CORNWALL'S north coast sums up the disparate nature of the county as a whole – breathtaking beauty on one side of the highway and, at times, some seriously tawdry constructions on the other.

Similarly, there are some pretty woeful places to eat (it's amazing what our holidaymaking friends will throw down their necks) but there are also some absolute gems.

On a perfect Cornish Sunday, I chucked the family in the car and headed up the stretch of coast between Newquay and Padstow, and stumbled across two of the latter.

First up was Fire Café in Mawgan Porth for brunch (alright, enough of the middle class pish; a late breakfast) and then Rojano's in Padstow for dinner.

I recommend both, especially now the holiday season is at an end as both get rammed during the summer.

Fire is a funky café, bar and grill right by the beach at Mawgan Porth.

Open seven days a week, it serves non-stop from breakfast right through to dinner – Monday to Friday, noon to midnight, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to midnight.

This place is so popular it's known to attract guests staying at nearby eco-hotel The Scarlet and the new The Park, who perhaps prefer simpler, earthier fare at a more affordable price.

I had to go for The Big Kahuna breakfast – for just £6.75 you get two locally sourced butcher's sausages, two rashers of bacon, two eggs, baked beans, grilled tomato, mushrooms, hogs pudding, hash brown and buttered toast.

Whether you want to soak up a hangover or just want to clog your arteries in style, this is the one for you.

There is a smaller version and also an array of other breakfast delights – a vegetarian English breakfast (£4.45), eggs benedict (£5.95), ciabatta roll with a variety of fillings (£3.95), American buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and bacon or butcher's sausage (£5.95 – I can vouch for how good this is as the hearty portion beat my six-year-old into submission), smoked salmon with scrambled eggs (£5.95) and lots more.

This a great place to eat, with a buzzing atmosphere, friendly staff and a great position – and I haven't even mentioned the evening menu.

Head to www.firecafe.co.uk to find out more.

After some much-need walking to burn those calories, we ventured to Rojano's In The Square, Padstow, later in the day for dinner.

This place has been on Cornwall's dining map for 30 years – indeed I remember sitting here wishing I could wear my pizza as a hat following an ill-conceived mohican haircut 24 years ago.

Regular What's On readers will know that I dubbed Paul Ainsworth At No 6, further up the road in Padstow, the best restaurant in Cornwall a couple of years ago. As his star has risen in recent months I feel justified and – give or take a couple of close contenders – I stick by it.

Paul has now brought his professionalism and flair to Rojano's – and it shows.

He has assembled a quite brilliant team – including manager Paul Dodd, who worked under Marcus Wareing at Pétrus, head chef Daniel Jones, who has been here for seven years, and beverage manager Brian Sherry, who previously mixed cocktails at U2's Dublin hotel, The Clarence.

The recently refurbished restaurant (check out the chi-chi upstairs Grazing Bar) offers Italian-influenced cuisine at affordable prices.

The combination of fantastic food, attentive staff (our waiter was absolutely brilliant with my girls) and great design led to the most enjoyable family meal I've had in the county. Yes, that good.

The menu's something else and far too long to go into here – check out the website. You can't go wrong with a starter of bresàola – air-dried salted beef aged for three months, served with horseradish mayonnaise, rocket, radishes, parmesan and crunchy bread for £7.95 (there are much cheaper options too); something a bit different than the whitebait you normally come across in an Italian.

From a vast array of pizzas I chose the Pescatora – king prawns, mussels, smoked mackerel, rocket, chilli oil on a wonderfully light base, for £11.95.

I showed my children who the biggest kid is after spotting the Gelati Mostro (£6.95) arriving at other tables. I had to have this beauty, basically the ultimate Knickerbocker Glory complete with honeycomb and chocolate-covered space dust. To blend our two languages – bleddy delizioso.

The good news for families is there's a Bambini Menu featuring a choice of pasta dishes, a range of 6" pizzas (all of which are £5.50 each), with a choice of fruit juice and ice cream (both £1 each).

To save every parent's dining nightmare, the restless child, Rojano's provides an Italian-flavoured word search and colouring.

With a superb choice of pasta dishes, salads, pizzas – from the norm to more unusual fare – Rojano's is that rare beast; a restaurant which serves great cuisine but is also laidback and fun. I can't wait to go back.

Head to www.rojanos.co.uk for more information and menus.