No 6 Restaurant & Private Dining Rooms

In a town boasting back-to-back Rick Stein restaurants, No 6 comes as a refreshing change. It boasts a sharp, urban look – chequerboard floor, contemporary art, simple tables – in the framework of a small Georgian terraced house. Chef-patron Paul Ainsworth & his young team may not boast the national reputation of Padstow’s most famous son, but in just a few months they’ve established themselves as a class act in town. Here are chefs with pedigree (ex Petrus, Lindsay House & The Greenhouse) & their ambition & energy ooze from every pore of this savvy restaurant. They take their inspiration from the market & the seasons, with foraged foods appearing alongside local supplies, & you get the feeling there will always be something new & appealing to eat here. Homemade bread – the hemp is delicious – is just meant to be slathered with pungent truffle-laden butter, &, on our visit, a starter of white onion & garlic leaf soup was so good, we ordered a side dish of garlic leaves with the main course. On paper, red mullet may have been conventionally teamed with Med flavours like piperade & fennel boulangere, but the flavours proved particularly lively & the dish was pulled into focus by earthy pickled beetroot. Our desserts of caramelised bananas & dark chocolate served with salted caramel & milk espuma & cinnamon-sugared doughnuts were equally excellent. You don’t need to come here for a full-blown meal; it’s possible to pop in for morning coffee & pastries or a lunchtime sandwich. Service is spot on & wines are reasonably priced to boot.