Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling at Carbis Bay, Cornwall
If hosting the world leaders for the G7 event wasn’t enough, Carbis Bay Hotel recently opened its doors to a new restaurant, Ugly Butterfly. Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling is the latest restaurant to turn in Cornwall - with world-class views, exceptional food, and sophisticated interiors, Adam and his team really know how to create an experience worth celebrating.
The vibe is instant. With smiling faces, trendy music, and floor-to-ceiling views of the Atlantic Ocean presented as soon as you walk through the door. Looking around the restaurant, you can tell that every interior detail has been carefully selected. I can spot Haley Scott Blooms dried flowers when I see them!
After the staff had introduced themselves, we were offered a glass of fizz alongside the menu. Even the menu is designed to perfection! We opted for the bar snacks to start with and were surprised when a large tray of unique edibles was placed on the table. Spectacular, shapes, colours - Ugly Butterfly means business. The bar snacks include beef & kimchi, cheese doughnut, potato and caviar, crab coronation, and cod sturgeon.
After the initial set of bar snacks, our waitress bought over the Chicken Leg Ceaser Platter which contains sourdough bread and various chicken pate and sauces. Adam believes that there is “no such thing as food waste” and therefore uses all the trimmings and offcuts from the ingredients used in the restaurant to create the bar snacks. I won’t spoil every detail - but listen out for the storytelling element of this dish.
For starter, both mum and I opted for the lobster, scallop, and lemon balm. It was probably my favourite dish from the experience. The flavours within each dish were exceptional and beautifully presented.
Choosing the main course was a challenge as all dishes sounded fantastic. As a seafood lover, I opted for the turbot, mussels, and iceberg lettuce whilst mum went for the chicken, courgette, chips, and basil. It isn’t quite like your usual chicken and chips! I’ll let the photos do the talking.
By this point, we had eaten A LOT of food. As a dessert lover, Mum decided to order the lemon balm and gooseberry, alongside the cleansing palette to help settle the flavours of the previous dish. Again, the flavours were extremely vibrant – which is always a good thing when it comes to a la carte food.
If you’re hoping to visit Ugly Butterfly, then expect an experience. From start to finish, the team will guide you through each dish in a friendly, yet knowledgeable manner. For me, I loved that Ugly Butterfly didn’t feel pretentious despite the food offering – the team was all extremely welcoming and attentive, with plenty of willingness to chat.