It always saddens me to see restaurants closing down in Falmouth; as with the recent demise of Samphire – but to put a positive spin on it, I have been encouraged by the amount of new start-ups in the town over the past year – including the wonderful Lemon Twist and Piada & More.
Nestled in the old High Street is one rather special restaurant that has been awash with glowing reviews since it first opened.
I first went to Oliver’s a few years ago so I thought it was time to revisit. Besides, with Mrs C on holiday finals – bags packed and herb garden watered – having lunch out allowed me to escape the pre-holiday chaos at Cowell Towers.
Oliver’s is run by husband and wife team Ken and Wendy and they create innovative menus using the best of Cornish seasonal produce. I love this restaurant because it’s small, intimate and feels as if you are eating at home with friends.
For starters I had the perfectly cooked Padron peppers with warm bread and oil. Mrs C chose the scallops serves with a summer salad which she claimed were ‘beyond beautiful.’
My main course of fillet of Cornish beef was superb but the highlight for me was the dessert, a whiskey ice cream with balsamic muscavado swirl, served with a fig and almond tart.
This is cooking with a big heart and chef Ken clearly has a magic wand at hand in his kitchen. While Mrs C remained teetotal, I enjoyed a glass of fizz all to myself, for once.
Many of us dream of opening our own restaurant, but in reality it is a tough and demanding job. Oliver’s is a shining example of how to make a restaurant work – this place runs like clockwork and deserves to be hailed as one of Falmouth’s finest eateries.
While waiting for coffee I glanced over at Mrs C, who was nervously twisting her water glass, seemingly lost in thought.
“Are there any last minute jobs to do before we go on holiday?” I asked.
She looked up at me and smiled. “I have to water the orchard, empty the bins and then call the cat sitter.
“Anything else?”
“Then I can relax and look forward to having my first glass of fizz in two months as soon as I get on that plane.”
Normal service is resumed.
Follow Tony Cowell on Twitter: @cowelltweets
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