Penzance Restaurant Guide

“Exquisite cooking, with fish straight from the Atlantic” again wins very high ratings for Bruce Rennie’s very personal 14-seater, where service is by the man himself. Seafood is the speciality here and there are lots of Japanese accents used in the preparation of the six-course tasting menu. No walk-ins, as the fish is purchased in the morning for the number of reservations.

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”.

Set within a “beautiful sculpture park” outside Penzance hosting works by art-world stars James Turrell and Richard Long amongst others, this pleasant eight-year-old restaurant offers an “excellent selection of vegetarian dishes” (but not just) and classic cream teas. Stop in for the “lovely brunch and then walk it off” in the grounds – or else grab a takeaway from their hut, and picnic on the hill with views of St Michael’s Mount.

“One to return to for its comfort and lovely views (even in winter)” of St Michael’s Mount and the Lizard – this Cornish seaside hotel with its “buzzy” bar/café is from the same stable as the not-far-distant Gurnard’s Head and the well-known Felin Fach Griffin in Wales. It wins praise for “capable gastropub-quality cooking” and its “buzzy style”. Top Tip – “great Sunday lunch”.

2023 Review: “Simply all that you could desire of a gastropub” – this attractive twelfth-century inn welcomes everyone from walkers from the nearby SW Coast Path near St Michael’s Mount to dog walkers with its enjoyable bistro-style food – “good Sunday lunch” in particular.

In a bracing coastal setting near the Minack theatre, this mustard-yellow dining pub-with-rooms has long been a well-known destination – much like its elder sibling the Felin Fach Griffin, near Hay-on-Wye; and The Old Coastguard, across the moor in Mousehole. The “lovely” bar is generally preferred to the main restaurant, but better yet eat outside “and you can look across the fields and breathe in the sea air” (there’s also a new outside bar, The Cow Shed, open Friday and Saturday from noon until sundown, and serving “great beer” from the Verdant and St Ives breweries).

Adam Handling scores more bouquets than brickbats for this luxurious venue overlooking Carbis Bay: part of a new luxury resort which hit the papers in 2021 when it hosted the G7 summit a few months before his dining room opened here. Fans say the ambitious cuisine is “innovative, if expensive” and “excellently sourced, fresh local and seasonal”. Not everyone is wild about the interior however (“while it has an excellent view, it can seem rather echoey due to the large expanse of glass and hard surfaces”) and one or two reporters also query value here (“a very large bill for an underwhelming meal and strange decor”). Still, no-one rates the cooking as less than good, and many say it’s exceptional.

“Fabulous beach-front location, great fish cookery and good wines” combine to guarantee an “altogether enjoyable lunch or dinner” at this St Ives fixture, led for more than 20 years by Aussie-born chef Mick Smith, who benefits from “not trying too hard to be innovative”.

2022 Review: “Great views from the beachside terrace and an interesting fishy menu” have made this tapas-style venture “a definite must-go”, especially when visiting the nearby Tate. (As of 2019, they also run seasonal spin-off West Beach Bakery, on the western side of Porthmeor Beach, and serving up “great pizzas”, deli-style lunches and “even better views” than the original… and it's “less busy” too).

“St Ives has so many places to eat, but this is a favourite” – “right in the middle of the seafront, and because it’s on the first floor you have a great view of the harbour and beach”. “The menu has plenty of fish options, but the meat-eater is also catered for”, while “the food quality is good, even if the options are not that innovative”.

A “great view of the beach” (particularly from the deck) and across the bay to Godrevy Lighthouse in the distance has long been the major draw to this seaside café; while the food isn’t quite what it once was (breakfast is take-away only these days), it does its job, with dishes like crab linguine and fish ‘n’ chips playing up the local catch. PS – if you’re making a day of it, they also rent out 36 brightly coloured beachside ‘pods’ or shacks, allowing you to store your beach kit and refuel at this restaurant without the hassle of carting your valuables with you.

“Amazing ramen” is just one highlight of the “lovely menu” at chef Jude Kereama’s second venue, sister to nearby Kota. There’s plenty of seafood, along with dishes inspired by Jude’s New Zealand and Asian heritage. “Fab views over the harbour just across the road” are another reason to visit.

“The ‘one to beat’ in the surrounding area, despite increasing competition” – this harbourside restaurant with rooms is “a place for a quite special dinner, where the imaginative menus and ingredients continue to reflect Jude Kereama‘s heritage” (a mixture of New Zealand and Asian backgrounds). “The tasting menus remain very good value at a time when such menus are becoming all but prohibitively priced elsewhere”.

2023 Review: “Great cooking at very reasonable cost” is on offer at this family-run brasserie with deli and ice-cream parlour from Cornish-born chef Stew Eddy (who trained under both Raymond Blanc and Michael Caines) and his wife Anna, in a “lovely former fishing village that’s fast becoming a foodie destination to rival Padstow”. Top Tip – “the memorable Goan fish curry”.

2022 Review: Ben Prior relocated to St Ives after 10 years in Marazion at the highly rated Ben’s Cornish Kitchen (RIP), and in May 2021 he helped re-open the dining room at this small hotel overlooking Porthminster Beach (at whose cafe he’s now head chef) having installed Grant Nethercote as head chef. Reports please!

“A real find” – this “outstanding small eats” spot has an open kitchen which sources its fish, seafood, beef, charcuterie, salad leaves, potatoes, pinot noir, rosé, beer, cider, gin, vodka, rum, soft drinks and more from Cornwall – “keep up the good work”, say fans, who apparently include Rick Stein!

“One Fish Street has moved to Fore Street but has kept its original name” – a potentially confusing move that took place at the start of 2024. “It still serves wonderfully accomplished food but now open also at lunchtime, which is an à la carte version of its evening tasting menu” (seven courses for £89 per person). This is “excellent cooking with lots of imagination, creating a unique style reflecting the artistic heritage of St Ives. Seafood is the star and it’s a stand-out choice if you are searching for a special meal prepared by skilled chefs”.

2022 Review: Perched on top of Porthleven harbour, this hip two-year-old café-kiosk is run by Kelvin Batt, also behind the Porthleven Food Festival (the name is a play on the famous Alabama recording studio where The Rolling Stones laid down tracks). The tiny kitchen turns out “tasty” French bistro-style food such as moules-frites – for the full effect you can opt to eat on a pontoon in the harbour.