The Rocket Store

Formerly home to the coastguard’s horse-drawn rocket-firing equipment, this cute, single-storey Victorian building brings a unique energy to the handful of retail and café outlets lining the Boscastle estuary as it flows into the sea. There is modest seating inside and a surprisingly generous all-weather courtyard, thanks to huge, heated umbrellas, and the red-brick property provides a contrast to the centuries-old, whitewashed cottages for which the village is known.

The place is now owned and run by long-serving chef Alex Key, who works to a daily changing blackboard menu of fish-led sharing plates that show off his love of Asian flavours. Lobster, mackerel, pollock are caught by his father, while grass-fed lamb is from the family's own sheep that roam the pastures above the restaurant (gently braised Trebiffen lamb shank with a spicy Shanghai pepper sauce is typical). 

Local vegetables play a starring role too. A standout was a tender wedge of celeriac artfully decorated with wild mushrooms and sitting on a two-tone pool of soy and olive oil, alongside a dollop of pungent aïoli, while a simple dish of perfectly ripe, finely chopped tomatoes, dressed with oil made from waste herbs and green chilli, provided the ideal dip for dunking our grilled bread. Puddings make less of an impression, but local and artisanal cheese are worth a punt. A bijou drinks list includes wines, cocktails, beers and non-alcoholic tipples to suit all pockets.