Nathan Outlaw: 'The freedom to create is endless and that’s extremely exciting'
After years synonymous with Michelin-star tasting menus, Nathan Outlaw said the decision to open a new bistro in 2026 was driven by a desire to change how he cooks, how his team develops, and how his business operates in the current hospitality climate.
Nathan is set to open a new 10-table restaurant in Port Isaac next spring, marking a quiet but significant evolution for the chef.
Nathan is a celebrated chef whose restaurants collectively hold Michelin star status; his flagship Outlaw’s New Road in Port Isaac currently holds one Michelin star and he is widely known for having earned two Michelin stars earlier in his career for Restaurant Nathan Outlaw.
Ahead of the opening, Outlaw’s New Road will close, drawing a line under a defining chapter in Nathan’s career. He described the decision as both emotional and energising.
Nathan said: “It’s been an incredible chapter at Outlaw’s New Road. Watching both my team and myself develop, and seeing what we’ve achieved together has been nothing short of remarkable. To close the doors on such a high feels right. It lets us carry that momentum straight into Outlaw’s Bistro.”
Read more: Outlaw’s Guest House and Bistro: Nathan Outlaw announces new opening
Not a rejection of tasting menus
Nathan explained that Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen continues to hold a Michelin star and will retain its ‘Fish Kitchen to Share’ tasting menu, which he still believes is the best way to showcase seafood at its peak.
“I haven’t moved on from that format,” he said. “Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen has a Michelin star and will continue to do its ‘Fish Kitchen to Share’ tasting menu, which I still think is the best way to experience a number of different seafood species at their peak quality.”
Why the tasting-menu model no longer fits everywhere
While tasting menus remain central to one part of his business, Nathan said they were not right for the new restaurant.
He explained that Outlaw’s Bistro will not offer a tasting menu because he wants to focus on a simpler, seasonal à la carte style of cooking.
Nathan said: “At Outlaw’s Bistro we won’t do a tasting menu because I, personally, want to offer and cook a simple, seasonal and exciting à la carte menu."
He added that the move was also about the development of his team, particularly a younger brigade of chefs.
“Doing that will also provide opportunities for my crew to develop more skills and experience. They will gain much more experience from cooking à la carte, both from an ingredients and managing the service point of view.”
Nathan said that while he remains closely associated with seafood, the bistro format allows him to introduce meat and game, broadening both the menu and the training opportunities within the kitchen.
He added: “Obviously, I’m known for seafood, and they’ll still get lots of training in how to prepare and cook that properly. But by introducing meat and game to the menu, I’ll be able to offer them a wider knowledge base.”
A bistro offers freedom - creatively and operationally
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Nathan said the decision to open a bistro also came from a personal desire to cook in a different way.
He explained that his dining room at Outlaw’s Guest House had previously only been used for breakfast, something he felt was a missed opportunity.
“That’s such a waste,” he said. “My first restaurant, The Black Pig, was in essence a bistro and I’ve always missed it and the way we cooked there.”
He mentioned that the bistro format gives him greater creative freedom day to day.
Nathan added: “There are no rules really when it comes to the menu and dishes as far as I’m concerned. The freedom to create is endless and that’s extremely exciting.”
The variety of cooking is also something he is looking forward to.
“Yes, because of the variety,” he said, when asked whether the style felt more natural. “It will also be easier to make last-minute changes according to what’s available.”
Business realities and changing pressures
Nathan said the timing of the move was also influenced by the wider pressures facing the industry.
He added: “I’m making the changes in 2026 because I believe it’s the right time for me to revise the way we do things at Outlaw’s and give our business the best chance to get through the obvious tough times we are all having in the hospitality industry."
While he rejected the idea that he was stepping away from Michelin pressure, he acknowledged that running a viable business has become increasingly challenging.
He said: “I never chased stars in the first place, Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen has a Michelin star and that is something the team and I are very proud of, so we aim to keep it, but it isn’t the basis of what we put on the menu.”
Nathan added: “I would say the pressure to run a successful business is far greater.”
Looking ahead
Nathan described the move as a reset rather than a reinvention, combining lifestyle considerations with creative freedom.
“I’ve been working silly hours for 30 years now. I’m not getting any younger, so it’s time to think about work-life balance as well as my creative freedom and the challenges of running restaurants today.”
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