Hotel of the Week: Padstow Townhouse, Cornwall

A shiny new Michelin star on a restaurant might bring with it glory and recognition, but there's also the reason the French tyre firm began dishing the accolade out in the first place. That was, to pinpoint worthy stops to those on the road. Hence, after receiving a star for his restaurant No6 in Padstow town in 2013, it only made sense to open rooms for those diners travelling from further afield. So came the birth of Padstow Townhouse in 2015, a converted 18th-century townhouse with its own feather in its cap from the Michelin Key arm of the award that arrived in 2024.

Padstow Townhouse

On the quaint hillside in the middle of the ancient town, which trickles down to the harbour, Padstow Townhouse stands tall in an elegant Georgian building, with a grey stone façade that's punctuated with a striking, polished black door and regal gold door knock and letter box.

Once inside, bold colour combinations continue, with ornately patterned yellow-gold and grey-blue wallpaper behind two snug armchairs, where someone might like to enjoy an afternoon tea or read the daily paper. The atmosphere is homely but polished with the utmost shine, with the pristine wooden floor emanating light while welcoming and cosy reminders are peppered throughout, such as a desk and typewriter, board games and hunter wellies for wetter Cornish days.

We’re greeted by host Briony Phillips, who tours us round the house, stopping by the kitchen pantry first, where she lets us know we can help ourselves to the array on offer, including concocting our own potion with the help of cocktail instructions framed as artwork on the wall. It's like entering our most hospitable friend's house, with the help-yourself style kitchen functioning through an honesty box system.

The Rooms

Next, we wind up the townhouse staircase, whose colourful neon side lights build anticipation ahead of entering one of six different suites – all unique in character and a masterwork of interior designer Emma Ainsworth, Paul's wife. Once we enter our suite, The Honeycomb, jet black and regal gold brings a luxurious feel throughout, with a plush sofa in our very own living room and a wooden floor that sparkles as much as downstairs. Each piece of the room fits in beautifully and purposefully, with even trays of sticky toffee treats arriving in the colour profile of the room.

It's a bedroom, I immediately say to my partner, I need to replicate at home, and that's exactly what it feels like - admittedly more luxurious – as the radio emanates from the Marshall speakers. The expansive bathroom is home to a grand, freestanding tub with crystal coupe glasses ready for a champagne-sipping soak, as well as a formidable double rain-head shower to the side.

The rest of the suites appear inspired by British treats we’ve long forgotten about, such as Rhubarb and Custard combining oranges, reds and blues together for comfort and character, and Popcorn, bearing soft whites, China blue and vintage varnishes.

The food and drink

Many moments of our stay were filled with clues you're not just in any old person's house, but a critically acclaimed chef's house – from the well-curated stock in the kitchen pantry and Ainsworth's cookbooks in the hallway, to the never-ending treats that appear at all hours of the day.

It's not a place to come on a diet. We were brought freshly-baked warm Cornish fudge pudding with a dollop of clotted cream in the afternoon (that was before we were due to feast at No6), while in the evening Paul's "medicine" hot chocolate arrived, laced with Frangelico and served with Le Fleur de Chocolat tea cakes.

No6 by Paul Ainsworth

At dinner time, we wandered three minutes down the hill to Ainsworth’s other townhouse housing both Ci Ci's Bar and No6. We had an initial booking in Ci Ci’s upstairs, where a cosy, carpeted drawing room is splashed in grandeur with funkily coloured furniture and suave gold iron lamps. To keep up the nibbling, there’s Spanish-inspired pintxos snacks, and we enjoyed sherry-glazed spicy chorizo sausages and sticks of aged Manchego cheese swirled in a chestnut honey dip. Cocktails are fun and unusual, with Ainsworth’s favourite leaning on buttermilk, yuzu, anise gomme, lemon and bitters.

Now with a bit more liveliness in our step, we were escorted back downstairs to find the dining room welcoming us in immediately, with propped up illustrated menus of dainty cockleshells and our names drawn on them, and our waitress pouring bubbling Pol Roger into our glasses as we take our seats.

The tasting menu takes you through nine courses. We flitted from precise plates of smoked cod's roe with eel, baked in its juices and glazed with golden Oscietra caviar, to celeriac with a whimsical “Jacob's ladder” sauce and mint salsa, and barbecued red mullet with its skin on, draped in violet artichoke saag aloo. We tried several different flavours throughout, bouncing from sharp to rich, earthy to sweet, but all centred around the main impressively sourced produce. Our waitress could speak for hours on the flavour profiles and journeys of ingredients, with provenance being a central part of the experience. We could even see the journey of the fish, where it was caught, what it weighed, and, perhaps a little more sobering, the time it took to turn from creature to catch.

We transitioned from savoury to sweet with scones, before sampling frozen buttermilk compote made with Cornish blackberries and cheese we had earlier, before Ainsworth’s famed merry-go-round, dotted with pillowy madeleines.

After the meal, we were taken back upstairs, but this time to see inner workings of the kitchen – once more welcomed inside the hosts inner world. On our way we were also given another treat in the form of pistachio cookies, in the impossible event hunger strikes in the night. But it’s worth holding out, as in the morning a vast picnic hamper is brought to the suite, carrying everything from cheeses, deli meats, trout, soft boiled eggs ready to be dipped into sourdough to fresh pastries, yoghurt and granola – best complemented with the morning paper or radio.

Padstow town

While nowadays Padstow might be a hit list stop for its culinary scene, largely thanks to Rick Stein’s empire since the 70s, the picturesque fishing village is worthy of a visit in its own right. It’s natural beauty cascades from rugged cliffsides to a tranquilising turquoise bay, while its roots date as far back as 2500 BC. With hunter wellies and Duchess bicycles at the ready, Padstow Townhouse provides the tools for the discovery, plus it can arrange excursions in its wooden Riva-style boat, where you can try your luck at catching your own meal.

New and Noteworthy

Taking over the 1920s-built St Enodoc Hotel in Rock, Cornwall, Paul and Emma Ainsworth are reimagining the property, to open in summer 2026, that overlooks the Camel Estuary and will offer 21 rooms, a restaurant and beauty rooms.

Who's Who

Briony Phillips, who welcomed us, leads the Padstow Townhouse front of house as the hotel’s Director. Over at No6, the Head Chef is Ciaran Burr, while Liam Evans is Head Sommelier.

Tips for a Padstow Stay

Tips for a Padstow Stay

• Stay in the Honeycomb suite – the most luxurious and homely of them all
• Ask for the cornered banquette at No6, which overlooks the rest of the restaurant while chefs buzz behind you
• Come hungry, and arrive with nowhere to be in the morning

Suite pricing is dynamic, from £250 per night.