Maybe when you have been to somewhere several times you start to notice things more than when you are visiting for the first time and are slightly in awe.
We have been going to the Seafood Restaurant for several years now and have visited three times in the last year including the latest time last weekend. The surroundings are nice especially if you get one of the tables near the windows.
Based on our last three visits, service has become variable. In January 2011, it was detached and poorly executed; the young girl seemed inexperienced and badly trained. In November 2011 with the tasting menu, service was great. This last time it was friendly but slow, a large gap between starters and main and I had to start waving across the restaurant to staff to be able to pay the bill in the end. The food remains good but based on the last three visits, the chefs cannot deliver bass to the table with crispy skin. Brill with potatoes and winter truffle was excellent though. So to sum up, food is good not exceptional, service is generally good not exceptional, prices are …..exceptional. Still the place to go in Padstow, though.

We enjoyed a brilliant stay over the New Year break including two meals in the Seafood Restaurant. The tasting menu is fantastic value and a brilliant seafood cooking demo. Service is very attentive, I really cannot recommend this hotel and restaurant highly enough.

My wife purchased a 2 day cookery school course at The Seafood Cookery School, which had also a stay in the Seafod Restaurant. The Hotel (Room 4) was very nice. Escellent choice at Breakfast and a ovely bathroom. Views were a bit limited but in winter who cares....

Best to like fish before you decide to visit the Seafood restaurant in Padstow because on the evening we dined in November there was only one “meat” dish out of 12 main course dishes on the menu, the rest being fish & nothing available if we were vegetarian. That was ok for us because we were looking forward to indulging in a few of the stunning fish dishes available. I had the small Fruits de Mer (£23.00) & my partner had 5 Langoustines (£22.00) for starters & the quality was first-rate. However it would have been better value in the future to have a Fruits de Mer for one from the main course (£46.00) & then shared this between the two us because this appeared to be better value including lobster not available on my dish. I then decided on Roast Turbot with Hollandaise sauce for the main course & my partner decided on Monkfish Vindaloo. Both dishes were outstanding with the large portion of Turbot cooked to perfection, the flesh just going from translucent to opaque by the bone, skilfully accompanied by the sauce. Please note that whilst the Turbot may appear good value at £35.00 however I required an additional two side dishes at £3.00 each. Probably the impeccably cooked & very large portion Monkfish was better value at £28.50 because the pilau rice, puris bread, raita & kachumber salads were included & therefore required no extra side dishes. We both indulged in having Hot Chocolate Fondant with Pistachio Ice Cream & Crème Anglaise dish each for dessert after it was recommended by our waiter who did a tremendous job attentively looking after us all night. The large restaurant was completely full with diners wishing to sample fresh fish dishes from an extensive menu & most looked as if they were enjoying the experience. There may be a better value restaurants in Padstow with a more intimate personal service & this is probably certain elsewhere in Cornwall but the Seafood restaurant in Padstow has a lot going for it and therefore we will return.