St Petroc’s Bistro is a foodie insider pick with comfortable rooms. The French bistro-style restaurant, handily situated for exploring the traditional harbour town of Padstow, serves seasonal Cornish produce; an old cellar-styled cocktail bar and secret courtyard garden are not to be missed.

After completing his degree, Nick returned to the company working in their Padstow Kitchens, at The Seafood Restaurant working his way up to senior sous chef and then working as Head Chef at St Petroc’s Bistro. In summer 2016, Nick took over the role of Head Chef Lecturer at the cookery school in Padstow – a position he was born to do. There he leads a small team who deliver memorable cookery experiences for guests, who leave having learned trade secrets from the restaurants and how to cook some of Rick’s classic dishes.

One of the bigger names amid Cornwall’s foodie scene, St Petroc’s Bistro combines the best of both worlds with its dog-friendly harbourside dining. With signature steaks grilled to perfection and a tantalizing wine list, the bistro celebrates Rick Stein’s love of elevated French cooking. Dogs are always welcome in the snug bar and garden, and with the exciting sights, sounds and smells of Padstow Harbour a few pawprints away, you won’t run short of places to explore after lunch.

For lunch it’s a toss up between classic seasonal seafood and a glass of rosé in the Secret Garden at St Petroc’s Bistro, or floating over the estuary for small plates, scallops and Cornish mussels at The Mariners in Rock. Wherever you eat, you’ll find that much of the veg is freshly plucked from the nearby Padstow Kitchen Garden, where grower Ross Geach throws the occasional feast in the polytunnels, celebrating everything field to fork.

Best for a taste of the Med: One of the top dog-friendly restaurants in Padstow is St. Petroc’s Bistro, owned by the revered Rick Stein. Here, pups are welcome in the secret garden or the bar area which includes a cosy fire when the weather turns colder. A delicious menu of French bistro dishes, Cornish steaks and the freshest seafood will please the humans, while doggos can lap up a brimming bowl of water.

A short walk uphill from Padstow Harbour, St Petroc’s is Rick Stein’s French-style bistro and boutique hotel. As with Stein’s other establishments, the decor nods to the restaurant’s coastal surroundings, featuring ship paintings and marine blue furnishings. Inside, it balances a light airiness — thanks to high ceilings and large windows — with snug reading nooks and a roaring fire.

Offering 10 beautiful hotel rooms above the rustic St Petroc’s Bistro, St Petroc’s Hotel is another of the best hotels in Padstow. It exudes Cornish charm and is located just a few minutes’ walk from the harbour. St Petroc’s is an historic building with select views of the sea, a cosy guest lounge and dog-friendly snug next to a secluded courtyard garden.

St Petroc's is another restaurant from Rick Stein's stables, and this one is an informal delight. It's set away from Padstow harbour, which gives it a more chilled-out feel. The relaxed bistro serves French-inspired dishes, made from fine Cornish produce - naturally, there's always a choice of freshly landed fish.

St Petroc’s Bistro is chilled and laid back and made for wining, dining, and relaxing. With a cosy snug bar, relaxing lounge, and also a great outside drinking space in the summer, you’ll love the oak-furnished bistro and terraces and stunning townhouse features which is just yards from the harbour.

One of the lesser-known venues in the local Stein empire, set in an old stone building in the heart of Padstow, this low key bistro serves “excellent” and “reliable meals that never disappoint” – “we usually enjoy fish”. Importantly for some visitors, there’s “a small indoor dog-friendly space”.

Home to Stein’s Fish & Chips, Stein’s Deli and Stein’s Coffee Shop, as well as the eye-wateringly expensive flagship Seafood Restaurant and the chic St Petroc’s Brasserie, it’s hard to visit the Cornish coastal town of Padstow and not experience the Rick Stein phenomenon in one form or another.

But I did manage to snaffle a late-notice private room at a lesser-known ricksteinrestaurant called St Petroc’s Bistro, a few minutes’ walk up the hill from the bustling centre, in an ancient and rambling stone building said to be the fifth oldest in town.

Just a few yards up the road from us you’ll find Rick Stein’s second Padstow restaurant with a casual bistro style. Tables in the sheltered courtyard garden will be available from 12th April Thursday to Sunday between 11.30am and 10.00pm.

Hidden from the hustle-and-bustle, dog friendly, St Petroc’s Hotel and Bistro is a unique coastal retreat – designed for foodies – with as much intricacy in the original-styled bedrooms, as the fresh, seasonal dishes served up.

When the sun is shining, choose a table in our secret garden at St Petroc’s Bistro in Padstow for a few hours of peace, quiet and some classic French cookery. You’d never know you were in the heart of the town.

For a memorable cocktail, try the bar next to St Petroc’s Bistro. Pull up a chair beside the open fire and drink a Ceylon Negroni, designed especially for Rick Stein.