All in all I have to say I was a little disappointed.

I'd visited The Grove before it's closure in it's previous form and I have to say that not a lot has changed. That is both a positive and a negative.

As a positive, the service is still excellent with a very well led and trained front of house. I gave it a 4 rather than a 5 though as I felt that, and this will always be a problem when using young waitresses, there was a lack of knowledge on the wine list and they were a little unsure on what some of the dishes actually consisted of. It's not a big criticism as I fully support the hiring of willing youngsters and think it's excellent to see such a professional group of youngsters both in the kitchen and in front of house but as I have to be fair to the reviews I give to other restaurants, I'll score them in direct comparison. I do feel that a bit more experience could provide the support to the owners to take the whole experience up a level.

The atmosphere was good, it wasn't completely full but it was relaxed and a nice ambiance, our previous visit a few years ago didn't see an empty table and felt a bit livelier but that's a sign of the times I guess.

The toilets are positioned in an awful place, just terrible. From a food hygiene point of view, I'm surprised they are allowed to be situated just next to an open kitchen, and I mean just next to. I almost brushed shoulders with the young chef who was waiting to come out of the kitchen. From a privacy point of view I also felt this was inappropriate, it felt almost like a walk of shame walking through the restaurant and past all the staff to reach it. My wife and sister in law both waited until they arrived home later that evening and I can imagine it's not an uncommon scenario.

On to the food, give or take a couple of dishes I'm almost certain I recognise all the dishes from previous visits. I can't fault the cooking, it was all very tasty but I really feel it's been left behind a good decade compared to other restaurants in the area. With the likes of Kota Kai in Porthleven, Ben's Cornish Kitchen and Mount Haven both in Marazion and great pub food at the Victoria Inn in Perranuthnoe all for the same money or less just a short drive away you really feel it needs to take a big step up. The Cornish food scene is moving very quickly and it seems they are getting a bit left behind.

In terms of Value, £29.95 for three courses is about what you would expect anywhere now if you break it down to £7 a starter, £18 a main and £5 a dessert. The portion sizes were a little exaggerated, plenty of vegetables at no extra charge, although they needed a few minutes less cooking, and after a filling first two courses three of us chose the Pavalova and it came out the size of my head! A lighter option it was not! Lovely meringue and fresh fruits though and although I couldn't eat it all I certainly couldn't fault it. A timeless classic.

To bring the review to a close, I'd summarise by saying that it is a well run restaurant doing basic food to a reasonable standard. Don't go expecting anything sophisticated and you shan't be disappointed. I do believe they will need to step it up a level to compete against very strong local competitors in an already difficult market given the financial woes of the country.