Geales Restaurant

For some years there have been delicate suggestions that perhaps the time had come for a, well if not refurbishment, at least a lick of paint or two at Geales. It has certainly had that and the new Geales presents an interior that drives a nice line between the old and new images, whilst cleverly retaining the right atmosphere.

The new team, Mark Fuller, Andy Taylor and Gary Hollihead, claim to be "keeping the great British chip shop mentality - fresh fish, no frills and fabulous service". Starters of Scottish smoked salmon, roast sea scallops, Thai soft shell crab or its distant relation, a dressed Cornish crab, Falmouth Bay oysters served with merlot vinegar and shallots, or a small or large pot of prawns, all contribute to the start of a meal that brings out the best in fish.

Mains dishes include Geales Breakfast, an irreverent affair of poached haddock, dry cured bacon, black pudding and poached egg, their eponymous fish and leek pie, or a choice of cod, hake, haddock or sole. Just to display a proper sense of gastronomic democracy there is sirloin steak with sauce Béarnaise and crispy shallots. And be sure to ask about the market fish of the day fresh from Devon or Cornwall

A selection of a dozen or more side bites involve sweet pickled onions, bread and taramasalata, or roast and salted giant corn. It seems to me fish is not an easy dish to follow when it comes to desserts, but at Geales they appear to have found the ideal formula, with jam roly-poly, warm rice pudding and strawberries amongst others, or the market cheese of the day.

Geales is open for lunch and dinner, closed for lunch on Mondays.