No.6

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Various forms of opposition have arrived in Padstow to give dear old Rick a run for his money whilst he and Chalky progressed round Britain flushing out cosy middle aged ladies with recipes to cherish, but probably none has been more serious than No 6, even if we are all pals together.

No 6 claim that their cooking style ranges from old fashioned braises and daubes, complex meat and offal dishes to local caught fish and shellfish. Add to this desserts to die for and a selection of British cheeses such as you may never have seen before, and you have No 6 in focus, even if it defies the cuisine list.

Amidst modern and clean cut surroundings such dishes as Dorset Blue lobster and new potato salad, with marinated tomatoes, green beans and Woodland sorrel vies with pan-fried scallops with Clonakilty black pudding, parsnips and vanilla, as a starter, before moving on to Scottish fillet of beef, hand cut chips, braised onions, asparagus and Béarnaise sauce, or warm South Coast mackerel with sweet peppers, spiced cous cous, cucumber and lemon.

A traditional bread and butter pudding can still hold its own against baked apple with rum frangipane, winter berries and Cornish clotted cream. The team behind this is none other than Paul Ainsworth, David Boulton and Chris Mapp, all of whom met when they worked at Pétrus.

The last time I was at Padstow there were enough people in it to keep a fleet of restaurants afloat, in fact come to think of it . . . . . . . . Either way I think you would have to be a pretty iffy restaurateur to go broke in Padstow - and these guys are very good.