Food and Drink in Cornwall
Cornwall has fabulous working harbours where the daily catch is landed and transported just a few miles to local restaurants and cafes. Crab sandwich anyone? There are acres and acres of lush, coastal grazing where cattle roam freely so Cornish beef or dairy products are always so flavoursome. A great climate for Cornish orchards and vineyards means delicious sparkling wine, ciders, fruit juices, gin or beer to accompany mouth-watering dishes. It’s worth getting in the car and driving from coast to coast to explore Cornwall’s best places to eat, here are a few we can suggest while on holiday in our beautiful county.
Driftwood Spars is a brewpub right by the sea in St. Agnes. It is literally just a moment away from the sandy Trevaunance Cove.
We are spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drinks in Cornwall and we don’t think it’s rivalled anywhere else in the UK. Driftwood Spars is just one of those places where you can find locally sourced and caught food prepared with love. How does grilled mackerel on toasted focaccia sound? Seaweed cured wild trout or maybe slow-roasted topside of beef with Yorkshire pudding? Driftwood Spars also cooks a cracking Sunday Roast so this is one not to be missed either. The Crib Shack is their quirky outpost for takeaway snacks just across the road in the beer garden. Originally a shipping container, it’s been given a new lease of life by creating a funky bar and casual eating spot. The decked area on top has stunning views of the coast; as you can imagine popular with coffee lovers, post-surf hot chocolates, and drinks at sundown. The Crib Shack serves delicious Callestick Farm Ice Cream, homemade cakes, toasted sandwiches, and doggy ice cream (can’t forget our four-legged friends).
- Parking
- Vegan and vegetarian options
- Sunday Roasts
- Children’s menu
- Sea views from The Crib Shack
- Dogs are welcome
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01872 552428
What once was an old warehouse in the heart of Penzance, 45 Queen Street has now transformed into a hub for mouth-watering food, an on-site gin distillery and deli, sourcing some of the most delicious local and seasonal food.
45 Queen Street started as a small bar in the old warehouse, offering a selection of drinks and limited food. Now, this much-loved establishment has developed into a modern yet relaxed eaterie and bar with its own on-site shop too. You can expect your dining experience to be relaxed, fun and sociable as you tuck into one of their ‘build-your-own’ graze boards. Their menu is written daily on their chalkboard and you can choose from an array of options to add to your graze board. The drink selection is pretty fantastic too, you can even sample the Tinkture Gin that is made on-site!
- Dog friendly
- Vegetarian options
- Vegan options
- Local produce
- Nearest car park is Green Market car park
A warm welcome awaits you at The Croust Hut at Troon just outside Camborne. It is a slice of joy in the heart of Cornish mining heritage countryside and is wonderfully located next to the Flat Lode trail which is a 7.5-mile circular route suitable for walking, cycling or horse riding.
The Croust Hut serves breakfast and lunches with the most amazing selection of cakes for a sweet pick-me-up with their delicious drinks menu. The portions are hearty and the food wholesome with a slight wicked edge which makes them all the more scrumptious! It welcomes dogs on leads and there is no need to book unless you are a party of 8 or more when it’s then advised to call and book your tables.
- Outdoor seating
- Dog-friendly
- Vegan options
- Children’s menu
- Parking on-site
Healthy salads, fish and chips, sea views, great coffee, and ice-cream are some of the super-tasty treats you can expect from The Cabin/ Tipsy Crab Bistro perched above Perranuthnoe Beach.
The South West Coastal Path passes almost directly through The Cabin and so it is a firm favourite with local walkers and surfers too! Whether looking for a hot coffee, brunch, a loaded lunch or a cool glass of beer and a bowl of chips, The Cabin can cater for you. By evening, The Cabin transforms into The Tipsy Crab Bistro offering a delicious, fresh locally-sourced menu with incredible sea views. Whether it’s salt and pepper squid or a Cornish crab bisque or a coconut massaman curry finished off with a trio of Cornish ice cream with a coconut tuile, you won’t be disappointed.
Parking is in the small car park a very short walk away (payment with coins in an honesty box).
- Dog-friendly (well-behaved and on leads)
- Vegan options
- Outdoor seating
- Sea views
- Children’s menu available
- Parking very nearby
To find out more about the The Cabin/ Tipsy Crab, call them on 01736 711733 or visit their website
Take a drive from your holiday cottage to one of the most romantically situated 13th Century pubs called The Pandora Inn in Cornwall! Or, if you are having an adventure on the water by boat or kayak, moor up alongside their pontoon and have a bite to eat and a drink in the sunshine where there is ample outdoor seating.
Dogs are welcome at the pub and the food is deliciously gastro-pub quality with generous portions. Wherever possible, Pandora Inn’s chefs’ source ingredients from Cornish farmers and fishermen. To make the most of the carefully selected products, the food is cooked to order and may sometimes take a little longer to be served. The team always do their best to serve you as quickly and efficiently as they can. There is a car park at the pub but it is a fairly small one so you may need to find parking nearby if it’s full. Or arrive by water!
- Dog-friendly
- Vegan options
- Outdoor seating
- On the water’s edge
- Limited parking
To find out more about the Pandora Inn, call them on 01326 372678 or visit their website
The Harbourside Refuge is a coastal haven located in the quaint seaside town of Porthleven.
As the most southerly port in Great Britain, this part of the Cornish coastline became a notorious black spot in the days of sail for wrecks and sinkings due to the harsh westerly winds. The harbour itself was developed to act as a place of refuge, hence the name “The Harbourside Refuge”, a title that pays homage to those historical days.
Now owned by Michelin star chef, Michael Caines MBE, the restaurant aims to celebrate Cornwall and its rich bounty. Fish and shellfish are sourced directly from Porthleven’s harbourside, a selection of spirits are garnered from Cornish distilleries, while fruits and vegetables are procured from a variety of local greengrocers and farmers. Michael and his accomplished team are passionate about showcasing the wealth of good food and drink that Cornwall has to offer and firmly believe that The Harbourside Refuge is a venue suited to all occasions; whether that be a casual coffee and a patisserie, a lunch date, a family dinner or a solo evening tipple after walking the dog, they cater to everyone. This is the ideal spot to enjoy delicious food prepared by Michael’s esteemed team of chefs, on the rooftop terrace overlooking the bustling harbour or in the cosy restaurant by the log fire. Whatever your dining preference, you’re sure to leave The Harbourside Refuge with a satisfied stomach, a smile on your face and a hunger for more.
Harbourside Refuge is a dog-friendly restaurant. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday inclusive.
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01326 331758
Slice of Cornwall is a slice of heaven near Constantine more like! This is one of Orange Roofs’ favourite places to go for a foodie treat in idyllic surroundings.
Waffles, super salads, vegan feasts, exotic smoothies, healthy lattes, doorstep cakes with caramel dressing..the list goes on. Be prepared to be loaded with heaps of delicious food and ask for a doggy bag if you can’t finish. The staff are super friendly and efficient with tables on the terrace overlooking a wooded valley and small stream and indoor seating to cater for couples and larger groups. Dogs are welcome on leads on the terrace which is partially covered in case of a rain shower and cosy fleecy throws provided on chillier days. Open 7 days a week between 9 am and 4 pm with last orders for food being at 3 pm but you can get coffees, smoothies and cakes if you arrive after then.
Feeling full after your feast? We recommend you have a stroll around Bosahan Woods very nearby (especially in May when the bluebells are in full flower!)
- Dog-friendly (terrace only)
- Vegan and vegetarian options
- Children’s menu
- Parking on-site
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01326 341163
The Cove is a beachside paradise that’s nestled on the shoreline of Maenporth Beach.
Offering an oasis of taste and visual beauty, it’s easily one of the most picturesque spots to enjoy some real Cornish cuisine. Having delighted the visitors and diners of Maenporth for over 20 years, it is now owned by acclaimed Michelin star chef, Michael Caines MBE. The venue takes full advantage of its stunning location, with a glass-front terrace offering unrivalled views of the Roseland Heritage Coast, Pendennis Castle and St Anthony Lighthouse as well as the glorious views of the sun setting into the Atlantic.
Their family-friendly restaurant is the perfect place for dog walkers and fine diners alike, offering coffees, light bites, main meals, daily specials and a signature tasting menu for those who really want to get a taste of Cornwall. Michael has always been a champion of the southwest and its outstanding larder, and working directly with local producers and suppliers is fundamental to his cuisine. Enjoy Michael’s sensational food al fresco on the outdoor terrace or get cosy and wind down indoors with a glass of first-class wine, the dining possibilities are endless.
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01326 251136
You will often see a queue outside Mackerel Sky Seafood and for very good reason. Serving the freshest of seafood caught just hours before, the dishes are tapas size and so are a taste sensation!
There is a small dining area inside the seafood bar but luckily there is outdoor seating too with heating but don’t forget your coat (just in case!). It is not possible to make a reservation so we suggest you be prepared to wait if you are a larger party or try an early or later dinner. Food is served from midday until 9 pm. On the menu, you will find the most recently landed and therefore freshest (and tastiest) seafood; crab sandwich, crab nachos, grilled mackerel, salt and pepper squid, mussels in cider cream and so much more to choose from.
- Dog friendly
- Local produce
- Nearest car park at Dukes Street or Tolcarne
- Children’s options
Visit their website for more information
An intimate restaurant perfect for a romantic meal in St Ives, One Fish Street is on Fore Street and has been newly renovated with the modern yet rustic nautical feel seen throughout St Ives.
Offering tasting menus that comprise of freshly sourced fish, these will vary based on the catch of the day, ensuring whatever features will have been creatively constructed by the chefs! With a tasting menu designed to last three hours, dining at One Fish Street is a must for anyone with a broad palette and adventurous appetite. Booking is advised as this location books fast.
- Dog friendly (must be declared when booking)
- Local produce
- Nearest car park is The Sloop car park
Visit their website for more information
Porthgwidden Beach Cafe is the place to go if you fancy a spot for lunch or dinner with views that will keep you ordering more and more to stay at your table.
Porthgwidden Beach Cafe is so much more than a cafe! It offers delicious local food starting from breakfast to evening suppers and your whole family is welcome (including your dog!) under the glass-covered terrace which is heated. The cafe is perched above Porthgwidden Beach so is super easy to access and find. Bon appetit!
Visit their website by clicking on their name above or call them on 01736 799097
Boasting the best sunset views in the west, Porthmeor Beach Cafe is a must visit for anyone staying in St Ives!
With panoramic views over Porthmeor Beach and the Island, this is the perfect spot to enjoy alfresco dining after a day on the beach, or wave watch over a hot chocolate in the winter months. Offering a selection of tapas options and plenty of freshly caught seafood dishes, you can share with friends and get a taste of what St Ives has to offer. If you’re an early riser we would highly recommend their ‘Build your own’ breakfast, because there isn’t a better way to start your day than with a fantastic breakfast on the beach!
- Dog friendly – On their outside terrace only
- Children’s menu
- Vegetarian options
- Vegan options
- Local produce
- Sea views
- Outside seating
- Nearest car park is Porthmeor Beach car park
Visit their website by clicking on their name above or call them on 01736 793366
Shutters restaurant at The Godolphin Arms guarantees delicious food with spectacular sea views looking over to St Michael’s Mount.
Enjoy the relaxed dining experience with evolving seasonal menus, great wines and Cornish beers. Shutters restaurant opens daily at 8 am for breakfast and all the way through to 11 pm. Shutters’ dedicated chefs produce dishes using the freshest of ingredients, grown, grazed, picked, plucked and landed from Cornwall and its stunning shores.
It is dog-friendly and welcomes families with young children. There is parking very nearby which is free. Reservations are recommended but they also welcome walk-ins. There is the glorious Marazion beach below the restaurant so what better way to walk off the calories after a spectacular lunch?
- Sea views
- Local produce
- Vegetarian and vegan options
- Children’s menu
- dog-friendly
- Parking nearby
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 888510
Mixing Cornish cuisine with creative cooking, Porthminster Kitchen offers 180’ views of the harbour front, a great spot to enjoy the views away from the busy street whilst enjoying some smaller plates and lighter options.
With a modern urban feel, Porthminster Kitchen creates wonderful fresh fish and seafood dishes and a curated wine menu to suit every dish for the ultimate dining experience. Wishing you could take the taste of St Ives home with you? Porthminster Kitchen has also created their own cookbook! With signature recipes created by executive chef Mike Smith, so you can recreate your favourite dishes at home!
- Dog-friendly (terrace only)
- Children’s menu
- Vegetarian options
- Vegan options
- Local produce
- Sea views
- Outside seating
- Nearest car park is The Sloop car park
Visit their website by clicking on their name above or call them on 01736 799874
Sun-drenched by day, candlelit by night, Tresanton in St Mawes has a collection of spaces for eating, drinking and relaxing.
The restaurant has a mosaic floor and a Pelargonium filled terrace. South facing with views that extend towards St Anthony’s Lighthouse, this is the main dining space within the hotel.
Tresanton is open to non-resident guests for lunch and dinner. In the Summer, they offer an abundant BBQ lunch on a Sunday, a real feast of salads, seafood, grilled meat and a selection of desserts. Great for a large family get together. In their Dogs Bar, food and drink is served in a more informal setting with an open fire and a collection of board games. Dogs are welcome.
- Sea views
- Local produce
- Vegan and vegetarian options
- Dog-friendly (in the Dogs Bar only)
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01326 270055
Whether it’s a Sunday Roast or some wholesome delicious food, The Mexico Inn offers a warm welcome to families and is a dog-friendly restaurant too!
The fish and crab are locally caught in Newlyn, organic vegetables, salads and herbs from two miles up the road from the restaurant and rare breed meat from St Just so The Mexico Inn proudly supports local produce including local beers and soft drinks. Children have their own small choice of what to eat on a children’s menu and for those not wanting to drink alcohol, their choice of alcohol-free tipples is so tempting!
There is parking available across the road from the pub but if that is full, you can pay for a few hours at The Range just a minute’s walk away.
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 710625
A warm welcome awaits you and your dog at The Gurnard’s Head. With its rustic but homely style, the locally sourced food and drink is truly divine and the cosy log burner sets the scene for a super relaxing wind down to the day.
The pub is painted orange and so it’s unmissable on the coast road between St Ives and St Just. Pass through Zennor and on through Boswednack (where our dog-friendly holiday cottage Old Boswednack is) and you will see it on the horizon as a beacon of delicious hope. A generous car park sits to the side of the pub, enter through the aged oak door into a bar area where the floor is large slate tiles, the dining tables in rustic oak and a log fire almost always lit to offer the cosiest of ambience.
The phone reception at The Gurnard’s Head is not brilliant however they do have free WiFi. There is no TV so if you want peace, and tranquillity to strip out technical noise, this is the pub for you. Dog treats await your four-legged friend.
- Dog friendly
- Local produce
- Car park
- Vegan and vegetarian options
Visit their website for more information or call 01736 796928.
The Old Coastguard in Mousehole delivers great food, drink and sea views with outdoor dining and a beautiful garden for total relaxation.
The decor is relaxed with comfy sofas, tub chairs as well as rustic dining furniture which instils a sense of calm but perhaps it’s the views that do that for you too or the cosy wood fire; the sea views are spectacular! Lunch, dinner and Sunday Roasts are on the menu using locally grown, grazed and caught produce.
- Dog friendly
- Local produce
- Sea views
- Car park
- Vegan and Vegetarian options
- Children’s menu
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 731222
Moomaid in Zennor make luxury Cornish ice cream on their family-run dairy farm perched on the cliffs between Zennor Hill and The Atlantic Ocean. Their cows (or maids as they are affectionately known) have the freshest sea air and lush, coastal grazing!
Moomaid’s farm is a short walk from the small village of Zennor infamous also for its legendary ‘The Mermaid of Zennor’. As the tale goes, a young Cornishman was lured into the sea by the beauty of the Mermaid.. The Moomaid in Zennor is situated at the Old Wayside Museum, just down the road to the left of The Tinner’s Arms pub. They sell teas, coffees, sandwiches, homemade cakes, cream teas, sundaes and a great selection of Moomaid ice cream.
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 799603
Source Kitchen is located on a dreamy cobbled lane called The Digey in St Ives.
It leads you to Porthmeor beach one way or the busy Fore Street in the other direction so take the weight off your and your dog’s feet and enjoy a fabulous breakfast, lunch or dinner at one of their street-side bistro tables. Sadly dogs are not allowed in the restaurant itself so make sure you pick a dry day.
- Dog-friendly (outside area only)
- Local produce
- Nearest car park is The Sloop Inn
- Vegan and vegetarian options
Visit their website by clicking on their name above or call them on 01736 799487
The Tolcarne Inn, a proper Cornish pub/ restaurant in Newlyn couldn’t be closer to where they source their catch of the day! It is a historical pub slightly tucked back from the sea with outdoor dining and a relaxed dining ambience inside.
Ben Tunnicliffe, chef and restaurateur has created an inviting dining experience for seafood lovers, where a chalkboard menu changes to reflect the seasonal ingredients on its doorstep.
The catch of the day is served alongside fresh produce sourced from small local growers; Ben’s belief is to combine flavours simply and unconsciously, letting the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves.
A friendly welcome is guaranteed, with well-kept local ales and ciders, and a wine list specially chosen to enhance the seafood offering. The Tolcarne Inn is a relaxed setting in which to enjoy Cornwall’s famous food culture at its very best.
- dog-friendly
- Parking (pay and display but refunded at the bar when spending more than £10)
- Dishes can be adapted for children
- Vegetarian options
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 363074
An award-winning Cornish restaurant with spectacular sea views; a taste and sight sensation awaits you at Mullion Cove Hotel Restaurant!
Local fish is landed from the Lizard in Cornwall as well as oysters from the Helford so their menu is always varied and super fresh. Locally reared beef also features on the delicious menu as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Mullion Cove Hotel restaurant is a consistent AA Rosette award-winner, with two rosettes since 2010, their recipe for success is to combine the best local ingredients with the flair of their talented chefs to create exceptional food. This is an evolving process at the hotel, and with an ever-changing daily market menu, there is always something new to try.
- Sea views
- Vegetarian and vegan options
- Local produce
- Parking
Visit their website for more information or call them on 01326 240328
Located right on the Carbis Bay beachfront as part of the Carbis Bay estate, The Ugly Butterfly restaurant offers glorious panoramic views across the beach through their floor to ceiling windows.
Hosted by multi-award-winning chef Adam Handling, the fine dining menu features colourful dishes created with local quality ingredients and uses trims and offcuts from the ingredients to create drinks and snacks. For a truly special occasion, why not try their all-day dining experience? With a spectacular tasting menu available.
- Children’s menu – Can adapt the menu
- Vegetarian options
- Vegan options
- Local produce
- Sea views
- Parking – On-site
Visit their website or call them on 01736 805800
You have reached the end of 'Food and Drink' in our guide to Cornwall
We will be adding to this guide regularly so please do refer back for even more ideas..
To read where to eat and drink in St Ives and Carbis Bay, read our guides for extra helpful tips and recommendations!