The dining room is simple but far from basic with fashionable bright water colours depicting food themes of varying attractiveness. Also dining were two businessmen having the nearest thing to a power lunch I guess one can see in Cornwall. Not the ideal fellow diners, but at least the Well House is brave enough to open at lunch time.
Our first course of confit of duck risotto was certainly very tasty and came from the dry school of risotto cooking, which to my taste is not the better school! A salad with green beans, strips of chorizo sausage, avocado and various leaves was very well done. The entry level priced Italian white was a masterpiece of stainless steel cool fermentation winemaking and could have come from anywhere, but at least it was good value luncheon material.
Poached wild salmon with a dill and saffron sauce plus John Dorey fillet with a tomato and basil sauce were the two main course fish options and, compared with the creations from the masters of Padstow and St. Ives, could only be considered good average. New potatoes in their skins were fine but mange tout with carrot and orange puree seemed to be a rerun of the Pig `n' Fish at St. Ives. Is this pooling of ideas, borrowing of ideas, or just coincidence?
Puddings here are taken seriously. A blackberry and apple crumble (oat and nut crumble) with creme anglaise was perfect, as was an individual summer pudding with vanilla ice cream that only suffered from a slightly too high bread to fruit ratio. Just the sort of fare we needed. Another giant cafetière of coffee with friandaises was consumed on the terrace in pleasant half sunshine and we even managed to write some post cards.
Given that Looe is five miles down the road we have concerns over the fish dishes on offer, but if you stick to land based fare for a change, then you'd find this a very pleasant and quiet luncheon spot with relaxed low key service.
The cost: Stg 63 + service - based on Stg 24.95 for three course set menu including coffee.
Copyright Graham Tigg 1996, All rights reserved.