Karrek - Saint Minver Lowlands

A 9 course gastro delight accelerated with a first class cabin matching wine flight There is a largely undiscovered culinary gem in Rock, Karrek housed within The St Enodoc Hotel on Rock Road in Rock Cornwall. The resident chef is Guy Owen of The Great British Menu who delivers an amazing culinary journey over 9 courses with a matching wine flight. The food is delicious, the ambience is sophisticated yet still relaxed managed expertly by Marco. If you enjoy fabulous food Karrek needs to figure on your must book list it’s up there with the other super chef venues in the camel estuary.

Absolutely amazing! My wife and I typically aren’t fans of tasting menus, as they can be slow-paced, a bit pretentious, and often leave us feeling hungry afterward. However, we dined at The Karrek last night and tried the 6-course tasting menu with wine pairings, and wow! It was truly exceptional. Each dish was outstanding, and the wine complemented the food perfectly. We enjoyed generous pourings of wine with each course, which might explain the slight headache I have this morning. The service was impeccable—special thanks to Matild and her colleague, whose name we unfortunately can’t recall, for taking such great care of us and making the whole experience so enjoyable. We’re already looking forward to our next visit and cannot recommend the restaurant and its staff highly enough. Warm regards, Peter and Corinne Cunningham

The fantastic amuse bouches were a delight, featuring an outstanding tiny mackerel taco topped with caviar, and a creative twist on "fish and chips." The scallop paired with a beautifully crafted sauce Jacqueline, a remarkable risotto with oysters and mussels, a saffron-laden bouillabaisse, and a breathtaking dessert of “lemon and honey” showcased culinary skills of the highest caliber, surpassing many one- and two-starred restaurants we've visited. We enjoyed bottles of Chablis, Condrieu, an Oregon Pinot Noir, and a Sauternes, all of which were young but delicious (and there were four of us, so don’t judge!). Head chef Martin and sous chef Lydia are clearly on the path to greatness, so make sure to visit now before the word gets out and securing a table becomes a challenge. We can't wait to return—tonight would be perfect!

The restaurant at the St. Enedoc Hotel was previously managed by Nathan Outlaw, a chef with two Michelin stars, who moved to Port Isaac in March 2015. In March 2016, the restaurant was taken over by James Nathan, the winner of MasterChef in 2008.

Initial reviews of James Nathan’s time have been overwhelmingly positive. My chicken was good, but it didn’t stand out; it lacked that wow factor. On the other hand, my companions thoroughly enjoyed their meals, and our expectations were quite high.