The Seafood Restaurant (Rick Stein), Padstow, Cornwall

Not a big fan of the celeb chef culture but this place is the best hands down, it needs to be given what you pay, but we won’t dwell on this. it is a stark reminder to all other restaurants, particularly a certain Scottish chef, that having a famous face is not enough to be regarded as the best restaurant there is. I’m a professional chef and have been for 12 years so feel i know a thing or 2 about the industry. in most case i would recommend going to a restaurant that’s recommend to you by friends rather than a famous face, Rick seems to be the exception to the rule. i attended a catered event by Kudos Delivered 2 weeks ago and it was the best catering I have ever tasted, and all without a TV chef to be spied. please bear this in mind when choosing where you want to go. . . unless u are rich and in Cornwall!

Both my wife and myself dined at The Seafood Restaurant 23rd December 2013 and were not disappointed. Good atmosphere, staff very attentive and food was excellent. Prices are comparable to other restaurants of the same standard. Will definitely visit again.

We decided to go back to Rick steins after a long break,because lets be honest it is expensive,we had the set lunch which looked on paper a good bet at £29.99,the seafood soup and crab were both very good and we thought great this is going to be good,then the hake was served and it was a disaster the batter was ok but the fish was mush inside way over cooked although the pea puree with it was great,the half lobster thernidor was also excellent a kick back to the 70,s.

The puddings were both very disappointing we had some chocolate mousse which was more like a hard and dry cake and also something like small doughnuts that was also very hard and inedible,

All in all even though the price was ok we feel that they could do better in the kitchen.

The service by the way was very good ,maybe slightly over attentive but the staff our very welcoming.

This is our 1st visit. Having chatted to pals and examining the we have been stop looking forward to dining here. The service was very good. Very attentive. The climate was positive yet inviting.They're going the additional distance ensuring their guests are content.This is the most beautiful entree I have ever had!I highly suggest this restaurant if you love food items. Very accomodating workers, try to there when you need them.

I was not impressed by the location of the restaraunt, with a pay and display car park in front and industrial buildings surrounding it. We were a little early for our pre-booked table but were seated straight away, nice white tablecloths and napkins, tables very close though. The menu choice was adequate although expensive for what it was, especially as you had to pay extra for side dishes. We ordered drinks, my husbands larger came up in a very tall unsteady looking glass which was straight away knocked over by the waiter when he tried to serve the starters. The larger came in my direction and although I dodged most of it I still had a wet dress and cardigan. Yes there was apologies from the staff and the starters were taken away to keep warm whilst they cleared up the mess. The tablecloth was soaked, they then applied handfuls of napkins to mop it up and gave me some to do the same to my dress. I had to ask if they would change the tablecolths as the larger was dripping on my lap! At last the manager arrived and moved us to another table, my husband's drink was replaced, my drink did not arrive at the new table so they had to replace that also. Needless to say it was impossible to enjoy the meal, having caused so much attention and feeling uncomfortable with a wet dress. We were not offered anything for the embarrassment or inconvenience. I had scallops with lentils as a starter and hake and chips with mushy peas for my main meal, it was ok but I have had better in the seafood restaraunts in our local area. Towards the end of our meal the manager did say if I wanted to have my dress cleaned I could send them the bill! We were going home the next day, they know it is just passing trade so they are not going to make any effort to win your loyalty. A very disappointing evening and an anti-climax to our wonderful holiday in Cornwall.

Very disappointed by Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant. Meal started off well, but main courses (which were pricey, £35 each) were poor - one of them was inedible first time out the kitchen, we sent it back and it wasn't much improved the second time round. The chef agreed it had been "badly cooked", but apart from suggesting that he keep everyone else's food on a hot plate whilst we chose something else, didn't do anything to make up for the poor meal (e.g. free pudding, or glass of wine on the house). We won't be going back. They obviously rely on enough passing trade that they don't have to impress people into going more than once.

Third time at eating at Rick Stein The Seafood Restaurant Padstow in the last 12 moinths- still hoping for the excellent dining experience sadly dissapointd, an average restaurant, the St Petroc is beter for value and service. Have had far better service and food in Gasto pubs in Worcestershire. Seafood restaurant some dishes good, others poor - rubbery Thai fishcakes, cold fish, Good mussels. service indifferent, drop and run approach. Seats too close to each other - pack them in approach. Needs a review by senior mangement if charging top prices, it needs top service and food, please stop living off the name and deliver a top quality product for the sake of the customers. Would I recommend it - simply NO! Rick Stein - your image is being tarnished by lack of quality control front and back of house.

It was my 25th Birhtday, and my partner took me down to Padstow for a long weekend, As he knows i've always dreamed of visting Rick Steins restaurant and Bistro!!! Rick stein is a huge inspriation to me'and has been for a number of years. And having had the opportunity to visit his restaurant's was absoulety amazing. The bistro was excellent food and service and enjoyed every minute of it .We had the 3 course lunch meal at the seafood restaurant ' and from the moment we walked through the door the service was outstanding. We were greeted buy a gentlemen called jack who was the porter who made us feel so welcome.I kept on thinking that rick stein might just walk through the door' when my partner snuck off and spoke to the front desk and managed to arrange a private visit to the kitchen to have a photo with rick steins chef's . It was a dream come true ' and can't wait to come back in the summer a re live the experience again . 27th feb 2011 danielle norton ...

For such an expensive restaurant I expected better. There were four of us (evening of 4th January 2011).

One of our starters did not arrive until I summoned a waiter to find out where it was. The texture of my fish soup was dubious, but otherwise the starters were quite good.

Quality of Baguettes was very poor (dry and tasteless) but other breads were good.

Main courses were OK - but only OK, not fabulous: large portions of turbot (perhaps even too large?) and very good vegetables.

My dessert was a totally inedible meringue (really sticky and tough) and was returned to the chef (but not replaced(!). No real apology from the waitress (and certainly no visit from the manager to find out what was wrong!)and to my utter amazement was charged for!!!!

Wine (Rick Stein's own Semmillon Chardonnay) was very good.

But overall I would say at £70 per head it is a bit of a clip joint.

Robert Mansell, London

As a proclaimed Rick Stein fan, we have just returned from a very disappointing visit to his restaurant. I thought the food was overpriced and pretentious. The tables were placed too close together; we felt as if we were sharing the experience with the people on the next table. Definitely will not be re-visiting nor recommending this eatery - may even switch off when he's on tv in protest!