Petty Fours: Truro’s New Hidden Gem Restaurant Delights with Surprises

Alfie Petty is a chef. He has three brothers. Their restaurant, Petty Fours, serves petit fours. Located in Truro, diners can expect surprises from its very good food.

The restaurant opened nine weeks ago on Old Bridge Street. Chorley’s used to be there, with Truro Cathedral looming nearby. The chef bravely started this new eatery.

Truro’s nightlife has struggled, and many places have closed. Petty Fours only seats twenty people, but hopefully, it will succeed because it seems quite special indeed. The restaurant was busy on Thursday, where most diners were returning guests. One man said it was his favorite and felt the city needed it.

The restaurant offers fine dining, but the prices are surprisingly reasonable. Alfie and Edgard describe it as “affordable luxury” and dislike “fine dining’s” stuffiness.

Petty Fours has set menus. Three courses cost £46 and two courses are £38. The tasting menu costs £58, has eight courses, and includes bread, butters, and petit fours. It’s a fair price for the quality.

For £58, the courses feel endless, and Edgard calls it a “crescendo of flavors”. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and a similar meal elsewhere could cost more. The staff never rushed us, and we stayed three and a half hours.

Alfie gained experience from his family’s restaurant and worked at Ugly Butterfly and The Longstore. He cooked at Clover Club and Merchant’s Manor, and Hylton Espey, a Michelin-starred chef, mentored him. Alfie’s wife, Tareg, made the art.

Edgard is from Paris and worked in London for 25 years. He loves life in Cornwall, and his passion for Petty Fours is obvious. They offer a wine flight for £48, and we shared Gruner Veltliner, an organic and excellent Austrian wine.

First came the chef’s canapés, where three small bites vanished quickly. Included were lobster croquettes and mackerel tartlets. A cream cheese treat tasted like savory ice cream.

Next was the bread, and the smoked butter was a hit. Then a salad arrived with blue cheese, apple, and walnut, and the flavors were exquisite.

The lobster bisque was bold, enhanced with seared scallops and caviar. The duck and orange dish tasted new. The duck breast was perfectly cooked and came with potatoes and carrot purée. Alfie seems the newest rising chef.

I chose an extra cheese course for £9, which included four cheeses with perfect pairings. Brie with pear and cheddar with apricots were there. Cornish yarg and Helford blue with honey completed it.

Then, a blood orange sorbet cleansed our palates. Dessert was banoffee mousse or rhubarb pie, but Edgard insisted we try both. My wife dislikes bananas so they made her chocolate torte, which was not too sweet.

The rhubarb pie floated away, a delicious end to the meal. We also got petit fours, plus a homemade granola gift. Also, they give a scratch card and a recipe, a nice touch to remember the place.

Petty Fours is a welcome addition to Truro. Go and book a table, you won’t be sorry. A service charge of 12.5% applies. Note, we paid for the meal.