I’m sat at dinner watching the view of sailboats bob in harbor, the lights of Falmouth on the horizon flicker above the waves, and enjoying a delectable scallop served with crispy duck skin and black truffle shavings. Next to me, I’m joined at dinner by the man who, a few hours before, caught the scallops by his hands mere footsteps (or should I say swim strokes?) in the harbor below. While this scenario feels straight out of a children’s story, it is something of a common occurrence in the picture-postcard setting of the Idle Rocks, the boutique hotel on the charming Cornish coast.
Sat atop the rocks on St Mawes harbor, the Idle Rocks is hardly a hidden gem. As Relais & Châteaux‘s only property in Cornwall, it has become a sought-after destination; with guests making the 45-minute drive from Truro, the 20-minute ferry flaunt from Falmouth or from even further afield to the very south-easterly tip of the British Isles. Over the past decade since owners David and Karen Richards purchased the Idle Rocks, they have become a fixture of St Mawes life like the landmark hotel itself – and their multi-year renovation on the century-old property has also seen this former sleepy fisherman village transform into one of the most exclusive corners of England’s south coast.
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While the Reef Knot stands as the Idle Rocks’ signature restaurant, it is as much a local landmark as it is a waterhole for guests visiting the Cornwall coast. Scanning across the eclectic-style dining room and wrap-around terrace and you will quickly see it is filled out with more than those staying in the adjoining 19 guest rooms. On the short stroll around the harbor from the Idle Rocks’ sister hotel, the more laid-back St Mawes Hotel, locals greet David and Karen on a first-name basis, and at dinner another comes to congratulate on the success of the Reef’s Knot’s reopening – which brings us back tonight’s occasion.
While the Idle Rocks has remained a fixture on this stretch of Cornwall’s coastline since the middle of the 20th century, the past year has seen its signature restaurant, the Reef Knot, undergoing somewhat of a sea change, one that runs is far deeper than cosmetic. In addition to a sparkling new renovation that has dressed up the restaurant’s dining room, back in the kitchen, chef and Masterchef: The Professionals winner Anton Piotrowski is also getting to know his new workplace. Having just landed on the Rosland Peninsula and quickly settling into his new role as head chef at the Reef Knot, Elite Traveler was invited to join his welcome party.
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Related
Timed to coincide with World Oceans Day, tonight’s dinner is as much for celebrating the bounty of produce on the hotel’s doorstep as it is for trying to protect it. With Relais & Châteaux chefs working in collaboration with the marine life conservationists Ethic Ocean, there’s equal importance on what is on the menu as what isn’t: every species served tonight had to be approved by the organization; there are no red or orange-listed species; and, if we’re being really technical, all the fish were sourced from 29E4, subrectangle 8 – or the Falmouth and St Mawes estuary for those not fluent in technical code.
Must order: A daily changing menu means if you have the chance to try the Dover sole, take it while you can.
What to drink: With the award-winning Trevibban Mill vineyard just up the country road, have a glass (or two) of English sparkling wine.
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Best seat in the house: On the terrace – if the British weather prevails.
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Menu
While for World Oceans Day, chef Piotrowski served his eight-course New Beginnings menu as a chance to show off his skills to his new employers, al a carte service at the Reef Knot is not quite as abundant but remains equally indulgent. Those who may recognize Piotrowski either from his time on Masterchef: The Professionals or from his Michelin-recommended restaurant Röski in the north west city of Liverpool – where he remains as chef-patron – will find his signature flair for innovative and refined British dining on full display at the Reef Knot, his new Cornish outpost.
While the menu changes daily depending on the availability and the quality of the day’s harvest and catch, you can expect an elegant fusion of local tradition and modern sophistication in every dish. The Reef Knot’s menu served at the beginning of August, for example, offers a tantalizing array of options that highlight the peak of seasonal flavors, such as the Cornish cod with fennel velouté, apple, caper, cucumber and brown shrimp butter.
Heavy on the umami, reinforced with light spices and fragrant herbs, each dish is a testament to Piotrowski’s skill in balancing depth and delicacy. While flavors and techniques blur global boundaries, the produce remains, of course, highly local, with most elements on the plate sourced from within county borders. However, dishes such as beef fillet from local butcher Phillip Warren, served with oxtail fritter, sand carrot, black garlic, and summer truffle jus gras, or St Mawes lobster and dressed crab served with apple and fennel and topped with Exmoor caviar, remind you that we’re still in one of the most exclusive corners of the country.
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Interiors
As with the rest of the Idle Rocks hotel, the design of the Reef Knot has been overseen by owner Karen Richards, and while it makes for the perfect exhibition space to put her talent for interiors on full display, what is also evidently showcased is her joy for these projects. Just as the smell of burning St Eval candles wafts throughout the hotel’s corridors – in the Cornish Sea Salt scent of course – Karen’s lingering design fingertips have left no corner of the Idle Rocks or the Reef Knot unembellished.
Across the open-plan dining room, as one wall frames the beautiful vistas of the seafront below, the rest of the restaurant is a gallery for colorful, contemporary and local artists – such as the abstract coastal piece by David Pearce that hangs above our table. It’s a sophisticated and sincerely British twist on classic New England style: effortless coastal chic that resists the temptation to go neurotic with nautical references. Instead, injections of corals and navy accents pop against generous servings of striped and textured fabrics, and spotting a personal touch – like the framed family photos that adorn the library’s fireplace – reminds you that luxury doesn’t have to neglect comfort.
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