Trip to Cornwall. Eden Project. Only staying for one night in a blustery campsite, so we needed a good feed before the night in the tent. Fowey was really picturesque, overlooking the harbour outlet of the river Polruan. The Boathouse restaurant is right in the middle of everything and looks impressive with its old meets new charm, but for every aspect that it aced it let itself down with another.
Great welcome, friendly atmosphere, quick seating and a full pizza oven in view of the entire restaurant had us expecting great things, and on a number of counts it delivered really well. The Boathouse Special pizza was amazing. Topped with smoked salmon, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, rocket and a dill and caper mayo, it tasted like no other pizza I’d ever had, without seeming wrong in any way.
However, in the Mussels Provencal it failed monumentally on the most crucial of points. The creamy garlic sauce tasted perfect and the artichoke hearts, and other vegetable,s were a touch of genius, but the mussels just weren’t cooked right, so despite all of the clever additions, it just didn’t work at all. There were plenty of mussels that were still clamped shut (they only open when they’ve been cooked) and in amongst those that weren’t shut tight were more than a few mushy, half-cooked efforts. When I did get a rare mussel that tasted cooked the meal was completely transformed, but they counted for nothing in the face of the negatives.
The Boathouse did so much right, but got the basics wrong for the mussels. It’s possible that it was a bad one off, but you only get one chance with new customers, especially if they’re just passing through.
2.75/5
Review of the Boathouse Restaurant, Fowey, Cornwall
by Val Slater
We have just returned from an excellent holiday in Fowey. We had great food and hospitality with the exception of this restaurant. We called in last Thursday the 30th June in the afternoon asking to book a table for the same evening. We were advised that they don’t take bookings but advised us we could come on spec. I asked if it could be between 9/9.15, the waitress suggested 9pm.
We duly arrived just before nine, shown to a table by a waitress and were then approached by a woman in a jacket who’s opening greeting to us was “you have 2 minutes to order”, we couldn’t believe it, she was miserable as sin and when we pointed out that we called in earlier and were told we could come at 9 gave us the menus and walked off. Normally we would have walked out but didn’t want to trawl the streets of Fowey so reluctantly stayed. A very nice waitress took our order. The mains arrived and mine was lovely, my husbands risotto was a little too salty which when the waitress returned asking if our food was okay was advised of this. She offered us a free coffee which we declined. The evening was marred simply by this rude woman’s attitude. She needs some training in customer service.
Whilst we were in the restaurant two people turned up at 9.05 and were turned away and a party of six turned up at 9.20 and were also turned away. I can only assume the owners are making too much money or are unaware of their staff’s attitude. We appreciate they may have strict opening hours but if you open until 9 you don’t issue threats to customers who arrive on time. We are also in a recession and most companies are only too glad to make hay while the sun shines. Their sister restaurant Food for Thought two doors down was excellent on the two occasions we visited, lovely food, great staff and excellent service.
