Harden's survey result
Summary
Right by Newlyn’s sea wall, Ben Tunnicliffe’s beamed 1800s pub with an appealing terrace specialises in “very good fish”, with the chalkboard menu changing to reflect what’s come in on the boats that day. Ratings slipped slightly this year on a couple of less enthusiastic reports (particularly regarding service), and the setting remains “fairly basic”, but for the majority it’s all about the “utterly delicious” catch – “spanking fresh and not fussed with, so the flavours can shine”.
Summary
Ben Tunnicliffe’s centuries-old pub with a “lovely” terrace serves a “menu that’s almost exclusively fish and can change twice a day” depending on the catch – “unsurprising given its location next to Newlyn harbour”. “Nothing beats a great plate of fish that was landed only a few hundred yards away… if you close your eyes and picture a fisherman’s inn in an old Cornish port, the Tolcarne is what you’re seeing”.
Summary
“Unrivalled access to the day’s catch” – (“it is Newlyn after all”) – is the secret to the “consistently amazing food” at chef-owner Ben Tunnicliffe’s unspoilt 300-year-old pub by the sea wall. It’s “perfect for alfresco dining on a summer’s day” – and not so shabby whatever the weather.
Summary
Ben Tunnicliffe’s venture in a 300-year-old inn by the sea wall serves the freshest catch just off the boat from Newlyn Harbour, and scrawled up on the chalkboard menu – and “what a little gem it is” with its “incredible food”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Tolcarne Inn?
Tolcarne Pl, Penzance, TR18 5PR
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £3.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Tolcarne Pl, Penzance, TR18 5PR
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 5:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 5:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 5:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 5:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 5:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 5:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑4 pm |
Best Fish & seafood restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in Mousehole
Fish & seafood restaurant in St Ives
Fish & seafood restaurant in St Ives
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
Mediterranean restaurant in St Ives
Fish & seafood restaurant in Falmouth
British, Modern restaurant in Truro
