Our bedroom window frames the bustling harbour like a painting: a kaleidoscopic sea of fishing boats dance as people mill around the water’s edge, shielding ice creams from scavenging seagulls. Restaurant Kota is in a prime spot, its 300-year-old building magisterial at Porthleven’s harbour head, as if silently watching over the Cornish town. Having accumulated numerous accolades since opening in 2006, Kota (Māori for ‘shellfish’) has a lot to live up to. Chef patron Jude Kereama represented the South-west on the BBC’s Great British Menu, making the final-stage banquet on his fourth attempt.

Kota is testament to Jude’s drive and ambition, with his Asian heritage (he is half Māori, half Chinese Malay) a clear influence. Three bedrooms are a recent side hustle to Kota’s main attraction and, given the lack of accommodation in Britain’s most southerly port, they’re a canny offering. Our room, above the restaurant, is comfy, spacious and contemporary. The en suite is ample, if dated – it’s awaiting some imminent TLC.

We descend the outside stairs to the restaurant, which, with its wooden bar and terracotta tiles, has a 1980s vibe. We sip a crisp Portuguese white wine as we peruse the menu and wait to be seated, an expectant buzz already starting to build in the main room. The sturdy whitewashed walls are evocative of days gone by – a feeling that’s heightened by the candlelit tables. We select the tasting menu (£75 per person) before chatting to Ellie, now restaurant manager, who has worked at Kota for 10 years, learning the ropes from Jude’s late wife, Jane. Ellie’s experience and passion show, and she helms the busy restaurant with ease.

The first course wows: a rosy heritage tomato stuffed with Mylor crab, a zingy cucumber and ponzu jus lending it a perfect salty umami kick. Springy, thick-cut warm bread follows, on which we shamelessly slather whipped trout’s roe, topped with golden herring roe and a sweet smidgen of rhubarb. It is a heady (and moreish) marriage. With the fireplace glowing inside (who cares if it’s fake) and the gloaming descending outside, the harbour lights begin to twinkle beyond the window as Evie, our smiley server, appears with an elegant dish of succulent monkfish with mussels.

The slightly bitter monk’s beard garnish could be polarising, but the spicy curry sauce proves a perfect seafood pairing. Next up is beef fillet, beautifully presented on a bed of smoky mashed potato and with intense beef-reduction gravy. Crispy maitake mushrooms lend an earthy richness – Jude’s inspired Asian touch. The tasting menu concludes with an indulgent milk and honey dessert: sourdough ice cream layered with white chocolate and homemade caramel, and drizzled with sweet Porthleven honey and crunchy praline. A crispy browned milk skin adds theatre, yet is reminiscent of a comforting rice pudding.

We fall asleep to the dim orchestra of the kitchen below and wake to the chatter of a working harbour. This isn’t a place for lie-ins. Breakfast is served a short stroll away at Kota Kai, Jude’s less formal eatery set on the vast first floor of a more modern building (also boasting those harbour views). It is simple fare – full English or smoked salmon, with the usual cereal and yogurt on offer. But after last night’s memorable feast, it’s all we need before we hit the coast path to walk it off.