Things didn’t get off to a very good start at Havener’s Bar and Grill in Fowey when it opened last summer. It was the height of the season, the staff were inexperienced, the volume of diners overwhelming, the reviews not good – despite the prized harbourside location.
Rob Pepperell, general manager, says so himself: “We opened too soon and we learned a lesson. It went horribly wrong.”
Having regrouped over the winter, the restaurant – owned by St Austell Brewery, which has pubs, inns and hotels across the south west – has weathered the storm, says Pepperell. And in April it opened accommodation too – with five (upstairs) rooms overlooking the historic quay.
It’s a rainy afternoon when we check in but the welcome is warm and the space bright and inviting. Havener means harbour-master and the building was once home to one, though more recently it was a fish and chip shop. There’s a bar and cafe area with squishy multi-coloured sofas and the long, low-ceilinged restaurant overlooks the river, while there is also a terrace for outdoor dining. Some of the building is 13th century; you can see it in the slightly wonky floors and the thickness of the brick walls, but the decor is cheery and modern.
We’re taken back outside and up the steps to our room: the feel is similar, calm and simple, the walls a particularly nice shade of dark blue, the theme vaguely nautical with a photo of Fowey (pronounced foy, like soy) across the wall above the bed. Orla Kiely-branded toiletries are in the smart white bathroom, there is a kettle for tea and coffee, and a lovely view over the square. There’s a two-bedroom apartment here, too, with its own balcony – a good family option (sleeps four; three nights from £435, seven nights from £621).
Back in the restaurant, it’s fairly quiet on a Monday evening (it can tackle 300 covers on a busy holiday) and we get a table overlooking the water. Cucumber gazpacho is fresh and zingy (£6) and the homemade pork pie (my partner’s somewhat unusual starter choice) is deemed tasty and light. The menu promises local produce, with lots of fish and seafood. Fowey is known for mussels and they’re sweet, creamy and piled up high (£15), the pan-fried sea bream on crushed potatoes (£16) is well cooked, too. It’s refined pub grub served by chatty staff – and it seems the new chef is up to scratch.
The next day we awake to sunlight, and how different everything looks. The estuary and sea beyond glisten, a lovely backdrop to a generous breakfast – the mushrooms on toast with poached egg is mammoth.
Boat tours leave from the harbour outside the hotel and we take a river trip, passing a house where Daphne Du Maurier lived, Sawmills recording studio where Oasis and Guns N’ Roses have recorded, and a china clay factory. Towards the sea our guide points out Dawn French’s house and castle ruins on a hill.
Fowey itself is cute, with an aquarium that boasts “strange fascinating creatures of the deep” (Leonard the lobster apparently measured 1.26 metres and weighed 20lb, though he’s no longer with us), twee cafes, antique shops and galleries. It’s also narrow and gets busy in summer, so there’s no parking at the hotel – though there is a car park on the edge of town (Par, four miles west, is the nearest train station).
It’s a great base for exploring Cornwall’s famous attractions: the Eden Project, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan are a short drive away and there are many lovely beaches. St Austell Brewery also has a new interactive brewing experience and tasting tour. In August it’s reopening the historic Chain Locker pub in Falmouth, too, (with accommodation). Having turned Havener’s around after the false start, it might be another worth checking out.
• Accommodation was provided by Havener’s Bar and Grill (doubles from £85 B&B), Town Quay, Fowey, PL23 1AT, 01726 834591, havenersfowey.co.uk
Ask a local
James Coggan, head aquarist, Fowey Aquarium
• Eat
Captain Hanks is a new food van at the lifeboat pontoon. It sells wet fish but also simple fish dishes cooked while you wait, which you can eat on benches. It’s owned by Fowey Sea Farms.
The Fowey Gallants Sailing Club, down an easily missed alley on Fore Street, is a Victorian boathouse with wonderful views and one of the finest restaurants in the area. Gretchen and her team cook up unpretentious food at welcoming prices. The Royal British Legion on the Town Quay opposite Havener’s is the locals’ bar of choice. Temporary membership costs £2.
• Paddle
You can only really see Fowey properly from the water; go on a guided kayak trip of the estuary with Encounter Cornwall, based in beautiful Golant.
• Walk
Do the circular “Hall Walk”. It includes two ferries: one from Fowey to Bodinnick and back over from Polruan. You could extend and go to beautiful Lantic Bay, too.