[Disclosure: We paid in full at Mine, they didn’t know I was a blogger]
The Falmouth food scene isn’t exactly short of places to eat, but when it comes to fine dining, Restaurant Mine should be up there on your list. Tucked away in a courtyard slightly up from the main high street, you could be forgiven for walking past if you’re not looking for it, but when you realise you might not forgive yourself for missing out on what is a great dining experience.
Restaurant Mine might fulfil the criteria for a ‘hidden gem’ physically (ie its good, and arguably a bit hidden unless you’re actively seeking it out). But look at any guide of the best dining experiences in Falmouth and you can’t avoid seeing its name.
With a reputation for focusing on seasonal, local ingredients but using them to create elegant, refined dishes, it isn’t just popular locally but has earned itself a mention in the Michelin Guide as a great place for fine dining in Falmouth.
The restaurant itself is small, with tables outside to allow for more covers. We sat outside, but thanks to various other businesses in the Old Brewery Yard (if you’re looking for great cocktails get to The Chintz, and I am yet to try the burgers from Lil’ Joeys but they always smell amazing), there’s a nice bustle.
The menu is a refreshingly simple a la carte experience. Some would say modern British cuisine, Mine would say “familiar British classics with just a little bit of decadence”, and I’m not sure I could sum it up better. But rest assured, a simple menu and lack of fussiness does not mean a lack of flavour or ambition, which pours into each dish in abundance.
Those dishes rotate weekly and there’s always one meat, one fish and one vegan option for each course, so despite being smaller than some menus out there, there’s something for the whole table. In fact, despite a relatively small number of dishes to choose from, we still found ourselves struggling to decide thanks to how good they all sounded.
Crab fritters with a bisque mayo were a non-negotiable to kick things off, and quite rightly so. If you haven’t had a crab fritter before, imagine a bhaji but more delicate. Slightly doughy inside but somehow not heavy at all, with a fantastic fish-laced mayo to dip into. Perfect when teamed with a bottle of fizz, as I discovered.
The fritters were good, but the salt fish scotch egg was better. Golden crispy crumb giving way to a layer of soft, pliable salted fish wrapped around a perfectly-cooked egg complete with golden, oozy yolk. It was great alone, but elevated by a smoked haddock gribiche – think hollandaise meets mayo but with a bite. Perfect for adding a touch of tang to what could be quite a rich dish without it, but ended up being perfectly balanced and far too moreish for its own good.
Never one to resist a beef tartare, Jamie went for the meat-lover’s option. Cut coarsely so you can actually enjoy the bite of the beef, while rocket added pepperiness, along with purple mustard. The addition of walnuts isn’t something I’ve had before, but worked a treat – bringing crunch and an additional flavour to a dish that shouldn’t be messed with too much, but can always handle a bit of pimping up.
The mains, on this occasion, were where Angus Bell’s ideas really shine. The food at Restaurant Mine may be simple but it’s not without impeccable execution – not always easy when it comes to fish – and imagination.
Butter poached monkfish tail was, as expected, cooked just right. And while monkfish can often be served with big punchy flavours or spice, this incarnation was sweeter, simpler and more delicate than others I’ve tried before.
Heritage carrots in poached and puree form brought colour and sweetness, while a bisque combining the flavour of the monkfish and fragrant lemongrass added a floral, citrus tang that brought the whole dish together, elevating it beyond your average ‘fish and sauce’ combination.
At first taste of what was Jamie’s dish, I wondered if I’d made the wrong decision. Then I tried my cod. Cornish (obviously). Hoiked out of the sea probably a stone’s throw from the restaurant itself. Baked to just the right degree so that each flake, easily separated, was as delicate as can be.
The monkfish may have been a pretty dish, but there’s no ugly sibling here. My delicate, lovingly-cooked piece of cod sprawled seductively on top of a bed of confit courgettes of various colours. Delicate in flavour, along with a seaweed butter sauce that was just the right level of richness, without overpowering the fish itself.
The addition of sea herbs added a slight saltiness, and the obvious aesthetic reminder that yes, you are by the sea tucking into dinner at one of the best restaurants in Falmouth.
As mentioned, we paired the whole meal with a bottle of French fizz from the wine list that, like the food, isn’t overwhelmingly large but offers plenty of choice, including a few aperitifs and even an orange wine for the cool kids.
In the same way you don’t need to fret about tasting menus, instead enjoying a more relaxed, fine dining experience in Falmouth, you don’t need to worry about wine flights and staff are knowledgeable enough to advise on something that will pair well with what you’re eating.
Apparently Bell always dreamed of opening his “own neighbourhood local, cooking thoughtful food in a laidback environment”, and it seems to me that he’s pretty much ticked all of those boxes.
Mine feels special, yet not intimidating, with a menu that’s refined but also comforting, with familiar ingredients and flavour combinations, just done really really well, allowing the produce to shine. It’s got a fine dining feel but its location, surroundings, and laid-back approach from the courtyard benches to rustic crockery all serve to put you at ease.
On our visit there’s us on a spontaneous date, three older gents tucking into a couple of bottles of wine and some food, a man that we’re convinced is a restaurant inspector but I think was probably just someone enjoying a great solo dinner, and all sorts of other groups, proving that it’s a great place to eat whether you’re marking a special occasion, on a date night, or in search of a great restaurant in Falmouth.
I started this review mentioning that there plenty of places to eat in Falmouth, and there are. But if you’re looking for a fine dining experience in Falmouth that’s a bit special and showcases the glorious bounty that this area serves up in abundance, treated with skill and passion as it should be by a kitchen that’s small yet ambitious, then Restaurant Mine Falmouth could be the place for you.
