The Fish in The Fountain Restaurant's background
We
would like to welcome you to the Fish in the Fountain Restaurant at the
Hundred House Hotel, established in 2005 by chef owner Richard Maior-Barron
with his wife Denise, on the basis of their former seafood restaurant, 'The
Water Rail' in East Looe.
Richard and Denise's story at The Water Rail started in 2001 when they decided to change their hectic lifestyles working in and out London and the home counties, for a perceived slower pace and a definitely better quality of life. As many other people from the south east tempted by the mirage of Cornwall, they took the gamble of a completely new venture and fortunately it all worked out far better than they hoped. After only five months from opening The Water Rail, they were entered as the fastest entry in the prestigious golden anniversary edition of the Good Food Guide 2002:
"What a find!" enthused one report of this restaurant. "...in a seventeenth century building down a narrow side street off the harbour. Inside it is small and characterful, with white walls, beams and cottagey dark-wood furniture. The welcome is warm, and service is keen and friendly. Richard Maior-Barron learnt his skills around the Mediterranean fishing regions, which shows in the wide choice of simple dishes built on supplies fresh from the quay. They are used in nightly specials, perhaps crab and anchovy cakes with yoghurt, garlic and cucumber sauce, or skewered monkfish grilled and served in an uncomplicated parsley, garlic and tomato sauce. Simple excellence marks out desserts too: of classic chocolate mousse or homely spotted dick."
The following year saw even more accomplishments, as The Water Rail went on to be be featured in the renowned Michelin guide and also kept the enthusiasm of its Good Food Guide followers by installing a lobster tank - very much needed as the delicious crustaceans became the speciality of the restaurant:
"'Fish Fresh from the quay' is the enticing message chalked up on a blackboard outside this atmospheric seventeenth-century house; and apart from a few more exotic specimens, it is nearly all to be found swimming in waters off the shores of this historic fishing village. Lobsters are a speciality, and as the Guide went to press, a lobster tank was due to be installed in the dinning-room: it will need to be a large one to accommodate the purple-shell deep-sea lobsters that come big enough for up to four people to share..."
The peak of The Water Rail's success was to be reached in 2003 when not only did it carry on being featured in the two prestigious guides but it also got outstanding mentions in the national press.
"Telegraph food critic Jan Moir, writing on the 22nd of March about a West End seafood restaurant, mentioned The Water Rail as the first of the 'three of a kind' restaurants specialising in good clean fish"The Telegraph food critic Jan Moir, writing on the 22nd of March about a West End seafood restaurant, mentioned The Water Rail as the first of 'the three of a kind' restaurants specialising in 'good clean fish'. Her main verdict was: 'Small, with bags of character, this cottagey restaurant is just a stone’s throw from the harbour. Sauteed, poached or grilled, the fish is as clean and simple as the dinning-room it's served in. Furthermore, only three months later, the Water Rail was picked up again but this time by Peter Hardy's Daily Mail travel page. Within the report 'Breaks in the U.K.' featuring Looe and Polperro, Hardy classified the best places to stay and eat in the area, by rewarding them with gold, silver and bronze. Whilst the exquisite 400 year old Talland Bay Hotel got the gold for accommodation, The Water Rail was the gold restaurant of the entire area. Finally, 2003 ended on the same high note when Jan Moir of the Telegraph, wrote on the 29th of November about a new venture of the famous Roux brothers. Again, the first of 'the three of a kind' in line with the celebrity French chefs' skills, was Richard's brilliant input at The Water Rail, she highlighted the restaurant's by now well established speciality: 'Lobster is the big thing here - huge monsters, straight from the sea, swimming around in the restaurant in their very own tank. Just off the harbour, this is warm and welcoming.'
2003 was not only full of accomplishments but it also set the spark for what is now the Fish in the Fountain Restaurant at the Hundred House Hotel. The public acknowledgement of Richard's skills brought an increased number of customers to The Water Rail, but in contrast with the previous years, when these would be attracted first to the area, and then discover the quaint atmospheric restaurant, now they would come specifically for the food at The Water Rail, booking sometimes months in advance. Naturally, customer's next question was whether The Water Rail had accommodation available?! So, this is how the idea of our accommodation with fine food came about. The search for the right place and location lasted for almost two years and on the 14th of February 2005, The Water Rail closed its doors after a last romantic dinner. Although it was sad to part with their first Cornish successful venture, the excitement of moving to The Hundred House and of starting the new project, was overwhelming. Despite not having complied entirely with Richard's initial plan, The Hundred House Hotel has that particular charm of a traditional English country house which provides just the right setting for a 'Back to Basic's' advocate, its proximity to the sea also ensuring that the main star on the menu will always be the fish!
Awarded an AA rosette for culinary excellence in June 2007
Michelin accredited since 2005