Porthgwidden Beach Cafe

Quick Bites

150-seater La Scala Brasserie opens at Bodmin Jail offering modern Mediterranean cuisine within a fabulous old chapel setting. . .New owners at The Glasshouse in Wadebridge, Tim and Tina Burridge ex-Burridges of Rock. . .Orchard Restaurant opens on the site of The Bay Tree in Wadebridge. . .Michael Riemenschneider of The Abbeyin Penzance has bought Michelin-starred Juniper in Altrincham, Cheshire and will re-open this month as Michael Riemenschneider@Juniper. The operation at The Abbey will remain unchanged. . .Cocos in Penzance has new owners and is now the Chapel St Brasserie and Wine Bar serving French Classics with local produce. . .Look out for new restaurant Rocco y Lolas opening this month on Sutton Harbour Plymouth. . .Two new openings in St Ives: Vegetarian restaurant Spinacios on the harbour front and Olives on Island Square. . .New style bar Vanilla set to open in Truro this month. . .MI Bar in Falmouth transforms into Mango Tango, two floors of eating drinking live music and dancing. . .Exeter's Jack in the Green will be closing after Christmas for a £350,000 new kitchen installation. . .Asia Chic opening on September 9th in Plymouths Sutton Harbour offering Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese food. . .Bistro One in Plymouth taking orders for an evening with Glynn Christian the original TV Chef, September 19th £34pp. . .New to Truro - Falmouth Bay Seafood Café offering Champagne, Seafood and of course Falmouth Bay Oysters. . .New Steak & Thai Restaurant launched at The Westberry Hotel in Bodmin. . .New Italian Restaurant for Bodmin Trattoria at Tredethy House. . .Paella nighton Tuesdays and Tapas night on Thursdays at Oliva in Topsham. . .The Michelin Starred Room at The Elephant in Torquay’s Chef Simon Hurlestone has represented the UK in the The Bocuse d’Or Europe and has qualified for next year’s Bocuse d’Or 2009 to be held in Lyon. . .The Greenhouse Organic Restaurant in St Kevern launches a new programme of Cookery classes. . .La Forchette in Totnes under new ownership. . .Waterside Bistro in Totnes celebrates the refurbishment of the Bar area and riverside terrace and launches new top notch breakfast menu. . .Get down to Slow Food, Devon’s regular market in Topsham, Aug 24th, Sep 21st. . .Top veggie restaurant Archie Browns in Penzance open Truro operation. . .The Old Grammar School opens in Truro offering cool and laid back drinking and eating. . .The Holt pub and restaurant in Honiton launch new smokery business-Smoking Jacket Foods. . .Awliscombe Inn has new owners, new menus and new chef Russell Lambert ex The Five Bells in Clyst Hydon. . .Monkton Court Hotel & Restaurant in Honiton under new ownership and transformed into affordable luxury accommodation with stunning contemporary modern British restaurant. . .The Belfry at Yarcome has new owners and is being transformed into a boutique Restaurant with Rooms. . .Owners of gastro café Locatelli Deli & Café in Honiton have reworked The Railway Inn and launched the superb new Railway Bar & Kitchen featuring brick fired pizza and lots of fish. . .Bombay Brasserie Plymouths latest contemporary Indian opened Tuesday 15th July. . .Bar Bigwigs in Plymouth re-opens after refurb with new menu and wine list. . .Rockys opens in Plymouths Southside Street on the site of Bella Napoli, from the guys at Platters fish restaurant, for fun and funky Steak dining from around the world. . .The Mission Plymouths latest bar and restaurant, opens end July in a fabulous old chapel. . .Café Citron opens in the Flavel Arts Centre in Dartmouth for the best coffee in town and Friday night bistro menus. . .New Brunch menu at Blas Burgerworks St Ives. . .New owners and a great international menu at the Lamb Inn Longdown, Exeter. . .Don’t forget The Tavistock Food & Drink Festival Sat & Sun 26-27th July. . .Hoxton Apprentice in London are opening Dartmouth Apprentice end of July with Italian food from Abruzzo. . .Get yourselves down to The Newlyn Fish Festival on 25th August, Bank Holiday Monday. . .The Farmhouse, Saltash’s fine dining restaurant, introduces Sunday lunches from 6th July. . .Chantek in Truro has launched a Cooking School -- £65 per person and includes course handout, welcome drink, tea or coffee plus cocktail, all food, snacks and lunch, recipe booklet, and certificate. Course dates: Sunday 20 July, Sunday 17 August, Sunday 21 September. . .Jazz for Supper with Louise Parker on Saturday July 26th at Bistro One. Tickets £29.50 includes a Hot Jazz Supper and Summer Champagne Aperitif. . .Enjoy a 6 course tasting menu with wines on Friday 25th July at Fifteen Cornwall hosted by acclaimed actor Ben Miller. Fifteen Cornwall and Surf Relief UK are joining together to host a fund raising charity dinner and auction £150 per person. . .The Otter Brewery and the Jack in The Green Inn Gastropub both join The Slow Food Movement. . .New menus and wine list at both the Porthminster Beach Cafe and the Porthgwidden Beach Cafe in St Ives. . .To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Combe House Hotel, Devon is offering a complimentary bottle of red or white Burgundy from a special vintage to guests who book two-nights dinner, B&B midweek before 18 December. . .Get down to Bar Zeegco on 19th July from 11am-3pm for the Frankfort Gate 'Sci-Fi Day'. Meet the characters from Dr Who, Star Wars and Batman. . .A brand new fine dining option for Devon & Cornwall The Farmhouse Restaurant opens in Saltash at The China Fleet Country Club 12th June. Join Head Chef Marc Slater for a winemaker dinner on the 19th June with Hunters Wines. . .Trevaskis Farm launches The Market a new Farmers Market and Farm Shop. . .Gastropub The Fat Pig opens in Exeter. . .New venue 1er Cru Restaurant & Cocktail Bar is now fully open in Wellswood Torquay. . .A branch of Plymouths Treasury Bar & Restaurant opens in Torquay on the site of Bar Code. . .The Bay Hotel & Restaurant opens in Coverack - The Lizards first boutique hotel. . .ExeShed in Exeter announces new Al-Fresco Terrace Menu. . .Cohiba is now under new ownership with new menus. . .New seafood restaurant The Fish Market Restaurant opens on the site of recently closed Joined Up Whiting. . .Celebrate 'English Wine Week' at Bistro One, May 24th to June 1st. . .Oriental Touch opens on the site of Ash Hill Inn, Torquay. . .Imperial Chef in Exeter gives way to Golden Palace specializing in Chinese, Thai and Malaysian cuisine. . .ExeShed in Princesshay Exeter, sister to SevernShed in Bristol launches new al-fresco area. . .The Rosevine opens with new owners, Tim & Hazel Brocklebank who were at Fowey Hall, a new look and new menus. . .South in Mannacan re-opens after kitchen re-work. . .Hot young chef Rory Taber joins Idle Rocks in St Mawes as head chef having come from Maxims of Paris. . .New 2-4-1 Menu at Bistro One; 2 courses for 2 people, only £30 (Mon-Sat Lunch & Wed-Fri Supper). . .Change of concept for The Bywater restaurant in Looe - now The Little Pizza House. . .Revival in Charlestown gives way to Wreckers Bar and Restaurant from the owners of Quay West and The Wheelhouse in Mevagissey. . .The Tolman Café, Bar & Restaurant opens in Old Town St Marys offering all day menus plus evening A La Carte in a contemporary setting. . .The Bishop & Wolf pub on St Marys is now run by James and Chris Le Friec of St Marys Hall Hotel; plans are afoot to re-work as a gastro pub. . .Combe House Hotel takes Silver at ‘Tourism Oscars’. . .ODE Restaurant in Shaldon, was named as one of the top three certified organic restaurants in the UK at the Natural & Organic Awards 2008. . .The Elephant in Torquay is holding a Gold Medal dinner with wine April 4 to celebrate the kitchen team's recent successes in the British Open Cookery Championships. £65 for 5 courses, coffee and petit fours, glass of champagne and wine. . .Pizza Express has opened a branch in Barnstaple. . .The Lime Tree in Penzance is open for Easter Sunday lunch and all day Bank Holiday Monday. . .Get set for Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink (Apr 11-13) at Northernhay Gardens. . .Seafood chef Mitch Tonks opens The Seahorse this April in Dartmouth. . .New chef owner Keith Palmer at C3 Café Bistro in Helston specializing in Free Range ingredients. . .April events at Bistro One in Plymouth -- Ben Hartley art exhibition launch and Parisian Supper. 4 courses plus coffee and wine, £27.50 (Apr 3); Shiraz wine tasting. 6 wines plus one course supper and coffee, £35 (Apr 8); Poetry for Supper Festival, £27.50 (Apr 16). . .Rumours abound about Rick Stein opening in Newquay and Gordon Ramsay in St Ives. . .Pizza Express open in Barnstaple. . .Prezzo open in the Old Post Office in Falmouth. . .The Tanner Brothers' Barbican Kitchen closes after fire rips through The Plymouth Gin Distillery. . .The Hubb in Wadebridge re-opens as The Raj Indian Bar & Restaurant. . .New Management at The Pity Me Inn at Rock. . .Exciting developments for St Ives and Falmouth as The Greenbank Hotel welcomes Head Chef Sanjay Kumar (ex-Hotel Du Vin and Raymond Blanc) and The Carbis Bay Hotel takes on Keith Brooksbank (ex-Alverton Manor and The Greenbank). Both chefs are set to make a big impact on the locality. Other moves see Neil Slade go to The Old Coastguard Hotel as GM and Michelin-starred chef Ben Tunnicliffe (ex-The Abbey) is now consultant to The Old Coastguard Hotel in Mousehole amongst others. . .Yukisan in Plymouth have been nominated for the UK Customer Excellence Awards 2008. . .Bizarre Michelin turnarounds -- John Burton Race buys back The New Angel and is set to reopen next month and Paul Ripley in St Merryn keeps his restaurant open with Head Chef Zane Rosel managing whilst he concentrates on his deli across the road rebranded as Ripleys Fine Foods. . .Slow Food Devon has a great new monthly market at Matthews Hall, Totnes runninf from 11pm-3pm, next dates Mar 30 and Apr 20. . .Nineteen Bar & Bistro at the Lanhydrock Hotel near Bodmin have appointed new Operations Manager Stuart Moir (ex-food driven Springer Spaniel in Launceston). . .Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant reopened last weekend after a £2.5million refit that sees a new larger restaurant with a seafood bar at its centre where you can pitch up for seafood platters, sushi and sashimi. To celebrate, a 3-course lunch menu will run from Feb 3-Mar 16 and costs £28.50. . .New restaurant venture opens in Feb in Port Isaac. The Harbour Restaurant has local fisherman John Brown and wife/chef Emily filling a gap in the market for exciting and affordable cuisine with local produce and fish menus taking inspiration from French, Italian and British dishes. . .Restaurant Nathan Outlaw at the Marina Villa Hotel in Fowey has been awarded a Michelin star with a recommendation for two stars rising. Tean Restaurant at St Martin's On The Isle in Scilly, home to chef Kenny Atkinson, also received a star. A Michelin Bib Gourmand goes to Matt Corner at The View in Torpoint. Ripleys in St Merryn loses its star. . .Upcoming events at The Vanilla Pod At The Cridford Inn -- Valentines Menu (Feb 14), 4 courses, £35. Mothers day lunch menu £17.95 for 3 courses. Wine and Dine evening (Mar 13), 4 courses, £39 to include wine with each course and a talk from Regency Wines. St Patricks night (Mar 17), Bar menu, 3 courses for £19.95. Easter Sunday (Mar 23), £17.95 for 3 courses. . .Famous food pub the Nobody Inn near Exeter has sold. The new owners are Andy and Rowena from the award-winning Harris Arms near Okehampton. . .Rosewarne Manor near Hayle opens as bar and restaurant from the same owners of food driven pub The Lamb & Flag. . .Ben and Kinga Tunnicliffe have sold the Michelin-starred Abbey Restaurant in Penzance. . .Michell Tonks fish cookery writer & restaurateur has bought Pizzazz restaurant next door to the troubled New Angel in Dartmouth. . . The Quay in Ilfracombe is closed for refurbishments from January 1st to 24th and will reopen with an exciting new single menu throughout the building, covering every dining option. The only choice then will be which of the beautiful dining rooms to enjoy. . .Stingi Lulus in Truro has had a face lift and is now Panama Jakes featuring Tex-Mex and Soul Food. . .The Orange Tree in Torquay has new owners. Chef patron Bernd Wolf brings a wealth of experience from Ooop North. . .New to Porthleven, The Corner Deli brings loads of Cornish specialities and a wood fired pizza oven to town. . .L’Ex-Cargot French restaurant opens on The Quays in Exeter. . . Padbrook Park Hotel & Golf Club announce plans to extend the course to 18 holes. . .Bistro St Michaels opens in Penzance for all day food and drink with a French twist -- Moules Frites, Steak Frites and more. . .Tiger Bills Bar, Wok & Grill opens on North Street Exeter for Thai food and American grill dishes. . .TQ5 wine bar & restaurant opens in Brixham. . .The Riverbank is a stylish conversion of the Barley Sheaf in Truro. . . Feast vegetarian restaurant in Truro has been relaunched as Lettuce and Lovage. . . Taste of the West Awards 2007: Overall Southwest Restaurant of the Year is Ode True Food, Shaldon. Gold awards for Victoria Inn, Perranuthanoe; Trawlers, Looe; Jack In The Green, Exeter; Ode True Food, Shaldon. Silver awards for Springer Spaniel, Launceston; The Grove Inn, Kings Nympton; The Merry Harriers, Clayhidon Cullompton; Combe House Hotel, Gittisham. . . Austells in Carlyon Bay have been awarded two AA rosettes within 8 months of opening. . . Kubes in Plymouth becomes Cafe Mez offering great value British and World cuisine. . . New boulangerie La P'tite France opens on Frankfort Gate in Plymouth. . . Odds The Restaurant opens in Cubert for fine dining using ultra-local produce. . . Tuga is a new authentic Portuguese restaurant that has opened in Plymouth. . . 22 Mill St in Chagford has new owners and is now fully open under new Head Chef John Hooker. . . New deli Provedore opens in Falmouth. . .Cocos in Penzance announce new ‘Totally Cornish Sunday lunch’ menu plus bespoke Sunday lunch menus by prior arrangement for that personal touch. . . Feast vegetarian restaurant in Truro has new owners and is looking forward to a refurb soon. . . Bristol and Bath restaurants move in to Exeter with the opening of Chandos Deli and ExeShed on Princesshay. . . The Cornish Arms in Pendoggett has been awarded 4 Stars for its accommodation by Visit Britain. . . The latest cool and stylish opening in Falmouth is Harveys Wharf Restaurant and Bar on Discovery Quay. . . New retro-styled bar opens in ever-growing and trendy Penryn, No 20 features designer flock wallpaper and dandy furnishings. . . Ode True Food in Shaldon announces new ‘Beyond Breakfast’ brunch menus on Saturdays and Sundays (11am-2pm). Also Cheese & Wine evenings every Tuesday (5pm-9pm) with fine artisanal cheeses and organic wines. The also now have their own beer brewed at Ringmore Craft Brewery in Shaldon which has been created to complement their cuisine. Called ODE Ale it is in the style of a Belgian fruit beer with lots of raspberries and loganberries. . . Four new openings in Falmouth – Pizza Express on Discovery Quay over two floors with alfresco and a downstairs café and new concept Gelateria with authentic Italian ice creams. Pippas Steakhouse gives way to new Mexican Steak restaurant 3 Amigos. New North Italian style café and restaurant Caffe Veneto offering authentic Venetian dishes all day. Ratho wine bar & restaurant offering French fine dining using local produce. . .Tate St Ives launches new Sunset Café for delicious Tapas. . . Restaurant Two Ten 200 in Falmouth has started high-quality Sunday lunches. . . @Angelas, a new family run restaurant offering affordable cuisine using local produce opens on the site of Sundogs in Exeter. . . South Cafe in Manaccan has launched a new wine club with mixed cases at wholesale prices. . .