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St Ives By Night

You're on holiday in St Ives, you've enjoyed an incredible day exploring the cobbled streets, been in the sea, eaten well and indulged in some treats. Whether you're sunkissed from the summer sun or wrapping up warm in search of a cosy place to eat on your winter break, we wanted to let you know what you can expect from St Ives' nightlife and where to enjoy some sunset cocktails!

Discovering St Ives: A piece of coastal heaven with nighttime magic

St Ives is a picturesque harbour town that boasts breathtaking natural beauty and a diverse nightlife scene that comes alive after the sun sets. It suits families with young children and teenagers as well as the silver surfers and everyone else in between. There are sea-front restaurants, cosy corners for cocktails and aperitifs, ice-cream parlours for nighttime beach strolls and good old-fashioned pubs. So, if your idea of a good night is some great food followed by a game of pool, St Ives can deliver! We have pubs that regularly have live music and bars that have a DJ providing some background vibes. An important FYI for all-night dancers, St Ives doesn’t have a nightclub!

Sunsets and cocktails

As the sun dips below the horizon, head to one of the town’s beachfront bars or cafes. Sipping a cocktail while watching the fiery hues of the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean is an unforgettable experience. The best place to watch a St Ives sunset at its very best is on Porthmeor Beach. You can sit on the beach and see the last rays of sun and a huge ball of red disappear behind the headland. Some people feel so moved, they applaud it! If you want a cocktail in hand while enjoying the spectacle of the sunset, head to Porthmeor Beach Cafe (open all year round) or The Fish Shed (open between Easter and October only). If you fancy a cocktail or two before heading to your next place for the evening, we suggest you try one of these places.

The R Bar

Silco Bar & Kitchen

Porthmeor Beach Cafe

The Upper Deck Bar and Terrace

Tretho Lounge

The Fish Shed

Porthminster Beach Cafe

The Hub

Pedn Olva

Seven Bar

Little Palais

Dining Delights

What better way to start the evening entertainment than with a cocktail followed by a fabulous meal. From seafood fresh off the boats to homely cuisine, St Ives is a food lover’s paradise. Enjoy a sumptuous meal at one of the many waterfront restaurants that offer exquisite seafood dishes and locally sourced ingredients. Our St Ives Holiday Guide has a whole section on Food and Drink in St Ives but here’s a quick link choice to our top 5 favourite restaurants. We hope you enjoy the nighttime twinkling lights on the sea while eating delicious food at:

The Hub

Porthminster Kitchen

Silco Bar & Kitchen

Talay Thai and Cocktail Lounge

Porthmeor Beach Cafe

We have a range of holiday cottages in St Ives that are all within a very short walk from St Ives harbour. We recommend you search for our By The Beach Collection of holiday cottages to be within a short walking distance of our favourite places above.

Live Music

When night falls, St Ives transforms into a hub of entertainment. The town’s nightlife scene caters to all tastes, from cosy pubs where you can savour a pint of local ale to energetic bars with live music and DJ sets. The friendly locals and tourists create a welcoming atmosphere that invites everyone to join in the night life festivities. We think you will like the following places if you are looking for live music and a livelier atmosphere. As you can see, they are set mainly in traditional pubs so you can expect a great welcome and entertaining local characters!

The Balcony Bar

The R Bar

The Three Ferrets

The Castle Inn

The Golden Lion

The Kettle and Wink (at The Western)

The Sloop Inn

Quiet Moments

If loud pubs and live music are just not your scene, St Ives gives to those who want to unwind and relax after dinner too. Little Palais is an intimate place to enjoy an after dinner drink. Head to one of St Ives’ moonlit beaches for a stroll and absorb the soothing sounds of the sea. The cobbled lanes with shop fronts are far less crowded by night. As a result, there is space to mooch quietly through the streets to find a peaceful place to enjoy a post dinner drink.

 

Quizzes

Quizzes can be a great bit of light-hearted fun for the whole family, and as some of our cosy pubs offer some great quiz nights, we definitely recommend you try and get to one during your stay.

Monday night is quiz night for the Castle Inn, which you’ll find on our beautifully cobbled Fore Street. The Lifeboat Inn also offers a warm and welcoming family quiz every Thursday night. Put on your thinking caps and get swatting as you may be in with a chance to win their prize of a delicious carvery for four!

Sports

Worried you're going to miss and important Sky Sports match? Fancy an open fire and a game of scrabble? Pool hustlers? We have you covered!

The Gurnard’s Head

Finally, if you’d love nothing more than to finish your evening off with a game of scrabble by an open fire or watching a game of football with a nice cold pint, here are a few recommendations for you!

The Tinners Arms  in Zennor

The Gurnard’ s Head

The Halsetown Inn

We love these 3 country pubs situated in the dramatic Cornish countryside just a short drive out of St Ives. They’re all great spots to try for some food, but a real warming touch to them is their relaxed atmosphere and open fires.

If being on holiday in St Ives means you are going to be missing an important sports match, fear not, there are a few bars screening all your Sky and BT TV needs! The Balcony Bar is a great location for watching an evening game of footy. With panoramic views of the entire harbour, 3 screens, and cool Cornish beer, it has a great buzz to it! The Golden Lion has you covered for Sky Sports and if you’re looking for something a little quieter, The Harbour Pool Club also has Sky Sports, two big screen TV’s, and an open fire. It is a private members club, welcoming visitors, offering an uncrowded environment.

If you are after a game of pool while enjoying a pint with friends, head to the Three Ferrets, The Harbour Pool Club, The Lifeboat Inn or The Queens Head.

Come and join in with the St Ives nightlife!

So, there we have it. Hopefully, we have given you a little inspiration and a few ideas as to how to spend your evenings in St Ives. All of these places and events are open to everyone all year round in St Ives. Having said that, they can sometimes fall a little quiet during the winter season but, whether you’re joining in a quiz for a bit of fun or fancy a bit of knees-up at an open mic night, all involvement is very warmly welcomed!

 

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