The Place
Location, location, location. Old Quay House is a long, thin building jutting out over the wonderful Fowey River in the heart of charming Fowey, loved by yachties, and the rest; and it is rightly geared around the endless amusement you’ll get from the comings and goings on the river, not to mention the prettiness of it all.
You can eat or just sit with a drink on the terrace right over the water watching it all go by, or when cold, move just inside to a sitting area. Most of the bedrooms have the view, the best being corner rooms and the loft.
The interior design is cool, uncluttered, contemporary, to attract a core market of 30s-50s: grey paint, pine floors, perspex tables. The long, thin downstairs combined bar, restaurant and sitting area has recently been redecorated. Food was fairly priced at around £30 for two courses when we visited; the list of wines by the glass has been extended since then.
They aim for a personal welcome and with 11 bedrooms, and the current competent, friendly management, that’s a reasonable claim. However, with so many non-residents coming in to eat, it’s not especially strong on the private, unique character we appreciate. It’s a ‘hotel and restaurant’ formula that works well.