The Wheelhouse, Falmouth, Cornwall

If you love unadulterated, fresh-off-the-rocks shellfish, get yourself straight down to the Wheelhouse and it will not disappoint. Make sure you ring up to book first as this is a 'must-visit' destination in Cornwall and they only open Wednesday to Saturday.  Despite having no website, no twitter and no email they can be booked up for months ahead; especially in the Summer.  It's fame all comes down to word-of-mouth recommendations, which have to be the most reliable sources of real-life opinions when you think about it.

So, what is all the fuss about?  First and foremost it's the quality of the shellfish which is mainly locally sourced (apart from the prawns), extremely fresh and beautifully prepared.  Secondly it is the welcome. This is a restaurant with a surreal, almost storybook-style, tea party atmosphere run by enthusiasts and enjoyed by seafood lovers.  None of your pastel greys and minimalist lines here; the eclectic decor features floral satin wallpaper, illuminated seashells, golden painted cherubs clutching candles and shelves adorned with hats from all walks of life.



We were a large party of 13 hungry tummies and opted for a set menu as recommended by the owner Tina Hopton.  She welcomed us to a table in the centre of the small 'living room' and recommended their modestly priced but very drinkable white wine to accompany our meal.  It took little encouragement for us to try on the various hats for a group photo as the homely, relaxed vibe encouraged our fun loving fan-fare to get stuck in. Having said that there are quieter corners of the room for those wanting an intimate setting to sit and savour the shellfish delights.

Sailors Mussels

Thai Prawns

Our set menu was a bit of a mystery, although exciting, as we had no idea what was to come.  First to arrive were copper bowls brimming with plump and juicy mussels under a blanket of steam, like delicious smelling mist over a moonlit millpond. Some were served Sailor style with white wine, thyme, cream and garlic, others were Thai style with chilli, lime and coconut.  This is very much a hands-on eating experience, as it should be with shellfish, and sharing is the order of the night.  No flimsy napkins here, messy hands is obligatory, but they do provide large bowls of hot water and lots of kitchen rolls to clean yourself up as you go.  


Bowls of skinny fries and tasty could cous cous salads arrived regularly, accompanied by water and of course the wine.

Garlic Prawns

Fresh Crab

Next course was sautéed prawns, again split into two flavour combinations; Garlic Shell-on Prawns and Spicy Peeled Prawns with ginger and chilli.  All the ingredients were fresh so the garlic and chilli really played their part in making these dishes burst with flavour. 


By this point we began to wonder what palate pleaser could be next and we were not disappointed when the waitress arrived, arms bearing copious amounts of meaty whole fresh crab. Prepared in fresh garlic butter and herbs, they were presented (overflowing) in the now familiar copper bowls. Plenty of claws to extract juicy meat from as well as the white and brown body meat which led to intense concentration as our ingenuity was tested to get the most out of these crustaceans. Always a challenge to get the entirety of the crabmeat out but no worries as they boxed up the rest for us to take home.

For the grand finale, we were blessed with pearly scallop shells encasing their sweet meat, vibrant coral roes attached. These had been lightly seared to perfection with an intense citrus butter which included lemon peel. The flavours were intense but mellow and buttery all at the same time and each scallop had been cooked just enough to seal its flavour yet maintain a soft, pillowy texture (something not easily obtained by any means). 

We sensed a slight Portuguese influence at The Wheelhouse with the copper (cataplana) bowls, the fresh high quality shellfish, and all round enthusiasm.  This was further reinforced by the presentation of complimentary Port tasters at the end of the meal.  It turns out that Tina has spent some time in Portugal and was impressed by the way they do this sort of food - who am I to argue?