MOR will take the space previously occupied by Adam Handling’s Ugly Butterfly restaurant, which relocated to Newquay last year.
The restaurant takes its name from the Cornish word for ‘sea’ and will be “dedicated to the rhythm and seasons of Cornwall”.
The opening marks a return to Carbis Bay Estate -just outside St Ives - for Sellers, following the success of his 2019 pop-up, Story by the Sea.
The menu will revolve around a raw bar and charcoal grill and will focus on top-quality produce, including hand-dived scallops, day-boat fish and ex-dairy beef, as well as vegetables grown in an on-site kitchen garden.
Dishes will include Cornish crab with steamed milk buns, house condiments and garden lettuces; nori-wrapped day-boat mackerel escabeche with English wasabi and young ginger; and Cornish clotted cream soft serve with jasmine rice, salted caramel and horseradish.
MOR’s interiors are being overseen by Shayne Brady of Studio Shayne Brady and will draw on the spiritual traditions of Japanese Shintoism and Cornish Celtic mysticism, blending natural stone, wood and sheer fabrics to create “a serene and contemporary sanctuary”.
MOR will bring Sellers’ HiStory Hospitality group to five sites, joining Restaurant Story, Story Cellar, Dovetale and Gwyn’s Bakery.
Sellers opened Restaurant Story in 2013 at just 26 years old, earning a Michelin star within five months and a second in 2021.
Of the opening, Sellers says: “Cornwall has a magic unlike anywhere else in the world. At MOR, I want to capture that sense of wonder, connecting people to the sea, the seasons, and to each other through food, craft, and storytelling.”
Stephen Baker, owner of the Carbis Bay Estate, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Tom and his team back to Carbis Bay Estate. His 2019 pop-up left such a lasting impression, and it’s incredibly exciting to see the vision, energy, and expertise Tom brings to creating this new, unique restaurant right in the heart of the Estate. Tom’s passion and support for Cornwall’s landscape, produce and growers align perfectly with our own values, and we are excited to begin this new culinary journey together.”