Here I was back at Nathan Outlaw’s but this time with a brand-new name- ‘Outlaw’s New Road.’ I came for the food many years ago and I have always been a fan of how the team approach seafood, shellfish, and the product itself. The location for this restaurant could not be any more suitable overlooking the beautiful and stunning Port Isaac. (They can now host you in their guest house too which is opposite the restaurant) The food has not changed, that recognisable simplicity still prevalent but showcasing all their marvellous ingredients as nature intended. The way that Nathan and his team deliver this, is truly the best.
The tasting menu here is one that I wish other restaurants would follow suit in, each dish is small, and ingredient focused, you are actually enjoying yourself because you know that by the end of it, you have managed to taste and eat it all, then leave happy knowing that you aren’t going to keel over. Speaking of the food, it is elegant, stripped back with no fussy, unnecessary faff. You want an excellent lobster? You will get it and be able to taste and appreciate it purely in its finest form from the ocean to your plate. How can it be any other way? There were two KO dishes which I will highlight later, but generally the whole menu flowed well from start to finish, it was the food I remembered which brought a smile to my face.
To start we had an opening to the menu with some small snacks- Mackerel, parmesan, cayenne, and lobster, spelt, horseradish. As soon as I tasted them, I knew I was back, this was evoking memories from the previous visit. Jam packed with flavour in these tiny bites, clean, simple, and fresh.
I don’t know about you, but I had never tasted mussel pate before, as far as I can remember. Paired with some perfect treacle soda bread and a subtle layer of cider jelly on the top. I found this comforting and smooth, the flavour coming through well.
Next, we have three exceptional scallops that were free dived by Jamie Kirkaldy in Salcombe. Sat there humbly on the plate, but wow when you take your first bite… Incredibly sweet and tender, they were perfect.
An absolute treat here was the local bluefin tuna, served with touches of ginger, yogurt, and fennel, the two pieces were superb in quality.
Then we move onto the bigger dishes starting with that all important lobster, coming right from the doorstep at Port Isaac. Surrounded by honeycomb tomatoes, garden herbs. Perfect lobster and its pairings, simplicity shown at its best.
My first KO dish of the meal was the bass being absolutely outstanding in its entirety. With crown prince squash, sage, and onion, but an unexpected surprise on the plate was to find girolles coming from Cornwall. They were excellent. The fish with its perfect delicate crisp skin and melting flesh, this dish had been perfected whereby if you tried to tweak it or make it even more perfect, it just wouldn’t be possible. A seriously accomplished plate of food and utterly delicious.
There is a polar opposite next, the turbot. Being more expensive than the bass I found this not reaching the same heights. This is not to say it wasn’t good, it was richer and heavier with the gherkins well placed to cut through. The flavours of hazelnut and red wine meant the turbot could take them, overall though I preferred the bass! It just shows you that the most expensive ingredients doesn’t always guarantee the best dish.
Now we have a real wow moment, we are back to that gorgeous blue fin tuna from Hayle. How lucky we were! But this time it was magnified in excellence. If you imagine a superior Japanese wagyu steak in fish form this would be it. Simply accompanied with green sauce and black pepper, it shared the same texture as wagyu, melting in the mouth, a complete delicacy. I would give this dish two stars alone. Three even.
Savoury is finished and now we enter into cheese and dessert. Apple and cider to cleanse the palate (Lemon verbena granita), and then chocolate, caramel and hazelnut, a classic combination. A slender, slightly salty, slither of chocolate with layers of perfect textures underneath. These are a couple of elements on a dish, executed well. A perfect end to the meal.
It was good to be back and thanks to Nathan and his team for their warm hospitality. It was a long way to come but it was worth it, and I would make the journey all over again.
