The Old Coastguard
Mousehole, Cornwall
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Pronounced 'mowzle', it's one of those impossibly picturesque villages that is full of second homes and holiday rentals. Tourists flock here in the summer months, but the Old Coastguard is no mere seasonal treat. In the capable hands of the folk behind the Gunard's Head and the Felin Fach Griffin (Cornwall and Powys respectively), it is open for business all year round. A new outdoor Crabshack – no bookings, just grab a table – makes the most of the 'spectacular' garden which slips down towards the sea. Indoors, there are sofas and an elevated dining area which catch the view in daylight hours. The kitchen makes a play for local produce while revealing a passion for flavours from Asia and the European mainland. Kimchi, for example, fires up Mount's Bay mackerel, along with black-garlic salad cream, while tamarind jam accompanies crispy ling. Seafood plays a starring role, but also expect the likes of smoked ham hock terrine (with piccalilli) and pork loin (with rösti and toffee apple purée). Wild garlic is a seasonal treat in a risotto with golden beetroot and goat's cheese. To finish, lemongrass, coconut and vanilla come together in a rice pudding, while sticky toffee pud plays to the purists (with clotted cream, naturally). Ales, gins and even a sparkling tipple wave the Saint Piran's flag of Cornwall. The wine list is well-considered and helpfully annotated.
