to be annoyed that none of the nice restaurants in Cornwall allow children?

[worldgonecrazy]

Actually I'm more annoyed with whichever parents/children from hell combination made them come up with the policy.

Do any Cornish mumsnetters know of any nice/fine dining restaurants that allow young children at lunch time? DD is 2 years old.

How many have you tried?

Whereabouts in Cornwall? Which have you ruled out?

Jamie Oliver's 15 allows children for breakfast and lunch.

About 10, all the Michelin-starred places, everything I could find by googling "Cornwall" and "fine dining" including Gidleigh Park, No. 6, The Elephant, and Nathan Outlaw's place in Rock. Everytime I've found a restaurant that looks nice I read the small print and it says "No children under 4/7/10/12".

We have always been able to take dd to 'Fifteen' at Watergate Bay. Granted she was about 7 when we first went but I think there were younger children there. Certainly at the Watergate Bay Hotel, children are catered for and at the The Beach House restuarant.

Why on earth would you want to take children to a Michelin starred restaurant in the first place?

Aim lower. 2 yr olds don't know if they're eating Michelin-starred food anyway.

Here's a crazy idea. Don't take your kid.

Hammy unfortunately we are on holiday and won't have babysitters.

Caonima because we can and because we all enjoy it? Is that a good enough reason?

I think it's fair when you are paying a lot for michelin starred food to not be surrounded by noisy kids running about the place and smearing food in their hair. Part of the experience of that style of fine dining is the atmosphere and young children can (not all, some are very well behaved) ruin it.

www.theview-restaurant.co.uk/

Matt and Rachel who own The View have smalls of their own, so may allow kids in.

Still, aim lower. Those places aren't geared up for very young children. I'm sure you can understand why.

Was going to say Fifteen too, it's really nice there :)

yonwhalefish are you projecting? My DD has never run around a restaurant, been noisy in a restaurant, or smeared food in her hair. We have absolutely no problem with taking her to any restaurant at lunchtime or during the early evening.

fiftyval and scaryteacher thank you for the suggestions, I will check them out.

www.theoldquayinn.co.uk/
www.lemonrock.com/rodandline
www.hospitalitycornwall.com/lewinnicklodge

Really nice gastro pubs, although prob not suitable if you want Michelin star stylee

Rick Stein's bistro allows them too.

That's disgusting. It has never occured to me for a second that a restaurant would not allow me to take my DS.

I have booked a meal at Maze in a few weeks - I didn't mention DS as I never for a moment thought there woulld be an issue. Last time I went to the Oxo Tower there were babies. Admittedly neither of these are Michelin starred

Are any of the cornish ones attatched to hotels? how do they handle it if the child is a guest?

YABU

there are loads of nice places to eat in Cornwall.
I go out to eat about once a week with DH & the Dc .

Does a 'nice' restaurant have to be poncey?

What's wring with a couple of Cornish Pasties on the sea front?

if you want, you can pm me the town you are in and I could try to recommend somewhere.

Rhinosaurus thank you for those suggestions.

Vaffanculo we're on holiday so we wanted to treat ourselves to a poncey place :)

OP it pisses me off too. DD3 has been to Arzak, El Bulli and Lasarte (all three star in Spain), before she was three and at all three there have been other small children enjoying the food - DD3 certainly enjoyed it as much as we did too.

Catgirl - took her to Maze a couple of months ago, no problem there either.

It is frustrating, especially if you know your child would be well behaved. But I do think there is a general expectation that fine dining restaurants will be child free, especially in this country.

We have taken our 2 to some very nice restaurants (some Michelin starred), but tbh although they are very well behaved, I would prefer to go without them. It's just nice to kick back sometimes and just be a couple. Also, the type of food in these places can be tricky for the very young.