The Prince and The Hawker

Time to Eat

Once seated, our server came to welcome us and remind us that there was only one choice – the set tasting menu centred around the day’s catch. Of course, this was not a problem for us. Looking through the menu had us drooling already, especially after the long drive from the Midlands that morning.

The meal started shortly with some treacle bread and butter. Despite what it looked like, the bread was light and fluffy with hints of caramel flavour. We also received a surprise in the form of marinated trout. The strips of trout were perfectly crafted to whet our appetites for the upcoming onslaught of fresh seafood.

The first plate on the printed menu was raw scallops. The hidden sauce underneath was flavourful but not overpowering against the pure flavour of the raw scallops. It felt like I was tasting the ocean, in the best possible way. I thought it was interesting they highlighted that the scallops were caught in a single breath. At first, I thought this was a little gimmicky – until I later looked into the method. It turns out to be more sustainable. The environmental impact of sourcing scallops by dredging versus hand-picking is probably obvious, but the distinction between sourcing scallops by scuba diving and freediving is less so. It comes down to spreading out the area of impact, and you can learn more at Jamie Kirkaldy’s Instagram.

The next two dishes served together were the pickled herring and lobster & mushroom broth. Since my partner is Swedish, I’m very familiar with pickled herring, but this was rather different. The sour notes were more subtle and the meat was more firm, making the natural flavour of the herring stand out. The lobster & mushroom broth was an absolute flavour explosion – the intense umami of the mushroom dancing gracefully with the richness of the lobster.

The penultimate savoury dish was the bass, cooked perfectly as a canvas for the underlying sauce. The tapenade on top added a sharp punch of brightness to the dish. Then, as if approaching the crescendo of the meal, came the monkfish on the bone. The mash and jus were delicate accompaniments to the star of the dish. There was wonderful contrast between the firm, sweet flesh and the peppery, slightly crunchy crust. We dreamt about this dish for many nights after this meal.

As the meal was drawing to a close, I have to admit I wasn’t overly excited by the prospects of the desserts listed on the menu (and I’m definitely a dessert person). Was I ever wrong! The unassuming flourless chocolate cake was both decadent and endlessly tempting bite after bite. Our server informed us that the 80% dark chocolate came from Chocolarder, a chocolate maker in Falmouth that sources their cocoa – from Madagascar in this case – by sailboats to limit their carbon footprint. The yoghurt sorbet was a welcome refreshing cleanse. Served together, the two desserts balanced each other. While it may be blasphemous to some, I found myself taking alternating bites of the desserts until both were wiped clean from my plates.

We finished off the meal with coffees, which were accompanied by some delectable treats. It was the perfect, simple, and tasty way to finish off the meal.

Final Thoughts

Our meal at Outlaw’s New Road will stick in our memories for a long time to come. Every dish highlighted the freshness of its main ingredients. I especially appreciated the thought that went into which dishes were served as duos. In my opinion, it elevated the experience by bringing in balance where needed. The service was exactly as professional and restrained as needed to provide a cosy feeling in line with the breath-taking setting. Given its one Michelin star status, the price point is very reasonable at £95 per diner. We’ll definitely be returning the next time we’re in Cornwall.