A renowned chef will be bringing the essence of the Iberian Peninsula and Mediterranean coast to St Ives.

Dorian Janmaat’s will be launching his restaurant called Ardor in Fore Street on Monday, July 8.

The casual dining restaurant will pay homage to Dorian’s love of the Mediterranean coast and Cornwall, where he spent much of his upbringing.

Originating from the words ‘heat’ and ‘passion’ in Latin, Ardor takes its cues from two things that go hand in hand to describe the Mediterranean way of life.

Having honed his culinary style as the award-winning Executive Head Chef of The Idle Rocks Hotel and over nine years at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Dorian has crafted a menu of flavoursome simplicity, seasonal to its core.

Spanish-influenced small plates will celebrate locally and Andalusian sourced produce, along with the freshest Cornish seafood and dry aged cuts, cooked simply over charcoal.

Open for lunch and dinner, the small plates menu, inspired by tapas and mezze concepts allows guests to try a bit of everything and enjoy all of the incredible produce and authentic flavours from both Cornwall and Andalusia.

Many of the dishes will be nostalgic for Dorian, bringing back memories of long summer lunches with his family on the Spanish coast.

Plates such as fritto misto: Calabrian chilli aioli with burnt lemon showcase the finest Cornish seafood along with Ardor’s rotisserie chicken, on show at the face of the kitchen, creating a touch of theatre for those seated at the chef's counter.

Another highlight is the Josper Grill with dishes such as monkfish tail, nduja and samphire sauce or Chistorra sausage, lentil and pimentón stew.

Then there’s the iconic dry aged cuts; including the very best cuts of Iberico pork tomahawk, cooked over the charcoal and served with a choice of salsa to really tantalise those taste buds.

Other plates include delectable Spanish treats such as croquetas of the day, gambas al ajillo and moules provençal along with daily specials and a fresh fish counter with the daily catch from family-run St Ives institution since 1948, Matthew Stevens Fish.

An extensive wine list and crafted signature cocktails including the Sangria Del Mar or the Ardor Old Fashioned provide the perfect accompaniment for lunch, dinner or afternoon pintxos.

Much of Dorian’s childhood was spent in Spain, where he fell in love with Mediterranean cooking and the infectious way of life associated with those countries’ cultures. Most memorable was their respect for produce, simple cooking, and sharing with family and friends. These form the foundations of Ardor’s hospitality.

Dorian said: “It has been a lifelong dream of mine to open a restaurant, and I can’t wait to throw open Ardor’s doors and welcome visitors, locals, friends and family in the best way we know how – with beautiful food and wine. Ardor’s aim is to offer delicious plates using the best produce, selected for its quality and flavour, enhanced by cooking with care and simplicity.

“We want Ardor to be high energy and lively, somewhere you’re welcome and at ease for a friendly counter lunch or evening pintxos, or as a larger group wanting to get stuck in to a melt-in-the-mouth Galician Côte de boeuf, catch of the day, and all of the small plates, washed down with the finest wines and cocktails.”

Ardor will welcome guests across an upstairs and lower restaurant, a bar area and chef’s counter for that little bit of theatre.

With a combination of counter seating and individual tables accommodating up to 60 covers in total, diners can opt to sit at any of four areas. The upstairs restaurant offers larger tables as well as cosy ‘twos’ in the window, bistro-style, and the chef’s counter, with uninterrupted viewing of the chefs stoking the fires of the rotisserie and Josper grill. Sit at the bar where Mediterranean-inspired cocktails are stirred and shaken, or the lower restaurant with views directly into the kitchen, ideal for couples and groups alike.

Curated by Dorian himself, Ardor’s design is in keeping with the core principles of Mediterranean cooking: open, warm and convivial. Materials take cues from Iberian colours and textures, with hand painted Moroccan zellige tiles (Otto Tiles & Design) used to decorate the bar, chef’s counter and dry age fridge, and tan and copper tones.

The colour palette is earthy and warm, influenced by those balmy Mediterranean summers. Prints from artist Emily Daborn adorn the walls, and a standout (almost 2m length) piece from Dorian’s childhood friend and now renowned London artist, ‘Fever Pitch’ by Joe Walker, hangs proudly adjacent to the chef’s counter.

Chairs have been sourced from London-based Cult whilst Cornish supplier, Varcurn marble, was brought on board to create Glencoe Quartz tables, bar top and chef’s counter top. Ardor has worked with local suppliers and craftsmen wherever possible, from the building and decorating through to St Ives florists for table decorations and planting.