The Tresanton
The Tresanton, St Mawes, Cornwall
If the first reaction you receive when you mention you’re going to a certain restaurant is ‘oh my god, it’s so expensive there,’ I find that you spend a good few days prior justifying to yourself the inordinate amount of money you’re about to spend.
In our case it meant repeating phrases like ‘fuck it we’re on our holidays,’ ‘It’s so worth it,’ and ‘we haven’t eaten out since Christmas’ in cultish unison, anticipating the impending doom.
So as we sat on a ferry, making our way to the glistening Cornish village of St Mawes, I was thinking not about how beautiful the seals were, nor how gorgeous The Tresanton looked in the distance, but rather whether a piece of sea bass was going to bankrupt me.
The vibe.
Maybe it was the pimms on arrival, or the freakishly mild spring weather, but walking up the stairs to the collection of relaxed, whitewashed buildings, St Mawes felt more Nicki Beach than South Cornwall.
It has to be said that the setting was I-can’t-believe-my-eyes, out of this world, beautiful. The Tresanton is part of the Polizzi collection of hotels. Alex Polizzi, of Hotel Inspector fame, comes from an illustrious line of hoteliers – her mother, Olga Polizzi, is the sister of Sir Rocco Forte.
The family history clearly came in handy as the Tresanton delivered in spades. The multilevel, decked terrace offered uninterrupted views of the Roseland Penninsula, while the crisp white plates paired with herringbone blankets projected an upmarket, but breezy atmosphere.
As we walked past multiple ‘second home in Cornwall’ couples careering violently towards divorce, the only downside of the restaurant’s terrace became apparent. One half the table was in the sun, and the other had the view. A seemingly innocuous detail, but paired with the fact that half of the group tan, and the other severely burn, the meal ended up being a constant game of musical chairs, trying to balance getting a good picture with the potential for third degree burns.
The food
Sometimes all a restaurant has to do is deliver perfectly cooked, well judged, classic cuisine to deliver. And even as i’m sat here selling off my Barbra Streisand vinyl collection to pay off my debts, I have no regrets, as the Trenton did exactly that.
The starters were fresh, local and seasonal. I opted for hand dived Cornish scallops, which were well balanced and flavoursome, but at £24 for three scallops you can see where this is heading.
For the main event, the majority of us had Moorland beef fillet which was perfectly cooked and, surprisingly, original. Pairing the fillet with gnocchi and cavolo nero meant that it was indulgent, but still retained a spring like quality. Meanwhile one of my friends Mary had Ravioli, which I still think was rogue but she liked it so you do you babe.
My one gripe, an eternal pet peeve with ‘fine dining’, is that you had to pay £5 for any substantial side. I’m sorry but if i’m paying half a months rent of a piece of beef, I’d hope it would come with a side of fries.
The verdict
The Tresanton has got fine, alfresco dining down to a tea. The food, drinks, service and setting were all second to none, and after all that rumination, we really didn’t mind that we had to sell one of my kidneys on the black market to cover the espresso martinis.
Was the food stunning 4/5 - Proper fine dining - Well cooked but with a seasonal, modern flair
The vibe 5/5 - One of the most beautiful settings i’ve ever had the pleasure of eating in
Scream factor 3/5 - The clientele all trotted off to their Range Rovers
Pricey? Let’s not go there. But i do think there is a distinction between expensive and over priced. The Tresanton, i’m pleased to say, was the former
Would you recommend to someone you just met at a party - Yes but would stress over and over and over again how expensive it is
