Following an illustrious Chef Ben Palmer has returned to his hometown of Looe to become chef patron of The Sardine Factory. As suggested by the name, the restaurant is located in an old sardine factory and offers carefully prepared dishes that champion only the freshest seasonal Cornish produce. These efforts were recognized in 2019 with the restaurant receiving a prestigious Bib Gourmand by the Michelin guide.
The restaurant overlooks the beautiful Looe harbor giving guests the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful view alongside their meal. The outside of the building has maintained the original historic features giving the venue a great sense of character. Inside features stylish yet understated decor that creates a welcoming and laidback ambiance for diners.
The Sardine Factory’s menu kicks off with a tempting selection of nibbles like their crispy fried potato skins with parmesan and truffle mayonnaise and a baked camembert with garlic, rosemary and truffled honey glaze that would be perfect on chilly days. Other small plates include a smoked haddock scotch egg, Cornish cod tacos or hand dived scallops with wild garlic butter and pangritata. The centerpiece of the menu is of course the seafood which range from classic like fish and chips to dishes like their Cornish crab linguine and St Austell Bay mussels in Thai broth with toasted focaccia. Seafood is also showcased as part of the menu’s raw offering with salmon ceviche and Porthilly oysters for guests to sample. The meat offering includes a burger and a range of steaks served with pickled shallots, onion rings, wild garlic butter and chips. For those seeking some more plant-based dishes there are dishes like gnocchi served with charred tenderstem broccoli, pickled courgettes and wild garlic and parsley sauce.
To finish off, the desserts feature a refreshing affogato, indulgent chocolate tart and Cornish clotted cream ice cream with honeycomb. This aforementioned dish featured as part of Chef Ben’s appearance on the Great British Menu 2024 something that has led this restaurant to go from strength to strength.