The story
Rick Stein's Café, at 10 Middle Street in Padstow, is an Asian fusion and seafood restaurant that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2026, recognised for good-quality, good-value cooking. The café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in the heart of the town.
The kitchen cooks fish landed by the Padstow boats in simple dishes with Far Eastern roots. Rick's salt and pepper prawns have stayed on the menu since he brought the recipe back from Hong Kong in the 1990s. Other regulars include Thai fishcakes, mussels with black beans, garlic and ginger, and grilled hake with spring onion mash and soy butter.
Inside, the room has white walls, light-wood furniture and bright colours, and the Good Food Guide lists it as Good for 2026. Children's dishes cost £7.50, and highchairs are available. Dogs are welcome at three partly covered courtyard tables when the weather allows. For dessert, sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream is the usual choice, and the wine list starts from £23.
Recognition
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Details
History
good quality, good value cooking
If you’re looking for a casual, cut-price take on the 'Padstein' experience, this all-purpose eatery in the frenetic hinterland of downtown Padstow should fit the bill. Drop by for breakfast or a cup of coffee, feed the kids at lunchtime or book in for a ‘very enjoyable evening’ against a backdrop of bright colours, white walls and light-wood furniture – there are even three bedrooms upstairs if you fancy staying over. As you might expect, the kitchen majors in seafood from the Padstow boats, so dip into an assortment of Rick Stein’s greatest hits at user-friendly prices. Briny freshness and globetrotting flavours collide in classics such as Thai fishcakes, mussels with black beans, garlic and ginger or grilled hake with spring onion mash and soy butter. The kitchen is also happy to go off-piste, offering chargrilled rump steak with peppery rocket, thin-cut chips and béarnaise sauce, as well as a veggie stew of tomatoes, aubergines and tamarind – plus sourdough for dunking. For afters, sticky toffee pud with clotted cream is the go-to option. A cluster of fish-friendly wines (from £23) provide suitable refreshment.
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