Nathan Outlaw is the British chef and restaurateur widely recognised as one of the defining UK seafood-focused fine-dining figures of the past two decades, based in Port Isaac on the north coast of Cornwall. Born 13 September 1977 in Maidstone, Kent, England, Outlaw trained at Thanet Technical College and worked under Peter Kromberg at the Intercontinental Hotel London and under Rick Stein at the Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, before opening his own restaurants in Cornwall from 2003. He became one of the most prominent UK chefs specialising in Cornish seafood, earning two Michelin stars at his Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac.
Outlaw’s 2025-2026 work centres on a significant restructuring of his Port Isaac operation. His flagship Outlaw’s New Road, which has operated at the location for ten years under successive names including Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, closes on 28 March 2026. Outlaw’s Bistro, a new more casual concept with approximately 10 tables focusing on simple hearty Cornish seafood at lower price points, opens on 3 April 2026 at his nearby Outlaw’s Guest House in Port Isaac. Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, his other Port Isaac venue, continues to operate. The transition marks his second major operational reset in the past decade, following the 2019 move from Port Isaac to a previous smaller format.
TL;DR
- British chef born 13 September 1977 in Maidstone, Kent, England
- Trained at Thanet Technical College; Intercontinental Hotel London; Rick Stein Seafood Restaurant Padstow
- Based in Port Isaac, Cornwall since 2003; two Michelin stars at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw
- 28 March 2026: Outlaw’s New Road closes after 10 years
- 3 April 2026: Outlaw’s Bistro opens at Outlaw’s Guest House (10 tables, casual)
- Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen continues in Port Isaac
Nathan Outlaw key facts
| Born | 13 September 1977, Maidstone, Kent, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Training | Thanet Technical College; Intercontinental Hotel London under Peter Kromberg; Seafood Restaurant Padstow under Rick Stein |
| Signature specialism | Cornish seafood, particularly whole-fish cooking from small Cornish boat catch |
| Flagship (until March 2026) | Outlaw’s New Road, Port Isaac (closes 28 March 2026 after 10 years) |
| New flagship (from April 2026) | Outlaw’s Bistro at Outlaw’s Guest House, Port Isaac (opens 3 April 2026) |
| Other venue | Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, Port Isaac (continues) |
Early life and training of Nathan Outlaw
Outlaw was born on 13 September 1977 in Maidstone, Kent, England, and grew up in Kent. He attended Thanet Technical College for catering qualifications in the mid-1990s and moved into senior London hotel kitchens in his late teens. He worked at the Intercontinental Hotel London under Peter Kromberg, one of the defining UK hotel chefs of the period, gaining classical French technique at hotel-kitchen level.
In the late 1990s Outlaw moved to Cornwall and joined Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, one of the defining UK seafood restaurants. The time under Stein in Padstow gave him direct access to the Cornish fishing-harbour economy and the small-boat seafood supply chain that would anchor his subsequent career. He subsequently worked at other Cornish and UK restaurants through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In 2003 Outlaw opened his first restaurant in Cornwall, and across the following decade built a portfolio of Port Isaac seafood restaurants. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw earned two Michelin stars and was one of the defining UK seafood fine-dining restaurants of the 2010s, positioned in a small fishing village on the north Cornwall coast.
Nathan Outlaw career timeline
- 13 September 1977: Born in Maidstone, Kent, England
- Mid-1990s: Attends Thanet Technical College
- Late 1990s: Works at Intercontinental Hotel London under Peter Kromberg
- Late 1990s: Moves to Cornwall; joins Rick Stein Seafood Restaurant Padstow
- 2003: Opens first restaurant in Cornwall
- 2007: Restaurant Nathan Outlaw earns first Michelin star
- 2010: Restaurant Nathan Outlaw earns second Michelin star
- 2011: Publishes Nathan Outlaw’s British Seafood cookbook
- 2013: Opens Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac
- 2015: Publishes Everyday Seafood
- 2016: Outlaw’s New Road opens at Port Isaac location
- 2018: Publishes Home Kitchen
- 2019: Restructures Port Isaac operation; retains Outlaw’s New Road and Fish Kitchen
- 2020-2022: Continued Port Isaac operation through Covid-19 pandemic
- 2024: Continues at Outlaw’s New Road and Fish Kitchen
- 2025: Announces Outlaw’s New Road closure after 10 years at location
- 28 March 2026: Outlaw’s New Road closes after 10 years
- 3 April 2026: Outlaw’s Bistro opens at Outlaw’s Guest House in Port Isaac (10 tables, casual Cornish seafood)
- 2026: Outlaw’s Bistro and Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen continue operating in Port Isaac
Nathan Outlaw signature style: Cornish seafood fine dining
Outlaw’s central argument, developed across more than 20 years in Cornwall from 2003, is that UK seafood fine dining can be anchored in the Cornish small-boat catch, whole-fish cookery, and the direct relationship between chef, fishing harbour and small Cornish village. The Port Isaac operation has built on this argument across multiple restaurants, with Restaurant Nathan Outlaw and its Michelin-star run anchoring the approach and Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen extending it into a more casual village-bistro format.
The second defining element is the operational willingness to restructure. The 2026 closure of Outlaw’s New Road after 10 years and the 3 April 2026 opening of Outlaw’s Bistro at the Guest House represents Outlaw’s second major operational reset in the past decade, following similar restructuring in 2019. The willingness to close successful fine-dining formats and restart in more casual formats is a pattern that has characterised his approach.
The third pillar is the multi-venue Port Isaac operation. Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen continues alongside the new Outlaw’s Bistro in the village, extending the operation beyond the single-flagship model. Within the current UK fine-dining cohort Outlaw sits alongside peers including Sat Bains at Nottingham and Simon Rogan at Cartmel as one of the defining UK regional fine-dining figures outside London.
Notable Nathan Outlaw work
Several Outlaw projects have become reference points in UK seafood fine dining. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, operating at the Port Isaac location from 2003 and later renamed Outlaw’s New Road from 2016, held two Michelin stars across the 2010s and was one of the defining UK seafood fine-dining restaurants of the period. Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, opened 2013 in Port Isaac, is his continuing village-bistro format. Outlaw’s Bistro at Outlaw’s Guest House opens 3 April 2026 as his new casual seafood format. Outlaw cookbooks include Nathan Outlaw’s British Seafood (2011), Everyday Seafood (2015), and Home Kitchen (2018).
Nathan Outlaw awards and recognition
- Late 1990s: Works at Intercontinental Hotel London under Peter Kromberg
- Late 1990s: Works at Rick Stein Seafood Restaurant Padstow
- 2003: Opens first restaurant in Cornwall
- 2007: Restaurant Nathan Outlaw earns first Michelin star
- 2010: Restaurant Nathan Outlaw earns second Michelin star
- 2011: Publishes Nathan Outlaw’s British Seafood
- 2013: Opens Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac
- 2016: Outlaw’s New Road opens at Port Isaac location
- 2018: Home Kitchen cookbook published
- 2025: Announces Outlaw’s New Road closure
- 28 March 2026: Outlaw’s New Road closes after 10 years
- 3 April 2026: Outlaw’s Bistro opens at Outlaw’s Guest House
Nathan Outlaw impact on UK seafood fine dining
Outlaw’s most concrete contribution is the 20-plus-year Cornish seafood fine-dining operation from 2003, including the two-Michelin-star run at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw across the 2010s. Few UK chefs have sustained serious seafood-specialist fine dining at Michelin level for comparable duration outside London, and the Port Isaac location in a small north Cornwall fishing village has been one of the defining regional UK fine-dining destinations of the past two decades.
The second contribution is the direct chef-to-harbour supply model. Outlaw has built his operation around direct relationships with Port Isaac and surrounding Cornish fishing harbours, demonstrating that small-boat catch can anchor fine-dining menus at Michelin level. The model has influenced subsequent UK seafood-specialist restaurants.
The third contribution is the 2026 transition to the Outlaw’s Bistro casual format. The 28 March 2026 closure of Outlaw’s New Road and the 3 April 2026 opening of Outlaw’s Bistro at the Guest House represents a deliberate move from fine-dining tasting menus to a more casual Cornish seafood format at lower price points. Within the current UK fine-dining cohort Outlaw sits alongside peers including Sat Bains, Simon Rogan and Brett Graham as one of the defining UK fine-dining figures.
Nathan Outlaw FAQ
Is Restaurant Nathan Outlaw still open?
No. Outlaw’s New Road, which operated at the Port Isaac location under successive names including Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, closes on 28 March 2026 after 10 years at the location. Outlaw opens Outlaw’s Bistro at Outlaw’s Guest House on 3 April 2026 as the replacement format in Port Isaac.
What is Outlaw’s Bistro?
Outlaw’s new casual Cornish seafood restaurant opening 3 April 2026 at Outlaw’s Guest House in Port Isaac. The bistro has approximately 10 tables and focuses on simple hearty Cornish seafood at lower price points than the preceding Outlaw’s New Road fine-dining format. The opening follows the 28 March 2026 closure of Outlaw’s New Road.
Is Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen still open?
Yes. Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, opened in 2013, continues to operate in Port Isaac in 2026. The Fish Kitchen is the village-bistro format that has accompanied Outlaw’s fine-dining operations across the past decade, and continues alongside the new Outlaw’s Bistro format from April 2026.
Where is Port Isaac?
Port Isaac is a small fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall in the south-west of England. The village is the base of Outlaw’s Cornish seafood operation, with direct access to the small-boat catch that anchors his cookery. Port Isaac is also widely known as the filming location for the ITV series Doc Martin.
Did Outlaw train under Rick Stein?
Yes. In the late 1990s Outlaw worked at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, one of the defining UK seafood restaurants. The Padstow experience gave Outlaw direct access to the Cornish fishing-harbour economy and the small-boat seafood supply chain that has anchored his subsequent career across more than two decades in Cornwall.
What is next for Nathan Outlaw
Outlaw’s Bistro opens 3 April 2026 at Outlaw’s Guest House in Port Isaac with approximately 10 tables and a casual Cornish seafood format. Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen continues in the village. His public Instagram (@chef_nathan_outlaw) is the best source for current updates.
