Nathan Outlaw to close flagship restaurant and relaunch as 'more inclusive and accessible' concept
Set to open in July, following the lifting of the Government-mandated shutdown of the hospitality sector, the restaurant's concept will continue to focus on seafood, albeit served in a 'more inclusive and accessible' setting.
The pandemic has already led to significant changes in Outlaw's restaurant portfolio, with his London site Siren, which opened last summer within The Goring hotel in Belgravia, having been closed permanently in May as part of a planned scaling back of the hotel's F&B department.
Outlaw tells BigHospitality that the decision to change his flagship restaurant has been at the back of his mind for a couple of years, describing it as a personal choice that feels like the weight of the world being lifted off of his shoulders.
He says New Road will better represent his outlook on seafood cookery and what makes a great restaurant today.
"It makes sense for me," he says.
"I want to be happy in my workplace; I want my staff to be happy and having fun; and I think that's what customers will want in the future as apposed to the fine dining and more formal restaurant environment."
While the offering at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, which was ranked at Number 21 in the UK’s Top 100 Restaurants List, featured a single £140 tasting menu, Outlaw's New Road will serve a 'more traditional' à la carte menu presented at a reduced price point.
With starters at around £12 and mains from £26, the new restaurant seeks to create a space that, over time, has an 'all-year-round pull' for both tourists and local residents.
Starters will include Port Isaac crab served with a marinated tomato and samphire salad; and Port Isaac lobster served with aioli and a courgette and basil salad.
Main dishes, meanwhile, will change regularly and be responsive to the local catch brought in each morning, and include grilled cod served with a clotted cream, cider and sage sauce; and roasted turbot served on the bone, with a warm tartare sauce.
“We are proud to have seen Restaurant Nathan Outlaw go from strength to strength over the years, but we wholeheartedly feel that it is time to change the restaurant to a new, more accessible and fun environment for both customers and staff alike," says Outlaw.
"I am a different chef and person that started the original restaurant and get far more pleasure and reward from the simpler things in life, and that includes the way I cook and eat out.
"We’re incredibly excited to see where this new road leads us, and we will remain just as motivated by our mission to put seafood on your plate and create exciting spaces for all involved.”
Outlaw's other Port Isaac restaurant, Outlaw's Fish Kitchen, will remain closed for now while the chef and his team consider what best to do with the space.
“We’ve got some ideas that we’re looking into, like private dining or reduced covers, but for the time being it makes sense for us to focus our efforts on the one restaurant and the collection menu," adds Outlaw.
Restaurant Nathan Outlaw had been located in Port Isaac since 2015, having originally opened further down the coast in Rock in 2008.
It has held two Michelin stars since 2010, and was awarded best UK Restaurant by The Waitrose Good Food Guide in 2018 and 2019.
