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Read our guide on the best restaurants in Rock and find an eatery for every occasion.
The waterfront village of Rock sits beside the Camel Estuary in North Cornwall, opposite the harbour town of Padstow.
This quaint fishing village is home to a lovely range of restaurants and cafés for it’s small size.
John Bray are proud to have a wonderful selection of Rock holiday cottages in our portfolio. Browse our range of properties to find your ideal accommodation for your next break.
Read on to find out more about the best restaurants in Rock, Cornwall…
Tripadvisor 4.5/5 – British / Fresh ready meals / Coffee / Deli – £ £ £ £ £
© Fee’s Food
We couldn’t write an article about restaurants in Rock without including Fee’s Food, despite it not actually being a restaurant.
More of a café, local shop and takeaway, Fee’s Food sits in the heart of Rock. Their motto is “more beach, less kitchen”, which says it all really!
Fee’s Food offers a range of products to make your stay in North Cornwall a breeze. Buy home-cooked frozen meals, prepped barbecue boxes, freshly baked bread, and delicious Nicaraguan coffee, roasted locally in Falmouth.
© Fee’s Food
Fee has long been the go-to caterer for events in Rock, expanding her business to include the shop/café several years ago.
The menu of delicious ready-meal dishes includes lasagne, Cornish fish pie and beef chilli. While the selection of deli goods includes everything from fresh hummus to smoked trout.
Veggie/vegan options ✔ Dog-friendly ✔ Takeaway ✔
Tripadvisor 5/5– European / British / Seasonal / A la carte – £ £ £ £ £
© The Dining Room
Opened in 2010, The Dining Room is a wonderful fine dining restaurant in Rock. Find it about a mile inland from the beach and just a few doors down from Fee’s Food on Rock Road.
Husband and wife Fred and Donna own and run the restaurant, offering attentive service alongside superb food.
Expect a seasonal a la carte menu, with every aspect of your meal likely made on the premises, bar a few bits here and there.
© The Dining Room
The restaurant itself is simple and welcoming, with nicely spaced tables. There’s an outdoor seating area, perfect for summer evenings.
Pick from two or three courses and expect to be wowed by the quality and attractive food that comes your way.
The sample menu includes sea bass with sweet and sour peppers and roasted prawn bisque to start. For a main, slow cooked belly pork, hogs pudding, January king cabbage and black garlic. And for dessert, poached rhubarb with frozen custard parfait and ginger snap.
Veggie/vegan options ✘ (Enquire prior to booking) Dog-friendly ✘ Takeaway ✘
Tripadvisor 4/5– Italian / British / Relaxed – £ £ £ £ £
© Blue Tomato Café
Blue Tomato Café sits along Rock Road, a little way back from Rock Beach. Self-described as “more than just a café”, Blue Tomato Café turns the ordinary into extraordinary.
Offering patrons a relaxed, beach vibe, you can order an array of quality dishes here at the water’s edge.
The café itself is set over two floors, with covered outdoor seating on the ground floor. The balcony makes a delightful spot for an evening beverage. Views of Padstow and the Camel Estuary provide a scenic backdrop to your visit.
© Blue Tomato Café
As far as the menu goes, you can expect fresh, locally sourced ingredients and “dishes prepared with passion”. The sample menus on the website feature classics like burgers, salads, and chunky sandwiches.
There’s also more unique choices, like meat, fish or veggie tapas, nachos and dirty fries.
It might be one of the only restaurants in Rock to have a dedicated dog menu too!
Veggie/vegan options ✔ Dog-friendly ✔ Takeaway ✔
Tripadvisor 4.5/5– Classic Pub Food / British / Seasonal – £ £ £ £ £
© The Mariners Public House
Formerly one of Nathan Outlaw’s establishments, this restaurant in Rock changed hands to Paul and Emma Ainsworth in 2019.
Revamped and given a new lease of life, The Mariners has been firmly on the map of North Cornwall top restaurants since the mid-90s.
The Mariners sits just a few hundred metres up from the beach, and offers some of the best views of the Camel Estuary.
Continuing the partnership with Sharp’s Brewery, you can always guarantee a quality pint here. The namesake of the popular Doom Bar ale can be seen from the very windows of the pub!
© The Mariners Public House
The restaurant itself is hard to miss; during it’s revamp it was given a lick of sunshine yellow paint. The interior features oak paneling and classic maritime hues.
Discover classic pub dishes on the menu with a fine dining twist. As with many of the restaurants in Rock, sourcing local, fresh seafood is of the highest importance. Tuck into Porthilly oysters, harvested just around the corner, or visit on a Sunday for an indulgent roast.
Veggie/vegan options ✔ Dog-friendly ✔ (on the ground floor) Takeaway ✘
Tripadvisor 4.5/5– European / British – £ £ £ £ £
© St Enodoc Hotel
Part of the St Enodoc Hotel, The St Enodoc Brasserie is a delightful restaurant in Rock.
Providing wonderful food in a “relaxed environment”, you can take advantage of the terrace dining in fine weather to enjoy dinner with a view.
Focusing on “fresh, healthy modern recipes”, the menu features meat and vegetables grown at the hotel’s family farm in Devon.
If you don’t bag a terrace spot, fear not. On warm days, the terrace doors are flung open to bring the outside in and provide uninterrupted countryside views.
Expect a menu not dissimilar to a gastropub, with the addition of cream tea, and a summer Saturday Barbecue.
Veggie/vegan options ✔ Dog-friendly ✔ Takeaway ✘
Tripadvisor 5/5 – Fine Dining / Seasonal / British – £ £ £ £ £
© St Enodoc Hotel
Another restaurant in Rock within the St Enodoc Hotel, Karrek offers up intimate fine dining. Enjoying minimalist interiors, grey hues and water views, Karrek has a sophisticated feel.
The michelin-style menu will surely impress. Karrek offers a nine-course tasting menu with the option of an accompanying wine flight.
Some examples of the exquisite dishes include oyster and mussel rissotto, and roast duck with Shiitake mushrooms and rhubarb.
© St Enodoc Hotel
Just like The St Enodoc Brasserie, the restaurant makes use of ingredients from the family farm.
Karrek is the ideal spot for a special occasion; celebrate with your other half during a romantic break to North Cornwall.
Veggie/vegan options ✘ (Enquire prior to booking) Dog-friendly ✘ Takeaway ✘
Tripadvisor 4/5– Classic Pub Food / British / Takeaway – £ £ £ £ £
The Pityme Inn is technically not a restaurant in Rock, but it’s close enough! Sitting a little over a mile from the shores of the Camel Estuary, it resides in the small neighbouring village of Pityme.
Established in 1970 as a pub, The Pityme Inn has had many faces. Formerly part of a farm, then a tea room, then a restaurant and finally a pub.
Changing hands in 2018, it has since undergone further transformation and is better than ever. The revamp saw an outside kitchen built, takeaway options, and even a village shop stocking locally sourced essentials.
Food-wise, expect classic pub dishes like fish and chips, house roasted thick cut ham, and classic bouillabaisse.
The outdoor kitchen, or Pityme Inn Outdoors, offers up a range of smaller bites like tacos, salads and dirty fries.
With four outdoor heated dining pods, you can tuck into your tasty meal in the fresh Cornish air all year round. And when the weather is nice, enjoy the spacious outdoor seating.
Veggie/vegan options ✔ Dog-friendly ✔ Takeaway ✔
If you want to find more ideas on where to go, check out these top 5 places to eat in North Cornwall and our guide to Polzeath restaurants and cafés too. Rock is also known for being the home of Rock Oyster festival; read our guide to this epic annual event.
Ratings sourced from Tripadvisor