WHAT? WHERE?

Pubs are great equalisers, where everyone is welcome. And none more so than Tom and Katie Hannon’s place – The Rising Sun in Truro; an old coaching inn that has sat on Mitchell Hill, a medieval route into the city of Truro, for the past 200 years.

Katie and Tom have spent the last eight years lovingly restoring this locals favourite and applying their extensive respective skills to the place. The result is an elegant, stylish, warm, cosy pub where the food is better than most restaurants, the drinks excellent (whether it’s a pint of locally brewed lager or a dram of whisky at £100, and everything in between), the wine list interesting, dogs and children are welcome, and there’s even a chiminea in the courtyard garden to keep the smokers and Friday night session drinkers happy.

THE VIBE

With a background in textiles, it was no surprise to find that Katie has designed the pub’s interiors herself. Classic, stylish and also texturally appealing, everything from the way the pub looks, feels and sounds has been carefully considered.

The result is still most definitely a cosy pub, with nothing at all about the interior that might alienate the regulars, yet it also embraces the needs of the gastro-pub eater – think roaring fire, plush brown leather bar stools, copper detailing, cushions on the benches, proper napkins and decent glassware.

SCOFF & QUAFF

Rich indulgent food is the name of the game here and where chef patron Tom excels. Having cut his teeth in Michelin starred restaurants he wanted to bring his style of excellent cooking to a more informal location. And boy, does he do that well. Having whet our appetites the week before with the Sunday roast en famille, we then returned a deux the following Friday for what could only be described as an actual date.

After a well-earned post work drink in the bar alongside a crew of Friday night regulars, we moved through to the dining room, which is that rare of breeds in any restaurant, let alone a pub – warm and cosseting, quiet enough to hold a conversation but without that awkward feeling of being overheard or getting distracted by nearby chatter.

To start was perhaps my favourite dish of the whole menu; Roscoff onion tarte tatin with crispy chicken skin and jus. Tom told me afterwards that the dish was based on the wine matching – they’d wanted to create something special to match a glass of Grand Cuvée Krug Champagne. Bold, rich and with high acidity, this is foodie Champagne and it worked with the onions and mushrooms perfectly. (Fun fact for wine geeks: each bottle of Krug has an ID which lets you look up the details online, like blend and disgorgement dates – very handy if you’re out to impress, just saying!).

Up next was the main attraction. The lighting is low and intimate which makes for a great atmosphere and the duck, with orange glazed carrots and parmentier potatoes was beautifully and lovingly cooked and served. The steak (for him) was 28 day aged Cornish ribeye from Cornwall’s Philip Warren, with onion rings, tomatoes and a choice of two different types of potatoes, chips, salad and not one but four sauces.

You’d think there was a whole kitchen full of workers, not just Tom and his sous-chef and trusty pot washer – if you’re counting that is four different ways of cooking potatoes just across our two dishes – this is food cooked by someone who knows what they are doing and isn’t afraid of technique and work. For added charm and theatrics, a box of hand-made steak knives are brought out for selection at the table. Not just any old steak knives either; these are hand forged by Tom and his GM in nearby St Agnes. Perfectly, and unexpectedly weighted, they are a pleasure to use.

Being as we had the foresight to book both a babysitter and a nearby hotel within walking distance, we said yes to the matching wine flight (three Argentinian Malbecs of varying ages) and I enjoyed my Chilean Syrah from the Secret Cellar list. In fact, the whole wine list not just the suggested pairings is thanks to Katie and very nicely chosen; especially for a pub it is pleasing to have interesting options by the glass as well as the bottle (and that the glass has been thought about too).

After all that loveliness I didn’t think it was possible to eat any more, but we couldn’t say no to the cheeseboard and accompanying wine.

This Portuguese wine was a cross between a sherry and a Madeira, a sort of fortified wine; the story goes that it had essentially been forgotten about, and had basically cooked in the Portuguese summers, leaving behind something probably not what was ever intended, but actually a perfectly delicious oxidised and sweet mouthful to balance the Cornish cheeses and homemade chutneys.

We rounded off proceedings with a further delve into the interesting drinks that The Rising Sun had on offer, which include some real connoisseurs choice spirits alongside well chosen and looked after beers, soft drinks. And of course, there are some great examples of the more usual pubs options and mixers, like gin, rum and vodkas.

DOG-FRIENDLY?

Yes, but only in the bar not the dining room. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat though; the restaurant food is also available to order in the bar for (even more) informal dining where kids are also welcome. Dogs are also welcome in the garden and at the tables out the front – you probably wouldn’t want to eat outside in winter but in the summer, I reckon that would be lovely.

OUT & ABOUT

After all that eating and drinking, rolling round the corner and into bed at another Muddy fave, The Alverton (below), should have been the sensible option. What we actually did was walk down into town to Tom and Katie’s other place, Fitzpatrick’s (above), a good ol’ late night boozer / sports bar which pays homage to Tom’s Irish heritage and is proof that you’re never too old for a late night pint and game of pool. Or, proof that you’re never just one thing, and what makes The Rising Sun a joy to visit is the same thing that makes Fitzpatrick’s buzzing until 1am: knowing your audience, and doing what you do well.

Also nearby is the newly revamped Hall for Cornwall, and while this side of town is the leafy outskirts, you’re really only walking distance from the charming, cobbled streets of Truro, so there’s plenty of shops and cafes and even a museum to make a weekend of it in the city itself. Just outside Truro is the National Trust gardens at Trelissick (below) and it is a short drive down to Falmouth.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Foodies that like their food and wine without fuss or pretence. The food and drinks here are better quality than you’ll get in a lot of restaurants, but with the convivial and cosy atmosphere of a neighbourhood pub. Also just the ticket for dinner with friends, family catch ups and it is also surprisingly intimate, so if you went here on a first date, it wouldn’t be the location choice that didn’t score you a second.

Not for: Fans of silver service fine dining or those that prefer their dining rooms light and high ceilinged. There are no white tablecloths or fancy service here – the charm of The Rising Sun is that it is, when all is said and done, a pub. Just a really great one with excellent food.

The damage: Mains from £19 (steak £32) and starters £11-13 so pretty decent considering the quality. I’ve definitely eaten pricier pub food locally that is nowhere near as good.

The Rising Sun, Mitchell Hill, Truro, Cornwall TR1 1ED

therisingsuntruro.co.uk

Review: The Rising Sun, Truro

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