Paul Ainsworth at No.6

4 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

High quality cooking

He may not have the public profile of all-conquering Rick Stein, but Paul Ainsworth is a big player in Padstow these days – and this engaging Georgian townhouse is his gastronomic HQ. Cool artwork and a ‘great soundtrack’ add some upbeat vibes to the two modest dining rooms, while staff get a special mention for their thoroughly professional attitude and ‘sense of humour’. That said, Ainsworth's cooking is indubitably the star of the show. The menu is divided into four sections highlighting the chef’s technical prowess, his loyalty to seasonal produce and his bold culinary imagination. Ainsworth's modish approach and his pairing of disparate ingredients may seem tantalisingly outré, but the results invariably draw ‘sighs of pleasure’: ‘bird’s liver’ with carrot ketchup and smoked eel; truffle-cured cod with roast chicken and manzanilla; ‘all of the pigeon’, various gamey conceits including a confit leg wrapped in crispy shredded kataifi pastry sitting on umeboshi condiment (made from Japanese salted plums), followed by a dark pain au chocolat filled with the remaining bits of the bird. To finish, there might be some artisan cheese with 'apple pie', but all eyes inevitably turn to the near-legendary ‘Fairground Tale’ (as seen on TV). Roll up for three edible sideshows: the ‘old tyme coconut shy’ (a towering bitter chocolate and coconut soufflé with chilled cocoa and rum custard); a miniature, hand-painted wooden carousel bearing a chocolate bar and a crunchy brown-butter choc ice wrapped in paper; and finally, ‘all the fun of the fair’ – a wickedly rich muscovado-glazed doughnut served warm with raspberry curd and butter-roasted peanuts. Matching this is a wine list stuffed with bottles that the owners like to drink; France claims pole position but the range is global, and there are some tasty by-the-glass selections too. ‘A brilliant dining experience that made the six-hour drive down from Kent more than worthwhile,’ concluded one couple.

What is it about Padstow and restaurant empires? The Cornish fishing village was put on the culinary map by a certain Rick Stein, who seems to own half its restaurants, but, more recently, there’s been a new kid in town (who appears to own the other half). Said chef is Paul Ainsworth, who has a chic boutique hotel and a casual pizza restaurant in Padstow (and has also taken on a pub nearby), but who is best known for the eponymous fine dining restaurant he runs with his wife, Emma. The Michelin-starred restaurant, located in a Georgian townhouse, has built a reputation for its fun approach to fine dining, serving modern British food with a focus on Cornish produce. Ainsworth is a playful character and someone who is keen to bring something new to the table, as it were. His 'land & river' dish of Crapaudine beetroot, with smoked eel, green apple, and caviar is one of the first to pass people's lips, and it sets the tone perfectly for the quality and precision that follows. A former protege of Gordon Ramsay, Ainsworth has learnt lessons that he still applies to this day. As No 6 approaches its 20th birthday his dedication and ambition burn as brightly as ever. "We never stop, we never stand still, we continually strive for excellence," the chef recently wrote about his restaurant. "We didn't come this far to only come this far."