This unassuming restaurant on a street corner in Truro may not look up to much on the outside, but step through Tabb’s doors and you will find a modern fine-dining British restaurant which is serving much higher-quality food than its simple surroundings suggest.
Although Tabb’s has been in Truro for more than a decade, this is not actually the restaurant’s first iteration - it was previously found in the sleepy fishing village of Portreath. The dining room at the Truro site is an understated affair, featuring slate flooring and a lilac and cream colour scheme, complete with matching high back leather chairs. There are only a handful of tables in the space, for two or four guests and the restaurant offers lunch and dinner service, plus Tabb’s opens up for Sunday lunch twice a month.
The kitchen here is headed up by chef patron Nigel Tabb’s (hence the restaurant’s name), who honed his craft working in some of London’s busiest kitchens. He has now brought his years of experience back to Cornwall, overseeing a menu which makes the most of the region’s natural larder. The restaurant is also noteworthy for producing practically all of its menu on site, from the bread served at the beginning of your meal to the chocolates that accompany post-dinner cups of coffee.
The menu at Tabb’s changes with the seasons, but you can always expect to find uncomplicated, ingredient-led dishes at the helm. Take a main course of roasted duck breast with celeriac hash and grain mustard jus for example, or witness the indulgence of grilled fillet of hake with stir-fried cauliflower, mushroom cream and truffle oil. Puddings are just as tempting - think hot chocolate fondant with black treacle ice cream.
Tabb’s is not a cheap eat, but nor is it outrageously expensive, while the personable service makes this a feast that’s worth every penny.