tables – it’s like that but with absolute gastronomic prowess.”

Shellfish Pig and Bango Kitchen, Falmouth

“These guys are incredible. I first met Howard Sellers and Nick Archer when I did Travelling Feast. We launched around Cornwall just after Covid, and they reached out to me and said they really wanted to be a part of it with their food truck. I looked at the line-up of people we had taking part, and I didn’t have any Far Eastern Asian food. They did a scallop lollipop and Pad Thai; they were the busiest people there. They were busier than me, and it was my festival! Bango Kitchen in Falmouth is a beautiful restaurant, and then Shellfish Pig is their food truck. The beauty of these guys is that you just need to look out for where the food truck is or, if you’re in Falmouth, go to Bango Kitchen. They are two of the nicest chaps you could ever wish to meet.”

Who comes here?

“Anyone with a taste for delicious Asian-inspired food and those who’ve found the food truck often check out the restaurant too. And vice versa.”

Best table in the restaurant

“The window seats at Bango Kitchen are great, but you can’t book, so just get there and take what you can get!”

Best time to go

“Anytime is a good time.”

Dish to order

“Their lollipops are often made of chorizo and scallops with a soy glaze. They also make an epic skewered barbeque scallop pop with chorizo and lime, which is knockout.”

Clementine Cakery

“I am always a champion of new local businesses – I always put things on my Instagram if I discover stuff I love. Clementine Cakery is one of those places for me; it’s amazing. I’ve been working with Charlotte (who owns Clementine) for a long time now, and she’s also been a big part of our personal family celebrations. She’s done all the birthday cakes for our kids, plus we had a family gathering when my youngest daughter was recently born, and she made lots of lovely cupcakes. She’s an absolute grafter and does everything to make her business work. Charlotte is very grounded and very lovely, but she also backs everything up.”

Who comes here?

“Anyone with a sweet tooth or a hankering for good coffee.”

Best table in the restaurant

“Charlotte’s shop is white and coral, and there’s something about that that immediately gives me a feeling of comfort. She does great coffee. The space is lovely; it’s small, almost like a horse shed, but she sells everything out of it. If you’re on the Camel Trail (an 18-mile Cornish walkway), I would grab bikes from Padstow Cycle Hire, ride to Weybridge and go to Clementine.”

Best time to go

“This is a daytime place only.”

Dish to order

“Any of Charlotte’s cakes are great, but she also does great coffee.”

The Golden Lion, Padstow

"I wouldn’t want to be quoted, but I think The Golden Lion pub has been there since the 18th century, and I've known Martin and Sarah Rickard for the best part of 17 years, ever since I moved to Padstow.  I've had many a good time in the Golden Lion, whether just for a pint, their awesome fish and chips midweek, or the best Sunday roast in Padstow. The Golden Lion is a proper local pub and has such a lovely atmosphere. There are only a couple of freehold pubs in Padstow, and this is one of them. They’ve got bedrooms too and, every year, in all the years I’ve been living here, the owners put out the most amazing hanging baskets. You’ll see Martin out there every single evening, watering them."

Who comes here?

“This is a mash-up of very ‘local locals’ as well as visitors.”

Best table in the restaurant

“Any of the tables inside are cosy, and if you sit near the bar, you’re in the heart of all the action.”

Best time to go

“The food is beautiful, well-seasoned and uses great produce. I struggle to get there for the Sunday roast because of my job but get there on a Sunday if you can.”

Dish to order

“Let’s face it, there are a lot of bad fish and chips out there, but the fish and chips are just amazing here.”