Many visitors will flock to the small seaside village of Rock because they expect to indulge in some top-rated cuisine, and it’s thanks to big name chefs in the industry such as Paul Ainsworth, Nathan Outlaw and Gordon Ramsay, who has a family home here, who have made this a desirable location for food lovers.
Of course, it’s not just the presence of great produce served up in a range of creative ways that attracts visitors to its shores, but the beautiful soft sands, stunning scenery and off the grid nature of the place that draws the summer crowds. I spent a few days at the four-star St Enodoc Hotel in the heart of the village and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere, the relaxing estuary views and, best of all, the impressive food offering.
The hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Karrek, is an intimate venue bathed in cool grey tones with comfort and elegance at its heart. Though the décor holds a subdued colour palette with white clothed tables, comfortable grey banquette seating and black and white landscapes gracing the walls, it embodies elegance, and is complemented with low lighting, music filtering through the room and impressive panoramic views of the Camel Estuary.
Open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the restaurant offers a six- and nine-course tasting menu celebrating the best of Cornish produce, with a wine flight available too, and the restaurant can be booked out exclusively, if desired.
During my stay, I was invited to try the nine-course tasting menu, here’s what I thought.
Any good meal starts with some really great nibbles – I think it’s a decent indicator of the standard of things to come – and the ‘Cornish snacks’, served alongside a loaf of pretzel bread and cultured butter, were a fantastic start to the proceedings. The bread was simply delicious and laced with honey, making it crisp, sticky and sweet on the outside, smooth and delicate inside and so good I could have eaten about three more loaves, if it weren’t for the other courses.
Snacks consisted of a tartlet with pomme purée – a delicious mouthful with a crisp casing and smooth filling; ‘fish and chips’ – a piece of tempura batter with pea purée, malt vinegar and fish, which was all about the texture and my favourite of the bunch; and a nori taco with mackerel, oyster, Chantilly and caviar, which I enjoyed texture-wise, but I wasn’t overly keen on the flavour. This was all washed down with a glass of local Camel Valley brut, a lovely light tipple from a very local winery.
The next course was diver scallop with sauce Jacqueline, carrot purée and caviar and this was a beautifully presented dish with the juicy scallop sitting in a shell, which was on a bed of seaweed. My favourite seafood, this scallop didn’t disappoint, and this flavourful dish went down a treat. a Cornish crab quiche was up next, and this utterly delicious bite left me wanting more. A crisp, light, cheesy and oh-so tasty parmesan sable held tiny apple cubes, a brown crab purée, and white crab, and was dressed with a few pieces of chive on top, it was scrumptious.
Seafood lovers will be in heaven with this spring menu as the next course was another offering from the water – an oyster and mussel risotto flavoured with parsley, garlic and parmesan. This dish looked great with the risotto being topped with lines of black, green and white with a juicy mussel sat on top, but, aside from the mussel, the overall textures and flavours didn’t do it for me here. Though it’s worth pointing out that my dining partner thoroughly enjoyed it, so it’s very much personal preference.
‘Mum’s favourite Bouillabaisse’ was our next course and this consisted of a fillet of steamed gurnard and a saffron sauce. The fish was delicious and fell apart to the touch, it was complemented well with the saffron, though the sauce was rather rich for my palate.
Though I love seafood, I was pleased to see that the following course was duck as I can’t enough of this gorgeous meat. It didn’t disappoint, it was beautiful, the duck had been steamed, pan-fried and the scored skin blow torched, which resulted in an utterly delicious piece of meat with crispy, smoky skin. There was also a little piece of duck liver on the plate, which my fellow diner gratefully received, paper thin sliced mushrooms and a mushroom purée, as well as thinly sliced rhubarb and little blobs of gel to lift the smoky and earthy flavours and a savoury jus to bring it all together. Divine.
To cleanse the palate, we were served the refreshing combination of a creamy cucumber parfait, mint leaves, lime zest, apple and mini cucumber spheres. The effort in the execution and presentation of this dish, just like the previous, was clear to see and it did a great job of uplifting the palate, though I would have loved a little more apple. Lemon and honey were the only indicators of the first dessert (yes, first – heavenly!) and this little taco shaped delight produced a burst of flavours that left us both pleasantly surprised. Lemon parfait, honey and lemon gel were sandwiched between two super crisp, thin, sweet and delectable honey biscuits making for a perfect combination of sweet and sour, crisp and smooth. It was gorgeous.
The final course of the evening was a rhubarb and white chocolate ‘Vienetta’ and this didn’t disappoint in terms of its flavours, textures and presentation. Sorrel ice cream, a gin purée, poached rhubarb, crisp white chocolate layers, this was a great all-round dish with the perfect balance of sweet and savoury flavours to make the meal end on a high.
When you’re finished with your food and seeking out a spot to relax, the lounge provides the ideal place to do just this with its selection of comfy sofas and boardgames while rounding off the meal nicely with a tea or coffee and petit four. Delightful.
In a nutshell
With a serene setting and solid reputation behind it, diners won’t be surprised to enjoy a top-notch meal at Karrek. Local ingredients are handled with great care and whipped up into artful, delectable delights resulting in a meal that will delight and fulfil in equal measure.
Factbox
The nine-course tasting menu is currently priced at £100 with a matching wine flight costing an extra £70.
Address: Rock Rd, Rock, Wadebridge PL27 6LA
Tel: 01208 863394
Email: karrek@enodoc-hotel.co.uk
Website: enodoc-hotel.co.uk/fine-dining
Imagery provided by The St Enodoc Hotel.
See snippets of my travels on Instagram @tashheard_food_travel
