Butchers’ Bistro Bar

Really enjoyed our meal here and this is definitely not just a tourist spot.
This place was straight out of the height of 70s seafood themed era — like fish nets strung across the ceiling and cute little wooden quote boards above the kitchen («Never trust a skinny cook!»); which was either a big red flag or a sign of hidden gem material.
Luckily the chef/owner’s clear passion for creating delicious dishes from fresh, local seafood saved this place from being a tourist trap stuck in a bygone age to a kitschy, unintentionally ironic experience from a time before seaside towns ran their locally owned businesses out to make way for the big, corporate chains.
We had been gorging on pasties, fish and chips and steaks for two days so the light, white fish was perfect. We shared the scallops, so fresh it had hints of sand (not too much, just enough to know it hadn’t been in a freezer at any point) and simply dressed with butter and garlic.
The menu boasted the chef’s own lavender bread, so we tried that too, a focaccia style with lavender from his own garden.
I had the special — sea bass pan-​fried and served with steamed veg and new potatoes. It was a big ol portion that I couldn’t finish.
Husband had a trio of fresh fish, which also came with veg and potatoes, and our entire meal came to about £45 (two starters, two entrees and one glass of wine).
Our reservation was fairly late, so the chef ended his shift while we were finishing up, and settled in the front with a well-​earned pint. As we left, he made a point to ask us how we liked it and was very, very friendly. He told us all about coming up with his signature bread recipe, and how he is part of a group of local chefs who meeting regularly and pair off to tackle challenges. He also explained how the outcome of one challenge he was quite pleased with a so made it to the regular menu.
This is the kind of guy you want making your food. He’s constantly learning about new dishes and even uses his regulars as guinea pigs (on the house of course) until he gets it right.
Put this on your New Quay list, and be sure to make a reservation.

Great seafood menu (£15−20 mains), meal delivered quality and quantity. Get the seafood mariniere.

Butchers’ was a really nice «surprise» find when we visited Newquay last week, and was definitely comparable to the food we had at Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant, which we visited the next day. It’s pretty easy to find and is probably one of the nicer looking restaurants around in Newquay.
The staff are really friendly and professional — our waiter offered to take our picture, and was generally a very nice man. We didn’t have a starter, but for mains we had a sort of seafood soup, which seemed pretty good value for money, considering the amount of seafood it contained (various types of fish, three large tiger prawns, some smaller prawns, mussels, cockles and two crab claws) — it’s messy, but the staff are prepared and put out all the various utensils required, including a finger bowl and antibacterial gel! (That’s a first for me!!!) Hubby had the steak and scallops — these are some of the freshest, sweetest scallops I’ve ever had.
If you’re feeling adventurous, I would try the Cornish mead (I had strawberry flavour) — it’s very drinkable, and (in my opinion) pretty strong! But very enjoyable.
Butchers’ is well worth a visit if you’re around Newquay.